Last weekend we stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel Jubail Beach. I really didn't realize how much I needed this stay until I got there! I really liked this hotel and since it looks like it could be another year of stay-cations for many of us I thought I would share my thoughts on this fun-filled resort on the Arabian Gulf.
Jubail is an industrial city in the Eastern Province. Despite its industrial roots, it is a very pretty place with many ways to enjoy the coast including the corniche, numerous beaches, and a harbor with boats that can take you fishing or snorkeling out at sea. It is approximately an hour and a half drive away from Dhahran. I wish I could say it is an easy drive but honestly, that Dammam to Jubail highway has to be the worst road we have traveled on so far in all the miles we have traveled in Saudi Arabia. Don't be disheartened though, Just leave at a good time in the morning and avoid nightfall if you are unfamiliar with this route.
We chose to stay at the Intercontinental in Jubail since we love chilling together as a family by the beach or pool and this hotel has a private beach where women can swim and wear whatever swimwear they are comfortable in. I also liked the look of the activities on offer at the hotel which included pedalos, jet skis, bouncy castle for the kids and inflatable football pitch on the beach, family bike hire, banana boat, and boat excursions arranged. There is also mini-golf and a laser tag set up available to play on site (activities are at an extra cost). The pool was available to women only in the mornings and men in the afternoons.
We arrived on Thursday and arranged an early check-in for our two-night stay. We spent almost all of our time enjoying the main beach where most of the kid-friendly activities are. While this isn't a pristine, picture-perfect beach it was just so well equipped for families wanting to play and relax. I was able to lay on the sun loungers soaking up the sun while the kids played in the shallow and still bay. They collected shells and we took our own snorkels since there are lots of little fish under the water here. The hotel provides beach towels and there is a beachside snack bar so that you can order lunch and eat it under the parasol with a wonderful view. The food here was great with a lot of the kid's favorites such as pizza and steak sandwiches and fries. You could also order mocktails and baby coconuts and I truly felt those vacation vibes. I particularly liked that the beach facilities included good-sized changing facilities so you could shower and get changed after being at the beach.
As well as hiring a pedalo and taking it out to sea much to the disgust of our tired legs, we also hired the family bike that seats three (what were we thinking?!) and my son had an electric scooter which was so fast! It was only while exploring the grounds on these bikes that we realized there was actually another small beach which was really beautiful. This beach was much quieter and cleaner, also equipped with sun loungers and parasols and it was here that you could take out the jet skis.
The hotel offers a buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but also a coffee shop and restaurant in the foyer and two other restaurants. On our stay, the two restaurants Al Diwan and The Ranch were temporarily closed so do check your dining options on booking if the buffet is not for you. Due to having three small children we made the most of room service and all the meals we ordered were wonderful, the mixed grill may have been one of the best I've ever eaten.
The hotel room itself was lovely with comfortable beds and everything we needed in the rooms and the waterfall shower was amazing. The breakfast buffet was pretty standard in my opinion, nothing remarkable but decent enough with all the standard English, Continental, and Arabic breakfast foods and a few of the faves (Falafel and Hash browns of course).
This hotel is a five-star hotel on the higher end of the budget, I don't know if the higher price tag would be worth it for everyone since in my opinion, the basic facilities were unremarkable. However, I loved the laid-back, holiday feel to this place and all the fun that we had as a family without having to leave the resort. I loved how relaxed I felt for the entire weekend and that I felt fully comfortable swimming here and moving around without any Abaya and this isn't always so easy to find here in the Eastern province. For these reasons I would definitely go back, even at the high price, although I would check next time that all the restaurants are open so that I also get to enjoy a nice meal in a nice restaurant setting.
I also believe that it is possible to use the beach for a day visit only and that there are certain days where the beach is women only (Please check with the hotel) so this could be an option for those wishing to have a look at the facilities on offer before booking a stay.
For more videos of my mini adventures in Jubail and beyond follow me on Tik Tok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeapYcG1/