AL Yamama Hotel (Al Riyadh)

Saudi Arabia / Riad / Riyadh / Al Riyadh / Prince Abdel Aziz Road
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   24°39'54"N   46°43'9"E

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  • Hotel used by USAF during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), and briefly used during the Kuwait-Iraq war during Desert Shield (1990) before troops moved to Eskan Village. Hotel was also used by some Kuwait refugee families. The houseboys were all Filipinos. There are several Date trees and they were delicious. My favorite meals were Shista-Kitty, Kibbles-and-bits, and pepper steak. The goat cheese dressing was wild, and would cure whatever ails you. The racket-ball court sucked, and the jogging track was gravel (sucked too). The swimming pool had a 1/2 inch of suntan lotion on the surface, because GI's were too lazy to shower first in the area provided, before plunging in. The Hotel is easy walking distance to the old Souks south, and the new mall north.
  • I was here for three months in 1984 as member of the Air Force. We were sent to guard the AWACS planes the U.S. was renting to Saudi Arabia.
  • If you want swimming class so the price is 500sr per month. And for one day is 25sr Open time 9am -12pm 3pm -9pm
  • there is swimming pool,available in family?
  • I was there in 1985 for 3mos. Worked in computer room for base supply. stayed at al yamama hotel. Good times. Because I am female, couldn't do anything but shop. Took a bus tour to an oasis, viewed mecca from afar on a hill. Good times.
  • I was in AWACS from 87-89 and I was a guest at the Al Yamama hotel twice. First time was June-Aug 1988, then a few months later from Nov 88-late Jan 89. First time was an absolute blast, it was a very hot there(of course) but we took a lot of trips to souks and restaurants. You could leave the hotel compound only if you took someone with you, we'd catch bus #5 to the gold souks and instead of buying gold we'd buy little prayer rugs, cheap knockoff 80's heavy/hair metal cassettes, funky arabic cigarette lighters, lots of perfume oils, puzzle boxes, etc. Went to the expensive shopping mall, right next to it was a pizza hut so that was a real treat. they'd close the curtains and let you still eat during prayer call. All shops closed during prayer call so if you were outside it was a long 45 minute ordeal until everything opened back up. Ran around the hotel at night on their gravel running track, then jumped in the pool and then sweated in their super hot sauna. Lost a lot of weight that summer that's for sure! They asked for voluteers to give blood at a local hospital, I think they gave us something like $80 for our blood, I did that 2 or 3 times from what I remember lol. The hotel restaurant was open only certain hours and you had to wear slacks and a collared shirt. Meal was free, usually something like shish tawook(chicken) or shish kabob with rice and ice tea. They had a buffet style breakfast outside in the lobby in the morning, you could grab some of their weird bacon(I don't think they allow pork), man I miss that stuff! Yeah, great times for me it was like a long, paid vacation. I think when I got back to Tinker(depressing but I was young) I got about $1,000 for a 72 day stay there. Like I said the summer was a blast but when I went back in late Nov it wasn't the same, a lot colder, short days, long nights, windy, and a totally different crew made it kinda boring. Still, you can never go to a place twice and have the same amount of fun. I was there when the Iraq-Iran war stopped so only then did the AWACS planes stop flying 24 hours a day. Worked pretty hard, there was a comm commander Lt. Col Holtcamp(sorry for the misspelling Col!) and he really was a great officer, he was there for a whole year and took care of a lot of folks. He wrote a nice letter to my commander because I would stay and help the other crew destroy classified material in a big shreddar, had to do that monthly and it was a lot of big books and tapes and you'd get shredder dust all over your uniform. Col had a sharp eye in that he noticed I helped out. Man it was fun to be there as a buck Sergeant back in them days!
  • As an airmen I stayed for 3 months: Nov 88-Feb 89. I delivered food to USMTM 3 times a day. Driving a civilian SUV with packed, pre-made food through downtown Riyadh and the round-a-bouts was a challenge every day. We toured the embassy when we first arrived and a couple of us sold blood for $85 a visit. Hearing daily prayer from the minarets reminded me early every morning that I was somewhere else. I didn't go to chop-chop square but spent my paychecks on the knock-off cassette tapes of many genres of music. I probably bought over 100. I still have the tri-gold necklaces I bought there, but wished I would have bought solid gold. Next time. The Lamborghini showrooms were a first for me (very cool!) and a few of us were invited to an American's home in Riyadh for Thanksgiving dinner. That was special. The hotel offered free bottled coke and meals from mostly Filipino kitchen workers trying to send money back home. We befriended some and loaded them up with huge bags of plain and peanut M&Ms and 100% cotton towels from the commissary. It's what they wanted, and I assume they sent them home. As a fellow cook, I befriended the hotel's chef, and he made an awesome birthday cake for my (dry) 21st birthday. I still cherish the picture I have of me with the cake, and another of me working in my cammies at Mel's diner, a small kitchen that we served food from (not at the hotel). There were also friendly Marines MPs who stopped by every day to get some food.
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This article was last modified 9 years ago