"Imagine the Saudi Arabian equivalent of the Waldorf-Astoria and you’re well on your way to understanding what sort of place is the Qasr Al Sharq. In fact there’s a good reason for the comparison — it just so happens it’s part of the Waldorf-Astoria collection. Of course this being Jeddah, rather than New York, you’ll find certain concessions made to the locality; the style, obviously, is more suited to the gateway to Mecca than the gateway to the Upper East Side." - Tablet Hotels