Hotel for the King of Saudi Arabia. The delegation of the king of Saudi Arabia made a cash desk for Moscow hotels

On Sunday, the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh returned to normal operation. For 99 days, since the beginning of November, it served as a place of detention for 381 dignitaries; princes, businessmen and officials were detained during the largest Saudi Arabia anti-corruption investigation.

The campaign, led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, began unexpectedly. On November 4, an influential citizen was called to see King Salman at the Ritz-Carlton. But instead of the king, armed men met him there, took away his mobile phone and escorted him to one of the hotel rooms. “I was told that I would stay there for a while,” he recalls.

The investigators who interrogated him had a wealth of information, producing large stacks of documents about his financial assets. During the "long, tiring" interrogations, they methodically looked through them, but did not make any significant claims to the suspect. He was told that he was detained as part of an anti-corruption investigation, but that he could be released if he made an agreement and paid for his violations, which he eventually did. According to him, some of the detainees tried to dispute the charges, but made concessions when their business partners were brought to the hotel, who began to testify against them. “They didn’t expect this,” he says.

In Saudi society, the anti-corruption campaign was met with enthusiasm. According to the government, agreements with detainees have been concluded for $106 billion, and several dozen people may face trial.

Interviews with the detainees and their loved ones shed light on the actual conditions of detention. Some were cooked by royal chefs, but they were only allowed one phone call a day. Others had to endure many hours of interrogation, but for a certain price, all charges of corruption were offered to be dropped.

The Saudi Ministry of Finance has hired consulting firms in Europe and the Middle East to track the assets of wealthy Saudis such as billionaire Mohammad al-Amoudi and Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former ambassador to the US, people familiar with the situation said. Al-Amoudi was held at the Ritz-Carlton in November, his current status is unknown, his spokesman said, adding that the businessman did not admit to wrongdoing. A spokesman for bin Sultan, who was not detained, did not respond to a request for comment.

Among the prisoners were the richest businessman in Saudi Arabia - Prince Al-Walid bin Talal; Bakr bin Laden, head of construction company Saudi Binladin; the owner of the largest media company in the country, Walid bin Ibrahim; several ministers.

$13 billion

This is how much Saudi Arabia hopes to replenish the treasury by the end of the year thanks to payments for detainees as part of an anti-corruption campaign, the Financial Times reported, citing a senior Saudi official. It will be money, real estate and corporate assets. These funds will help the government limit the growth of the budget deficit, which should reach $52 billion this year.

The Ritz-Carlton was built in 2011 and has over 500 rooms, including 48 Presidential Suites, and a 24-hour medical care and olive trees, which are about 600 years old. The hotel is close to the seat of the Saudi government.

Some prisoners say they were treated well. So, Al-Waleed bin Talal, in a video interview with Reuters, which was shown on television, said that in the kitchen in his room there are several special coffee pots for traditional Arabic coffee and the authorities allow him to follow his usual vegan diet. Near the entrance to the room is a vase with tulips, on the wall is a large-screen TV. “I go in for sports, swim, walk. I eat like always. I feel at home,” said bin Talal (pictured below is the living room in his room).

/ Reuters Staff

High-ranking prisoners were kept in the so-called royal rooms, the hotel employee explained. Each of them has two bedrooms, a dining room, two living rooms, an office and a kitchen.

The Saudi Attorney General said at the end of January that most of the prisoners had already been released: against some, no evidence could be found, most agreed to a deal with the authorities. Bin Talal was demanded $6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported. But even the billionaire prince found it difficult to pay such an amount. According to people familiar with the situation, he was released in January after he entered into a financial agreement with the authorities; its size is not reported.

65 people refused to pay, they are in custody, the place of which was not disclosed.

The first guests who stayed at the hotel on Sunday after it resumed work, note that almost nothing has changed in the atmosphere. However, "The Ritz will now always be associated with a luxury prison in Saudi Arabia," says Simon Henderson, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Some Western analysts see what happened as Crown Prince Salman's campaign to consolidate his power. “If you are a potential investor, this does not bode well for you,” said Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution.

Translated by Varvara Podrugina

Five-star hotels in the center of Moscow have almost run out of rooms: the suite of the king of Saudi Arabia has taken the best hotel rooms, RIA Novosti reported. He is due to arrive in the capital on an official visit already on Thursday. Together with Salman Al Saud, a delegation consisting of a thousand people will arrive in Russia, a source from the agency said. How hoteliers will meet distinguished guests, Yana Lubnina figured out.

During the visit, the delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia will live near the Red Square. Already today to rent a room in the "National", Four Seasons or St. Regis will not work: in one of the hotels, journalists were told about the full load, which, according to employees, happens extremely rarely. Reservations will reopen after October 8th.

Some hotels had to cancel planned weddings and banquets; the main task now is to strengthen security: you can get into the building only after presenting a guest card. Sergei Kolesnikov, vice president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, told Kommersant FM that this is a normal practice:

“These events do not take place spontaneously, regardless of who comes: Saudi Arabia, the United States, the President of the Russian Federation or high-ranking officials. The representative of the special services selects not just a hotel, but specific rooms, this happens in a week or two. After the advance group, special regime events are held the day before arrival: the room is checked again so that there are no misunderstandings.

The organizers of the visit paid special attention to the convenience of the guests. The king of Saudi Arabia is known for his whimsicality: on his March trip to Indonesia, he took about 500 tons of luggage, two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and even two electric elevators; apparently, the Saudis did not come to Moscow lightly either. Especially for the delegation, the hotels change the furnishings of the rooms: the usual European furniture is sent to the warehouse, and in return they spread carpets brought from Riyadh; in addition, pork dishes will be excluded from the menu of hotels. This is far from all that hotels can do for the sake of customers, said Kirill Ryabkov, Marketing Director of Quintessentially Russia concierge club:

“I worked at the Hyatt hotel where Madonna lived, and we made a separate room where she did yoga. The room had to be connected to her presidential suite, it was a must. One Australian pop star demanded that there must be a certain scent of lilies where she passes.

“The delegation, it seems, from the Emirates, was satisfied only with the presidential number: it was sold to someone from Russian oligarchs, and representatives of the Arab sheikh approached the Russian with a request to give up this number. He categorically refused, bidding began, and in the end, when it had already reached astronomical figures, the oligarch’s wife could not stand it, saying: “You don’t want it, but I want it, I’ll buy goods in France for this difference.”

Prices in best rooms Four Seasons with an area of 500 sq. m. start from 1 million rubles. per day., but for the delegation this is not a problem: moreover, according to some reports, the Saudi prince Al-Walid, the king's nephew, owns a share of this hotel chain.

Interlocutors of Kommersant FM say that special conditions, in which the king of Saudi Arabia will live, cannot be called a whim: it is, according to experts hotel business, a guarantee of their complete safety.

On October 4, Business FM received information that during the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia and his retinue to Moscow, they would fill all available five-star rooms around Red Square and the Kremlin. One of the hotels is 100% booked.

The royal will stay in the capital until 7 October. During this time, several very important meetings should take place. Already now we can say with confidence that in the area of Lubyanka, Kuznetsky Most, and Manezhnaya Square, you will not be able to find a free place in a top-level hotel. Important guests decided to pay special attention to Four Seasons, St. Regis and National. It was these objects that were considered the most worthy of receiving a delegation from Saudi Arabia. The work in hotels is in full swing, as you need to please everyone. In general, the Saudis arrived in large numbers - about 1,000 people. For the most important of them - the king - all rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel were booked until October 7th.

According to Yunis Teymurkhanly, CEO and the owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocol requirements for the accommodation of persons of this level. Important guests should get everything they expect. If the king felt that the hotel should be filled with his retinue for the duration of his stay, then so be it. Important guests - special rules. In practice, in most cases, guests of this level are accommodated in the official residences of the countries they visit. In this way, the maximum level of security can be ensured.

But, the decision on which accommodation facility to choose is determined only by the protocol of the two countries. The monarch's delegation may perceive transport accessibility and security in its own way, and therefore the choice may well be different. As happened in the case of a visit to Moscow. Speaking of hotels, which have become the choice of the delegation, their kitchens even exceed the capabilities of the state residence, which, as a rule, is offered to important guests. Most likely, the king will invite various guests, including journalists. During the visit of politicians, his own chefs will treat not only a large delegation, but also all those invited.

Already on October 4, one could notice that there were an unusually large number of traffic police officers on the roads of Moscow, which, most likely, was dictated by increased security measures. The king must understand that in connection with his visit all necessary measures. The vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of the Russian Federation believes that traffic in the center for this period can be considered significantly complicated, but Moscow has long been accustomed to this. The capital city often receives distinguished guests, so it will work at the usual pace. The delegation is actually very large. There is another nuance, all the guests wished to stay exclusively in top-level hotels, the latter were happy about this.

The Ritz Carlton hotel on Booking.com indicates the cost of a room from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night on October 8. In total, the hotel has 334 rooms.

It is worth recalling that in early 2017, the Saudi king had already taken a 31-day trip to Asia. In order for the trip to be as the king had planned for himself, he had to take 459 tons of luggage, which included 2 elevators, as well as 2 Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and a retinue of 1,500 people. The age of the monarch is 81 years.

MOSCOW, October 3 - RIA Novosti. During the visit of the king of Saudi Arabia to Moscow, his retinue will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels - completely, representatives of the hotels told RIA Novosti.

According to a source close to the organizers of the visit, in many rooms the furnishings will be changed to more familiar to guests, in an oriental style. Moreover, for several high-ranking members of the delegation, their favorite carpets will be brought specially from Saudi Arabia.

Already now in the area of Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free places in five-star hotels. RIA correspondent visited several hotels, including Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" - those in which the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. "Most early booking available from October 6," RIA Novosti was told at the reception of one of the hotels.

In total, the Saudi delegation will number about a thousand people, a source told RIA Novosti. Most of the delegation will be settled in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.

One of these hotels, with about 200 rooms, will be fully occupied.

Already now, on the dates of the visit of the king, it is impossible to rent a room at the hotel for any money. The reservation department of RIA Novosti explained that the situation of a complete lack of rooms rarely develops, and it is associated with the "arrival of large groups." Now all the rooms are sold out until October 8, the reservation department offered to check in at a later date.

The cost of a double room in a hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (with an area of about 500 square meters) cost about a million rubles per day (the price depends on the season and hotel occupancy). They are considered the most expensive hotel rooms in Russia.

"The hotel was completely filmed by the king's entourage," one of the hotel's representatives told RIA Novosti. The hotel management had to cancel several events for these days - private banquets and weddings were planned at the hotel. In addition, pork dishes were excluded from the hotel menu.

Now at the entrance to the hotel and around it, security has been strengthened, they are allowed into the hotel only upon presentation of a guest card.

In addition, a source close to the organizers of the visit said that in some rooms the stop will be changed from European to Eastern, and the Saudi delegation is also carrying its own carpets and furniture.

Michal Schmetz, general manager of one of the hotels in the Asian region, told RIA Novosti that replacing furniture in rooms or even plumbing is a common practice for wealthy guests, especially from the Middle East. "They are more comfortable with carpets and low trestle beds. If necessary, we change the furniture at our own expense. Old furniture is sent to the warehouse, and instead of it we put new furniture in oriental style. After the departure of distinguished guests, of course, no one throws away the oriental furniture - it is also sent to the warehouse before the arrival of new guests," Schmets said.

Also, posters appeared in Moscow with a greeting from the "Russian-Saudi Investment Fund" addressed to "the custodian of two Islamic shrines, His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud." The poster is made in Russian and Arabic and is decorated with a portrait of the king.

Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that the visit of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow would take place on October 5. A RIA Novosti source reported that the king would visit Moscow on October 4-7. According to him, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a package of documents is being prepared for signing.

Before the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation and the King of Saudi Arabia, the Russian-Saudi Investment Forum will be held on October 5, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, told reporters. In addition, the week of Saudi culture is held in Moscow all week long.

According to press reports, on the eve of the king's visit to Indonesia in March this year, 459 tons of various equipment, including two Mercedes S600s and two electric elevators, were delivered to Jakarta from Saudi Arabia. Saudi delegation consisted of 800 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. 27 flights were made to deliver people and cargo to Jakarta.

For the King of Saudi Arabia.

During the visit, the delegation of the King of Saudi Arabia will live near the Red Square. Already today, rent a room at the National, Four Seasons or St. Regis will not work: in one of the hotels, journalists were told about the full load, which, according to employees, happens extremely rarely. Reservations will reopen after October 8th.
Some hotels had to cancel planned weddings and banquets; the main task now is to strengthen security: you can get into the building only after presenting a guest card.

Sergei Kolesnikov, vice president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, told Kommersant FM that this is a normal practice:
“These events do not take place spontaneously, regardless of who comes: Saudi Arabia, the United States, the President of the Russian Federation or high-ranking officials. The representative of the special services selects not just a hotel, but specific rooms, this happens in a week or two. After the advance group, special regime events are held the day before arrival: the room is checked again so that there are no misunderstandings.

This is far from all that hotels can do for the sake of customers, said Kirill Ryabkov, Marketing Director of Quintessentially Russia concierge club:
“I worked at the Hyatt hotel where Madonna lived, and we made a separate room where she did yoga. The room had to be connected to her presidential suite, it was a must. One Australian pop star demanded that there must be a certain scent of lilies where she passes.

The delegation of Salman Al Saud has a thousand people, and apparently they were lucky with the accommodation. Although it happened that wealthy guests bought the best rooms from the guests - Yunis Teymurkhanly, the owner of the Helvetia Hotel in St. Petersburg, told Kommersant FM about this case:
“The delegation, it seems, from the Emirates, was satisfied only with the presidential number: it was sold to one of the Russian oligarchs, and representatives of the Arab sheikh contacted the Russian with a request to give up this number. He categorically refused, bidding began, and in the end, when it had already reached astronomical figures, the oligarch’s wife could not stand it, saying: “You don’t want it, but I want it, I’ll buy goods in France for this difference.”

Prices in the best Four Seasons rooms with an area of 500 square meters. m. start from 1 million rubles. per day., but for the delegation this is not a problem: moreover, according to some reports, the Saudi prince Al-Walid, the king's nephew, owns a share of this hotel chain.

Interlocutors of Kommersant FM say that the special conditions in which the king of Saudi Arabia will live cannot be called a whim: according to hotel business experts, this is a guarantee of their complete safety.

Trouble began on arrival. King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who arrived in Moscow on a state visit, when getting off the plane at the capital's Vnukovo airport, discovered a breakdown of his escalator ladder.

The golden ladder escalator has recently accompanied the Saudi monarch during his official visits. So, on March 1, 2017, Indonesian observers paid special attention to this detail. They noted 1000 escorts in the retinue of the king, and the weight of his luggage was estimated at 500 tons. Two weeks later, reporting on a luxury trip Saudi king to Japan, the RT television channel noted that the visit of the monarch is served by two golden escalators, 10 aircraft, 500 limousines. 1,200 luxurious hotel rooms were then prepared to accommodate the royal retinue in Japan.