Bubble Baths & Bonus Points: Our Stay at Ascott Corniche Al Khobar

Here it is—the hotel stay I hinted at in my Grab Bag blog post! That little paragraph started growing so long, it demanded its own spotlight. Plus, I’ve also set a personal goal to exceed the number of blog posts I did last month (hehe), so here we go!

My husband had a two-day work commitment in Dammam and was entitled to a hotel stay. Naturally, I jumped in and began scouting! I compared the usual hotels his colleagues book with Ascott Corniche Al Khobar and Somerset Downtown Al Khobar. To my delight, Ascott Corniche was within the same price range—but way nicer. The best part? We got an excellent rate thanks to our Ascott Star Rewards membership. (Light plug: If you’re not yet a member, sign up now—it’s worth it!)

A little proud moment: Back when I worked for Ascott Philippines, I was sent to Singapore to work with HQ on Ascott Star Rewards (ASR). I led the staff training during our ASR launch in the Philippines - so ASR is kind of my baby! So yes, we got a discounted rate and earned points. What I love is that since rates in Saudi and other countries are generally higher than in the Philippines, our points add up quickly. Earlier this year, we used our ASR points for a free night at Citadines Millennium Ortigas during our BF-GF anniversary. Win!

My "home" in Citadines Mount Sophia Singapore when I was there for ASR

Anniversary surprise at Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila

We booked a Studio Premier, which is the smallest room category but has a bath tub - priority for this bubble bath girlie! My husband dropped me off around 10:30 a.m. with our luggage and my grab bag, ready to wait in the lounge or restaurant. But surprise! The room was already available. Yayyyy!!

The Studio Premier was surprisingly spacious and included a kitchenette. Ours had a connecting door too, so it’s probably used as part of a two-bedroom setup. I won’t gush too much because I’ll let the photos do the talking, but let me say this: Manager-on-duty-me usually spots something wrong in hotel rooms—but this time, nothing. Nada!

   

I immediately set up my little crafting corner with everything from my grab bag. The only tiny hiccup? The bathroom lights were on a motion sensor, and they’d turn off mid-bath or while I was ahem otherwise occupied. But after calling the team, someone came up immediately and adjusted the timer to 15 minutes—the max. Problem solved, and service was quick! Working in hotels for 13 years, my patience is somewhat extended when it comes to hotel service and this team impressed me.

For my bubble bath, I finally got to use my new tray and bath pillow. I even watched Cold Case while soaking - haha! May seem like weird vibe but not really! I brought all the pampering essentials: face mask, eye mask, lip mask, hair mask, and a matching Bath & Body Works oil to go with the bubble bath. 

The next day, I even blogged in the tub! I’m now eyeing an acrylic wine glass and electric candles to complete the experience. Why not go all out?

On check-out day, my husband had work until 4 p.m., so I asked about late check-out. The front desk offered 2 p.m., which made me surprisingly (no, delightfully) happy! I thought I probably could’ve asked for later, but I ended up leaving the room early anyway and explored the lobby / ground floor area.

Here’s something that stood out: The staff were exceptionally warm and genuine. We’ve stayed at several Ascott properties in the Middle East—Ascott, Somerset, and Citadines in Riyadh, Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar—and this was the friendliest and most efficient team we’ve encountered. I honestly didn’t expect it based on past experiences, but Ascott Corniche Al Khobar exceeded expectations and brought back that signature Ascott hospitality I know and love. They truly made us feel welcome.

Since my husband was out most of the day and we only went out for dinners, I didn’t get to explore the rest of the hotel. But I’d love to go back for a proper leisure stay next time - one where we both get to relax!

And of course, we didn’t forget to eat well—here are some of our foodie finds while we were in the area.

Unlimited soup, salad bar and drinks!

Short and sweet, just the way I like it—already looking forward to the next stay (and the next bubble bath)!