Luxury hotel chain Raffles – one of the Singapore’s top hotel and resort chain – has opened its seventh property in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The 213-room hotel is Raffles’ second property in the Middle East, following the opening of its Dubai property in 2007.

Looking over the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, the Raffles Makkah Palace offers round-the-clock butler service for guests, along with a “coffee sommelier,” a four-storey mall in the basement, and four restaurants.

It’s a tough business being a billionaire during a credit crunch.

Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia has put the prestigious Raffles Hotel in Singapore up for sale for a price tag of up to $450 million, media reported on Thursday.

Apparently Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia is down to his last $13bn (£8.7bn), which is something of a pittance when you consider he was worth $21bn last year.