Back in 2020, we featured the renders of French studio AW2 for a luxury resort in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Desert… and we’re pleased to share that, two years later, the project has finally come to fruition. The Banyan Tree AlUla Resort is all we expected and then more, delivering on their promise of tented suites, a couple of restaurants, a spa and a stunning pool all set amidst a backdrop of dramatic desert rock formations.
Inspired by the nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouins who roamed the area, the tented suites are as exotic as they are luxurious. They are scattered across the site, with enough distance between each other for much-needed privacy during such a getaway. Made of compressed earth bricks, the suites come in one to three bedrooms, and are fitted with screens that can be thrown open to join the desert landscape, the paved terraces, outdoor seating areas, intimate pools and fire pits. The canvas tents stretch low and close to the ground, creating large visors for shade, a welcome respite from the harsh desert sun.
Guests can quite literally trace the steps of the Bedouins via the narrow desert trails that connect the private tents to the resort’s on-site facilities. “In this way, the footprint of the resort is reduced to a minimum and the site’s natural habitat is preserved,” says the French studio.
One of the hotel’s most stunning features is the swimming pool which emerges like an oasis between the towering rock formations. With a combination of its rustic location and lavish facilities, a stay at Banyan Tree AlUla Resort could arguably be one of the most exciting destinations this 2023. Book a stay here.
Images © Banyan Tree AlUla Resort