It’s one of the world’s most acclaimed hotel brands, and in no time at all you’ll be able to stay at Saudi’s first-ever Banyan Tree property. Banyan Tree AlUla? Don’t mind if we do.
Located in AlUla, home of some of Saudi’s most incredible heritage sites, and expanding on the destination’s Ashar Resort, Banyan Tree has been designed to blend tastefully in with its striking, carefully preserved surroundings, and is set to open to its first guests during the winter – the exact date is to be confirmed.
Forty-seven new suites, in the form of one-, two- and three-bedroom tented villas, have been added to the resort’s existing inventory (which has undergone renovations), and a new spa, gym, garden pavilions, swimming pools and restaurants are also among the facilities set to open with the resort.
Banyan Tree AlUla will blend into the terrain 
Banyan Tree AlUla villas
Just 15km from Hegra, Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banyan Tree AlUla will be minutes from entertainment and concert destination Maraya, host of events including the annual Winter At Tantora cultural festival, which offers visitors a chance to discover and experience the nature, art and ancestry of the region.
And it looks like that’s an offering Banyan Tree aims to build on, with villas designed to blend into the complement its surroundings – all sand, stone and earth tones, low-rise buildings and thoughtfully landscaped walkways.
Big on its sustainable ethos, which was born with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts brand in 1994, when it undertook a huge ecological clean-up to create its first property in Phuket, the AlUla destination promises to show the same respect for its environment.
The hotel is all part of a massive new drive by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to develop the region as a destination for nature, culture and heritage discovery – and more resorts, including the five-star, 3D-printed Habitas, are set to follow in its footsteps.
Development of the area will also create jobs in the local community – with hundreds of residents having already become guides and storytellers for visitors, providing first-time explorers of one of Saudi’s most revered national treasures with real local insights and history.
With all manner of plans in the pipeline for the region, even seasoned AlUla visitors will soon find they’ve plenty yet to discover.
Opening in the winter. For more information and reservations, visit banyantree.com.
What is AlUla?
Around 1,000km from Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia’s north west, AlUla is an area of more than 22,000 sqkm of sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites, dating back to the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms. One of its most recognised sites is the ancient city of Hedgra, home to 111 well-preserved tombs, and currently believed to be once the southern-most outpost of the Roman Empire.
experiencealula.com.
