Hotels of the world: Six Senses Southern Dunes, Saudi Arabia

This is the first hotel of the gigantic leisure and tourism project known as the Red Sea Project to officially open its doors. It is a resort hotel that stretches out on the edge of the desert at the foot of the Hijaz Mountains in western Saudi Arabia, just over 20 km from the Red Sea coast. It is such a new resort hotel that there are hardly any real images of its facilities (apart from those posted by guests on the resort hotel’s page on a popular search engine), but we have to rely on the illustrations of the Foster+Partners studio, responsible for its design and architecture, to get an idea of its rooms. It is Six Senses Southern Dunes.

Six Senses Southern Dunes promises luxurious, comfortable and peaceful stays in one of its 36 rooms. These feature an open-plan bedroom and living area and an open-air terrace. They face the ‘breathtaking valley’ so that guests can enjoy the spectacular mountain views.

If you prefer, you can stay overnight (or even live) in one of its 40 villas with swimming pool. From one to four bedrooms, the villas ‘are inspired by the shape of the dunes and their double-layered undulating roofs creating their own unique scenery’. And so it is, the 40 villas are laid out on the desert sand in meandering lines, covered with tarpaulins reminiscent of traditional Bedouin tents, as well as replicating the shape and colour of the environment. The interiors likewise reflect the tones and textures of the Saudi desert, and the furnishings evoke the rich colours and patterns of Bedouin tribal dress.

Otherwise, both rooms and villas meet ‘the highest environmental standards of sustainability’, in an effort to preserve, protect and enhance the region’s stunning natural biodiversity’. Six Senses Southern Dunes includes a spa, a central pool area and, located at the highest point ‘to facilitate sunset dining’, restaurants specialising in local cuisine and traditions.