“The Chedi Hegra, a living museum” is how the website of the hotel we have selected for this space welcomes us. By this, no doubt, the presentation of The Chedi Hegra refers to the fact that it occupies a restored historic railway station and an old fort, or, as the tourism portal of the city of Al-Ula, to whose north it is located, puts it, “The Chedi Hegra places the historic railway at the heart of its experience, celebrating its significance in connecting cultures and history”.
Hegra – to which we have already dedicated an article below – was one of the stops on the incense route and the station is part of its 20th century legacy. One of the curious -and beautiful- pieces that we can admire in one of its three restaurants is precisely a perfectly restored Ottoman locomotive from 1906.
The Chedi Hegra is a luxury hotel with just 35 rooms. When news of its opening last December (2024) spread, some press reports claimed that it was a 7-star establishment, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. However, the review on the Al-Ula website specifies a 5-star rating. In any case, the news reports stated that the Royal Commission for Al-Ula and hotel operator General Hotel Management had reached an agreement and presented “its first flagship project”, a hotel “heralding a new era for Al-Ula as a premier tourist destination”.
In terms of interior design, The Chedi Hegra is a boutique hotel that “integrates ancient structures with contemporary design, artistic spaces and world-class facilities”. From what we have observed, the interiors are sober, clean and elegant, even light, without decorative excesses, between smooth surfaces, with an overall minimalist look.
It seems to us a good choice for a hotel located in Hegra, the first UNESCO World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia. Such a design is perhaps the most respectful for a historic site reminiscent of the functional yet solid architecture of the early 20th century. An architecture whose structural and exterior walls, some built with mud bricks, are carefully preserved and integrated into the modern structure of the hotel. In doing so, its designers seem to bow to the importance of historical heritage and avoid distracting attention from it. And all this, of course, without sacrificing the best qualities in materials, textures and design.
All that remains is to mention other services at this hotel, which offers what feels like a light, hassle-free stay; services such as a spa with treatment rooms and hydrothermal spaces, a gym and a swimming pool housed in converted traditional adobe villas. Of course, there would be something missing if the hotel did not aim to produce minimal environmental impact, for example by using local materials. And what’s more, it is predicted to create some 120 jobs.
Oh, we almost forgot: here is what we wrote about Hegra, the magnificent archaeological site on which The Chedi Hotel is located:
» Saudi Arabia’s historic city of Hegra opens to tourism
Sources: GHM Hotels-The Chedi Hegra, Construction Week, Experience Al-Ula, ME Construction News.
Images: The Chedi Hegra.
