Hospitality Design - February/March 2022 - 131

A courtyard open to the sky is a defining characteristic of
the forthcoming Sharaan by Jean Nouvel resort in AlUla
The light-filled lobby at House Hotel
Jeddah City Yard, designed by Studio Noor
Banyan Tree AlUla, from AW Architecture Workshop, is a
tented resort opening in the Ashar Valley later this year
development, on track to be fi nalized in 2023,
fl aunts 16 hotels providing 3,000 guestrooms
on fi ve islands and two inland sites. Brands that
have been announced include EDITION, St.
Regis, Fairmont, Raffl es, SLS, Grand Hyatt ,
InterContinental, Six Senses, and Jumeirah.
The 48-room, 12-villa Desert Rock by Miamibased
Oppenheim Architecture will also be part
of the off erings, starring accommodations fully
integrated into the rock massif. Seventy-fi ve
percent of the islands will remain undeveloped,
reinforcing a " light-touch approach, " says Joshua
Judd, TRSDC's senior interior architecture
director, " which underpins the importance of
ecology and respecting nature. "
Riyadh
Just 15 minutes from the Rockwell Groupdesigned
Nobu Hotel opening in downtown
Riyadh later this fall, is Diriyah Gate, a lifestyle
development anchored by Al Turaif, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Encompassing culture,
retail, education, and hospitality, it will bring
together 38 hotels scatt ered in diff erent districts,
including Address, Baccarat, Campbell Gray,
Capella, LXR, Oberoi, Orient Express, Park
Hyatt , Raffl es, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood, another
Six Senses, as well as Fauchon, the brand's
debut in the Middle East, and a 141-room
Luxury Collection hotel, set to be the fi rst to
open this year. " Diriyah Gate is a magnifi cent
redo of a historic city, " says Raul Leal, CEO
at SH Hotels & Resorts, which is behind the
Baccarat, " and we'll see over the next 10 years
it's going to become an incredible leisure and
business destination. "
Jeddah
A 63-room EDITION close to the Jeddah
Corniche Circuit will open later this year, on
the heels of another lifestyle property in the
Al Rawdah district, the 114-key Jeddah City
Yard. Part of the House Hotel portfolio, it was
designed by Athens- and Ho Chi Minh Citybased
Studio Noor. " We wanted to capture the
essence of Saudi Arabia, making a comfortable
place and stepping out of the conventional 5-Star
hotel stereotypes, " says Studio Noor managing
partner Luc Lejeune. Drawing inspiration from
Jeddah's sea, architecture, and handicraſt s, " the
idea was to open the space to the light, while
at the same time, shading it, " says cofounding
partner and design director David Hodkinson.
Marked by natural materials like stone, wood,
and cast bronze, it " fi ts into the neighborhood, "
he adds. The luminous lobby, with its theaterlike
seating and mashrabiya detailing, serves as
a true public space for events and talks that, says
Lejeune, " gives the hotel a direct connection to
the energy of the city today. "
hospitalitydesign.com February/March 2022
131
Photos and renderings courtesy of ATELIERS JEAN NOUVEL, BANYAN TREE, and OMAR SHALHOUB
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - February/March 2022

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