Ashar Valley AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Opened
2021
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe WellnessOutside the door
The house
Our HabitasSandstone canyon camp
This car-free settlement draws on festival culture, bringing guests together beneath towering cliffs for shared music and desert rituals.
“Materials skew tactile and honest – plastered walls, woven textures, pale woods – and the palette is lifted straight from the valley: ochres, sands, and dusk-purples.”
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Low-slung villas built without deep foundations use bamboo, canvas, and valley pigments.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
UK Gold List
Condé Nast Traveler
2026
Also in The 50 Discovery and AFAR.
The word ‘spectacular’ hardly seems up to the task of describing Habitas AlUla, an extraordinary collection of 96 luxury villas in a box canyon.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Hegra's ancient Nabataean tombs sit twenty minutes north, and the mirrored Maraya concert hall glints down the valley.
The rooms
Each villa opens onto a private lounging deck with an outdoor shower. Celestial suites include telescopes for desert stargazing.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
A turquoise infinity pool stretches across the wooden deck, backed directly by the towering sandstone canyon walls.
The yoga studio
Mats face the desert landscape in the timber studio, and sunrise sessions bring singing bowls onto the open deck.
The spa
Five treatment rooms look straight out into the canyon, and an alchemy bar mixes custom body scrubs.
Restaurant
Tama
Full-length glass doors slide open toward the canyon cliffs, and the kitchen draws on regional spice routes and local farms.
Rocky sandstone cliffs surround the 96 villas, which, furnished in sandy hues and organic materials, have been designed to blend seamlessly and sustainably into the environs.
At the table
Low tables with floor cushions host outdoor dinners at dusk, and brass lanterns glow across the sheltered lounge deck.
How it began
The founders met at Burning Man and built ninety-six low-impact villas without deep foundations to protect the canyon floor.
“Habitas uses organic materials that blend into their surroundings. Guest rooms are fashioned out of bamboo, canvas, and responsibly sourced hardwood, with nary a plastic container in sight.”
Good to know
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Our Habitas AlUla
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AlUla
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.