AlUla’s Historic Buildings to Be Transformed Into Boutique Hotel

AlUla, a historic city in Saudi Arabia, is preparing to welcome a new boutique hotel, housed in a series of carefully restored historic buildings. Dar Tantora by The House Hotel will offer 30 rooms, a pool, spa, restaurant, and café, all located in the heart of the vibrant heritage site. The mud-brick buildings will be restored using a combination of modern engineering techniques and traditional architectural methods, with rooms featuring furniture, art works, and decorative elements that reflect the area's rich cultural heritage.

The Royal Commission for AlUla is leading the project, which aims to use tourism as a means of stimulating development and job creation in the region, and nourishing AlUla as a vibrant cultural hub of the future. The Sustainability Charter will be used to ensure that each project has a positive economic, social, and environmental impact. The AlUla Old Town has already been recognized as a ‘Best Tourism Village’ by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

"Dar Tantora by The House Hotel will allow guests to live the rich heritage of the AlUla Old Town historical village," John Northen, Vice President and Head of Hotels and Resorts at the Royal Commission for AlUla, tells SceneTraveller. The hotel is part of the Royal Commission's vision for a diverse range of accommodation, with plans to deliver over 5,000 keys by 2030.

Kerten Hospitality's House Hotel brand will operate the boutique property. Kerten Hospitality has already introduced its mid-market lifestyle concept, Cloud7 Residences, in AlUla, which includes secluded bungalows and farm-to-fork dining.

The restoration of the historic buildings for Dar Tantora by The House Hotel will provide important opportunities for local artisans to contribute to the project and receive specialist restoration training. The result will be a unique and culturally rich experience for guests, and an important boost for the region's economy and cultural preservation efforts.