New Desert Rock Resort Carves Luxury into Saudi Arabia’s Mountainscape

Practically camouflaged amongst the desert landscape of western Saudi Arabia, the Desert Rock resort is a new project from The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) carving luxury and sustainable innovation into some of the Kingdom’s most stunning mountains.

Seamlessly integrating opulence into the landscape’s natural beauty, the new mountain resort provides a unique opportunity for its guests to deeply connect with Saudi Arabia’s natural landscape while laying in the lap of luxury. Created by the world-class architectural design firm, Oppenheim Architecture, the Desert Rock resort will consist of 48 villas and 12 hotel suites from which guests can enjoy panoramic views of the mountain canyons below and the canopy of stars above.

Each of the accommodations’ designs are inspired by the surrounding mountains, volcanoes and wadis, with woody, marble and granite materials throughout instilling a cosy and cavernous feel in every room. A select number of excavated rooms will even incorporate the rocky massif itself into their architecture.

When not indulging in the hotel’s world-class spa and fitness centre, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the environment around them with romantic meals at remote destination dining areas, hiking trips to nearby wadis, dune buggy rides through the peaks and troughs of the mountain canyons, and lazy afternoons spent at the resort’s feature lagoon oasis.

Built with a philosophy of working with the land, rather than on the land, the Desert Rock resort is being constructed with an eye for the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification level. The architecture has been designed to reduce energy consumption and regenerate native fauna. Water retention and distribution systems will be used throughout the site, with harvested rainwater used to create a more green and flourishing wadi below.

Set to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022, this new development is demonstrative of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to position itself as a prime destination for sustainable travel on the global tourism trail.