Our Habitas AlUla

Why book?

For all of Saudi Arabia’s whiplash reinvention – transforming in the span of a few years from a place with no public cinemas into a nation hosting desert music festivals, couture runway shows and cultural seasons that draw millions – it’s the otherworldly landscape of AlUla that has emerged as the kingdom’s crown jewel. Habitas sits right at the heart of it: 96 low-lying, earth-toned villas that seem to dissolve into burnt-sugar cliffs, anchored by a show-stopping infinity pool, an excellent restaurant serving Saudi-inflected contemporary cuisine, and a packed roster of complimentary cultural activities.

Set the scene

The resort lies low to the valley floor, flanked on all sides by rugged rocks that rise in ribs and chimneys, their ledges casting hard-edged shadows that crawl and recede with the shifting sun. Step a few metres and the view morphs: a new cleft, a sudden overhang, a corridor of stone that narrows to a postcard of sky.

From a curving spine road, short lanes peel off into evenly spaced clusters of single-storey villas, their flat, matte roofs kept deliberately low, so that the rock, not the architecture, takes precedence. At the head of the valley, Habitas’ social hub gathers neatly in a natural cul-de-sac: Tama’s timber-and-glass pavilion and the infinity pool pinned precisely against the cliff, flanked by white parasols in disciplined rows.

By noon, heat bounces off the stone like a kiln, but come late afternoon, the walls ignite, shifting from oat to copper before cooling to plum. After dark, low path lights bead the ground and the resort settles beneath the wide-open sky — a thin ribbon of stars stitched between the cliffs.

Several colourful Desert X AlUla installations by the likes of Lita Albuquerque and Manal Aldowayan are dotted across the valley, each one a splash of colour against the rust-red valley. Days spool out with complimentary sunrise yoga and breathwork sessions at Thuraya, candlelit sound baths or oud-strummed jam sessions beneath the cliffs. Come nightfall, telescope lenses tilt skyward for Journey Through the Stars, while those with extra stamina can bounce on sunken desert trampolines or lace up for the resort’s 8-kilometre adventure trail. This dust-kicked circuit snakes over the escarpments before looping back just in time for sundown.

The backstory

For centuries, AlUla was little more than a remote valley known mainly to archaeologists, date farmers and the occasional intrepid traveller. Once a vital stop on the incense trade routes linking Arabia to the Mediterranean, it slipped into relative obscurity. Its Nabataean tombs at Hegra – now Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site – and the weathered remains of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms stand as some of the few reminders of its ancient power.

That changed with the advent of the country’s ambitious Vision 2030 reforms, which designated AlUla as a cultural anchor for Saudi Arabia’s tourism drive. Under the Royal Commission’s sweeping master plan, the valley has been transformed into a living museum, home to international arts festivals, mirrored concert halls, and luxury resorts that bring visitors into close contact with the land’s heritage.

Habitas AlUla, which opened in November 2021, was one of the first of these flagships, bringing the brand’s “luxury for the soul” philosophy into the kingdom, joining sister outposts from Tulum to Namibia. Just next door is Caravan by Habitas – the resort’s sister glamping spot of 22 Airstreams with food trucks.

The rooms

Villas come in three categories – Canyon, Alcove and Celestial – each with a private deck, king bed, and both indoor and outdoor showers. Celestial villas layer on extra space and stargazing kits with telescopes for long looks at crystal-clear desert skies, while Alcove and Canyon villas trade up-close cliffside drama for quiet terraces and loungey daybeds. 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. It’s design that disappears when you want it to, and frames the landscape when you don’t.

Food and drink

Tama (Aramaic for “here and now”) is the resort’s social anchor: a bright, glass-lined room opening onto a canyon terrace. Menus pull from local farms and the spice routes – warm grains with herbs, citrusy pickles, and charcoal-infused mains – and run seamlessly from breakfast to late dinner. Mornings bring trays of warm, freshly baked breads and an à la carte list of eggs and regional staples, washed down with layered zero-proof cocktails that feel made for golden hour on the terrace.

The spa
Thuraya Wellness, named for the star cluster that guided Bedouin travellers, collects a small gym, treatment rooms and a breezy lounge with an alchemy bar for blends and scrubs. Outdoors, a simple wellness agora hosts slow-flow yoga, breathwork and the occasional sound session, with treatments splicing regional rituals and contemporary technique.

The area

The resort sits in Ashar Valley, a 20-minute drive from AlUla town within easy striking distance of the region’s headline sites. Plan an early-morning Hegra tour (Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO site), then loop south to the twin heritage troves of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah - the “open-air library” of inscriptions – before chasing the day’s last light at Elephant Rock. Concerts and exhibitions orbit nearby Maraya, the record-holding mirror-clad hall that flashes between the ridgelines.

The service

Service is light-touch and confident. Most of the team is local, and requests are handled briskly — buggies appear when they should, and free electric bicycles make exploring effortless during busier hours.

Eco effort

The resort’s modular, low-impact construction is part of a brand-wide ethos that focuses on using ethically sourced materials and treading lightly on the landscape. The hotel’s operations lean into the same philosophy, with native landscaping, local ingredient sourcing at Tama, and programming that champions AlUla’s culture.

Accessibility

Public spaces – including the lobby, restaurant, spa, fitness area and pool – are accessible via wheelchair-friendly routes, with buggies available to ferry guests around the resort.

Family

All ages are welcome, and the resort’s rhythm suits curious kids (gentle hikes, cycling, stargazing), though extra beds and cots are not available in most categories.