Stays

Where to Stay in AlUla: The Valleys, the Old Town and the Great Desert Resorts

AlUla, Saudi ArabiaJune 22, 20252 min read

A natural sandstone arch silhouetted against a star-filled night sky in the desert of AlUla, Saudi ArabiaPhoto: SALEH / Unsplash

Saudi Arabia's open-air museum has a short but spectacular hotel list. Here is how the areas differ — and which famous names anchor each one.

AlUla is unlike anywhere else in Saudi Arabia — a green oasis valley threading between sculpted sandstone canyons, with the Nabataean tombs of Hegra (the kingdom's first UNESCO World Heritage site) carved into outcrops nearby. Tourism here is young and deliberately low-density, so the hotel list is short, striking and books out fast in winter. Choose your area first; the hotel follows.

Key facts

Best months: October–March; summer daytime heat is extreme
Getting in: AlUla has its own airport with domestic connections and a limited set of international flights
Season note: winter festival periods drive peak demand — reserve months ahead
Style: almost everything here is resort-style; true budget options are limited

Ashar Valley: the marquee resorts

A sandstone-walled valley south of town has become AlUla's five-star quarter, and its two famous names sit here.

Banyan Tree AlUla

Tented villas in desert tones spill along the canyon floor, many with private pools facing the rock walls. This is AlUla at its most cinematic — sunrise turns the sandstone copper outside your canvas wall. It is also home turf for long spa afternoons between site visits.

Our Habitas AlUla

The valley's other headline act takes a lighter-footprint, design-forward approach: villas raised over the sand, an artsy communal vibe, wellness programming and a pool aimed straight at the cliffs. Slightly more social than its neighbor; equally spectacular.

A guest in a pale robe walks away down a narrow mudbrick corridor at Dar Tantora in AlUla Old Town, both walls hung with iron candle lanterns that light the stone floor.Photo: Ameer Albahouth / Unsplash

AlUla Old Town: sleep inside history

The mudbrick maze of AlUla's Old Town, inhabited for centuries and now carefully restored, holds the area's most atmospheric address: Dar Tantora The House Hotel. Rooms occupy restored traditional houses lit largely by candles and lanterns, with rooftop views over the oasis palms. Choose it if texture and history matter more to you than resort facilities — and expect the quirks of a heritage building.

The road to Hegra: convenient comfort

Between town and the tombs, Shaden Resort spreads chalet-style rooms beneath the area's signature outcrops — including views toward the famous camel-shaped rocks. It is larger and more conventional than the Ashar properties, typically friendlier in price, and the practical pick for families focused on maximum sightseeing time.

AlUla's restored Old Town citadel of sand-colored buildings set against a rocky mountain backdrop under clear sky.Photo: Ameer Albahouth / Unsplash

The open desert: under canvas

For the classic desert-camp experience, Sahary AlUla Resort offers tented and cabin accommodation out among the dunes and rock formations — quieter nights, enormous starscapes, and a shorter drive to sunrise photography spots. Facilities are simpler; the silence is the luxury.

How to decide

Once-in-a-lifetime splurge: Banyan Tree or Habitas, Ashar Valley
History and atmosphere: Dar Tantora, Old Town
Families and value: Shaden, on the Hegra road
Stars and silence: Sahary, in the open desert

Tip: Whatever you book, reserve your Hegra site tickets and popular experiences for the same dates before you fly — visits run on timed, guided slots, and hotels fill precisely when the sites do. Check the official AlUla visitor platform for current schedules.

In pictures

Passengers ride an open-top safari jeep across the desert at dusk, sandstone outcrops glowing in the distance.Photo: Zhifei Zhou / Unsplash

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