Dar Tantora

AlUla Old Town is one of the most impressive heritage sites in Saudi Arabia (it was named one of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization’s 2022 Best Tourism Villages), but within the town itself is Dar Tantora The House Hotel, the first and only lodging option built directly out of the over 800-year-old mudbrick houses that were once a pivotal stop along the incense trading route through the Arabian Peninsula. Designed by Egyptian architect Shahira Fahmy and opened in May, the hotel features 30 rooms that incorporate a mix of traditional materials with modern engineering that helped preserve the mudbrick frames of every room along with original historic art that adorns walls throughout the property. Doors are heavy and wooden, ancient-styled rugs and antique pottery abound, and the rooms, hallways, and common areas are lit with 1,738 candles (bathrooms have electricity). A pool, spa, cigar lounge, and two restaurants (Joontos features regional Saudi cuisine in an upscale courtyard setting, and Maqha is a more laid back cafe) make this a comfortable place to stay, but the idea behind Dar Tantora is to really feel the area’s history: the hotel offers traditional Bedouin experiences such as ancient breadmaking, coffee ceremonies, storytelling sessions, and ageless beauty treatments with healing Saudi oils and balms. Dar Tantora also wants you to experience AlUla itself, ushering you around the city in vintage Mercedes’ and Rolls Royces to archaeological sites like Hegra, where a new hotel, Chedi Hegra, will be the first to open within the UNESCO World Heritage Nabataean site this fall, and to more modern spots like Design Space, a new global design center hosting exhibitions and events.

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