Habitas, the lifestyle hotel brand, will deliver a 100-room luxury resort in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia that is in part 3D printed by the end of the year, joining other planned hotel groups that are emphasizing sustainability to the historic area.
According to Travel and Leisure, the new Habitas Al-Ula will have “100 stand-alone capsules made from laminated wood, aluminum, and other light-on-the-planet materials that Habitas constructs, flat packs, and then ships to the site for construction.”
The Al-Ula area.
Habitas joins the Accor brand Banyan Tree in announcing a new presence in Al-Ula, which is seeing a surge in activity as the Kingdom looks to develop its nascent tourism sector as part of its plans to diversify its economy.
Like the Banyan Tree resort, Habitas Al-Ula will be free of plastics and emphasize the impressive location. The hotel brand says that the new location for its hotel in Saudi Arabia is “set in a living museum where time stands still…a place for curious minds to lose themselves in an unspoken world of wonder.”
“Habitas wants to redefine the idea of luxury — for a long time it implied material luxury and isolation,” says Habitas co-founder and CEO Oliver Ripley, in comments published in Travel and Leisure. “We believe that luxury is something that cannot be bought or sold; rather it is a feeling that exists in the experiences and memories we create with others. We call this luxury for the soul.”
Habitas’ first hotel was built in the popular beach destination of Tulum in Mexico, and expanded with new properties opening in Malibu, Namibia and the Bahamas.
Saudi Arabia’s plans to become a global tourist destination are still full steam ahead despite the current pandemic. Until it is able to open its borders again, the Kingdom is emphasizing opportunities for Saudis to travel locally and explore areas within Saudi Arabia, like Al-Ula.
