6 Architecturally Ambitious Hotels Attracting Attention at This Buzzy New Beach Spot

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea islands—90 desert islands in an archipelago largely overlooked by international travelers—are home to more than 1,200 fish species and 200 kinds of coral in clear turquoise waters.

Here, on Shura Island, a city’s worth of five-star resorts are jostling to make their debut—and the 240-room Red Sea Edition was the first to open in November 2025. On its heels are SLS the Red Sea, InterContinental, Faena, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, Jumeirah, Raffles, Rosewood, and Miraval, the first international outpost of the acclaimed Arizona-based wellness brand. The island will eventually be home to 11 of the biggest names in luxury hotels, paired with Shura Links, an 18-hole championship golf course, and a marina with docking for sunset sails, diving excursions, and plenty of berths for the yachts expected to call here in the coming years.

Shura Island is one sliver of a $20 billion (and rising) investment in the Red Sea region of Saudi Arabia’s west coast, home to 10,800 square miles of dune-crested desert, beachfront, and islands; wellness destination Amaala has also begun a phased opening, with an Equinox, Four Seasons, Six Senses, and Rosewood expected in 2026. The scale is substantial, and it echoes the rapid development seen in other Gulf destinations such as Dubai. And among all these openings are hotel designs by prominent architecture firms, including Kengo Kuma and Foster + Partners.

Below are some of the most ambitious and architecturally stunning hotels to open across the Red Sea resort area to date—along with a standout upcoming 2026 debut.

Courtesy of Red Sea Global Hospitality

Desert Rock Resort

Desert Rock Resort is one of two notable inland Red Sea experiences (the other: Six Senses Southern Dunes), and while guests don’t have sea views, they do get to stay amid the granite Hijaz mountains. In fact, rooms are carved directly into the rock face, a concept similar to the cave suites of Cappadocia in Türkiye. The design philosophy of the Miami- and Basel-based firm Oppenheim Architecture is “to build with the land, not on it,” and so the welcome experience at Desert Rock Resort is set in the shadow of a giant boulder, and suites have private pools opening out onto nothing but sky, mountain views, and those desert sunsets.

Courtesy of Marriott International

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is one of several Red Sea projects designed by British architects Foster + Partners—which is also behind the Red Sea International (RSI) Airport, opened in 2023—and it’s a striking property. Overwater villas are arranged in a semi-circle, mimicking the jewels of a necklace; from ground level, they appear shell-like, with arched roofs and panoramic windows offering a view of the exceptionally blue water of Al Wajh lagoon and the neighboring St. Regis. (The two resorts are a short 5- to 10-minute boat ride apart.) As a Ritz-Carlton Reserve—one of only eight in the world—you can expect a high-touch experience. Each villa comes with a personal host, or Najm/Najma guide, and guests can request everything from kids club sessions and moringa-oil healing rituals at Neyrah Spa to stargazing from their private terraces.

Courtesy of Red Sea Global Hospitality

Shebara

Shebara looks like it was built by, or for, interstellar visitors. Thirty-eight mirrored orbs, akin to miniature versions of “The Bean” in Chicago, appear to have landed and been repurposed as overwater villas, reflecting the sky and sea in their polished stainless steel. They’re cantilevered to maximize views from the private pool terraces, while the overall design aims to minimize environmental impact: This is an off-grid, zero-waste resort run on 100 percent solar energy, with close access to largely undisturbed coral reefs. Back on the island, 35 beachside pods also reflect their surroundings; inside are cream-colored interiors and long, curving lines. Killa Design is behind the space-age architecture. This innovative Dubai-based firm, in just a decade, has left its mark on the Middle East: Dubai’s elliptical Museum of the Future is its work, along with the new yacht-shaped Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel. Be sure to pack your sunglasses—those surfaces gleam.

Courtesy of Marriott International

The Red Sea Edition

Visitors who land at Red Sea International can take a car directly to the Red Sea Edition, over a two-mile bridge and causeway from the mainland to Shura Island. They’ll pull up to low-slung pavilions designed by the Rockwell Group, and 240 guest rooms decorated in neutrals like oak and coral stone floors. The aesthetic is high-desert chic, like something out of Palm Springs, with an added jolt of green from the adjacent fairways of Shura Links. The ethos here is “social wellness”: Guests are invited to join sunset bonfires and drum sessions at Jiwa beach club and kick back with tea-based mocktails (remember, you’re in Saudi Arabia) in the candlelit lobby lounge.

Photo by Laura Dannen Redman

The St. Regis Red Sea

When the St. Regis opened in 2024, it received more than its share of comparisons to a Maldivian resort—yes, the vegetation had just been planted, with palms and aloe taking root, but it offered that same clear water and typical ultra-luxurious overwater accommodations. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who designed the Japan National Stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scaled down for the 47 beach and 43 overwater villas but maintained a strong focus on natural materials. Prefabricated timber structures reduced impact on the surrounding environment, with roofs made from natural cedar shingles and walls finished with clay plaster rather than concrete. From above, the overwater villas spiral out like coral; inside, designer Kristina Zanic played with half a dozen shades of blue, turtle-shell patterned floor tiles, and murals of undersea life. It’s a bright, playful parallel to the triggerfish nipping in the water and turtles and dolphins circling the outer reef.

Courtesy of Miraval Resorts & Spas

Coming soon: Miraval the Red Sea

Marking its 30th anniversary in 2025, American wellness hospitality brand Miraval announced a notable development: It would open its first international property in the Red Sea, expanding its portfolio from Arizona, Austin, and the Berkshires to Saudi Arabia. This is the only wellness-focused resort on Shura Island, slated to open spring 2026, with 180 guest rooms and the island’s largest spa set on 69 acres of beachfront. Most striking are the 20 beachfront villas, soothing and airy, with private pools right on the beach, steps from the water. Guests can check out the aerial ropes course, indoor and outdoor yoga studios, meditation room, hammam, Bedouin storytelling, and a lot more.