Want to take advantage of Marriott STARS benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. This is valid for paid stays at BVLGARI, EDITION, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and St. Regis.
We know that Saudi Arabia is investing an unprecedented amount of money to boost its tourism industry. A big part of this is the Red Sea Project, which covers 28,000 square kilometers on the west coast of the country, and includes an archipelago of more than 90 natural islands. The goal is to build dozens of hotels here by 2030.
Many major luxury hotel groups have committed to opening properties here, and we’re slowly starting to see them open. At the beginning of 2024, we saw the opening of the St. Regis Red Sea Resort. Now we’ve just seen the opening of an even higher end Marriott property, which also has overwater villas.
Let me emphasize that I’m writing about this not because I think everyone should immediately plan a trip to Saudi Arabia, but rather because I find this whole development to be sort of fascinating, and am curious how it evolves.
Basics of Saudi Arabia’s Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has opened to guests as of late May 2024. The resort is located on a private island in Saudi Arabia, and features 63 beachfront and overwater villas, ranging from one to three bedrooms. On top of that, the property has 18 branded homes.
All accommodations here have a private pool. Entry level villas are marketed as being 1,625 square feet (151 square meters), though I assume that includes both indoor and outdoor space.
Despite the resort now being open, details about the amenities are still fairly limited as of now. We know there’s the Neyrah Spa, Conservation House, and Galaxea Diving Center.
As far as dining goes, there are several venues, including Sita (the Middle Eastern all-day dining restaurant), Jamaa (the Mediterranean restaurant), Tabrah (the seafood restaurant), Neyrah (the coffee house), and more.
Since the Ritz-Carlton Reserve is on a private island, it takes a bit of effort to get there. The resort recommends arriving by yacht (which can be arranged through the property), or alternatively, a seaplane transfer can be arranged.
The best way to get to the area in general is to fly to Red Sea International Airport (RSI), which is currently served by Saudia nonstop from Jeddah (JED) and Riyadh (RUH), and by FlyDubai from Dubai (DXB).
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Red Sea Resort rates & points requirements
Rates at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Red Sea Resort are jaw-droppingly high. Rates currently start at ~$2,500 per night (below rates are in SAR, and it’s roughly a 4:1 exchange rate), and that’s if you’re visiting in the peak of summer, when it’s unpleasantly hot.
There’s value to booking stays at these properties through the Marriott STARS program, to receive perks like free breakfast, a $100 resort credit, a room upgrade, and more. Ford and his team are happy to help with Marriott STARS bookings for Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties, and can be reached at [email protected].
If you want to redeem points at this property, it’s not a bargain either. The absolute lowest nightly rate I see is ~180,000 points, while on many nights the resort is charging well over 200,000 points per night. Yow.
For what it’s worth, I value Marriott Bonvoy® points at 0.7 cents each. So I suppose you come out slightly ahead compared to paying cash, though these are still among the highest points rates you’ll find at any Marriott properties.
Fortunately Ritz-Carlton Reserve participates in Marriott Bonvoy nowadays, as that wasn’t the case up until a couple of years ago.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how this develops
I’m intrigued by Saudi Arabia’s attempt to develop its tourism industry. That’s not because I’m a cheerleader for Saudi Arabia, but rather because we’ve never seen a country invest so much money in tourism so quickly, all while admittedly having a bit of a reputation issue in the West.
It’s unbelievable how many hotels are slated to open in the Red Sea Project in the near future, from a Four Seasons, to a Rosewood, to an EDITION, to a Miraval, to a Grand Hyatt, to an InterContinental, to a Fairmont, and many more.
As of now we only have renderings of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and I can’t help but wonder if the resort actually looks anything like this in person, or if people will be disappointed. Furthermore, the logistics just don’t seem very ironed out yet, given the limited amount of connectivity currently available to the Red Sea Airport.
Below is a video with the progress of this development as of several months ago. While they were presumably able to finish the construction, I have to imagine that vegetation is quite limited as of now.
Bottom line
The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Red Sea Resort has opened as of May 2024. The property consists exclusively of beachfront and overwater villas, with each accommodation having a private pool. The rates at this resort are astonishingly high, and start at around $2,500 per night.
The country is hoping to eventually make the Red Sea a huge tourist hotspot, but as of now that’s still a work in progress. I’m curious how this evolves…
What do you make of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Red Sea Resort?
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