Plans have just been announced for the second Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in Saudi Arabia, and this one looks like it’s straight out of the future.
Ritz-Carlton Reserve planned for mountains of Saudi Arabia
Marriott and NEOM have signed an agreement to open a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Trojena, which is part of the NEOM development. Trojena is intended to be a year-round mountain leisure destination in the northwest of the country. The 60-key resort is expected to open in late 2026, and will feature villas ranging from one to four bedrooms. As far as amenities go, we can expect a spa, swimming pools, and multiple culinary venues.
The property will be situated in a remote area of Trojena, and will offer expansive views across the desert and mountain ranges. Trojena will include activities like skiing, water sports, hiking, and mountain biking. The area will also include many other hotels, with other Marriott properties including a W Hotel and JW Marriott Hotel.
For those not familiar with Ritz-Carlton Reserve, this is Marriott’s uber-luxury hotel brand, which nowadays participates in Marriott Bonvoy. Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are on a different level than standard Ritz-Carlton properties, and are generally much smaller and offer more personalized service. This will be the brand’s second property in Saudi Arabia, complementing Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in the Red Sea Project.
The basics of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM development
For those not familiar, NEOM is Crowne Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s $500 billion futuristic mega project. Most significantly, this is where “The Line” is being built, which is Saudi Arabia’s new smart city that looks… almost not real?
The Line is intended to eventually house nine million people, who will live in interconnected societies run by artificial intelligence. This will be a 170 kilometer coastal strip that will be free of cars and streets, and will allegedly have zero carbon emissions. Excavation is underway, and it’s expected that this will open in the coming years.
The region is also expected to have a massive airport by 2030, which will be one of the largest in the world when complete.
Meanwhile this Trojena development is right in the same area, and while not part of The Line, it’s part of the overall appeal of this area.
I’m not suggesting that everyone should suddenly flock to Saudi Arabia for vacation, though there’s no denying that many of these developments look otherworldly. Will The Line really become a thing, or a decade down the road, will this be one of the biggest abandoned ghost projects ever?
Bottom line
A second Ritz-Carlton Reserve property is coming to Saudi Arabia in late 2026, with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Trojena mountains of NEOM. I can’t say that I’ll be marking my calendar to travel here anytime soon, though logistically I am fascinated by some of Saudi Arabia’s projects.
What do you make of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve NEOM?
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