GREEN OASES

These hotels in the Middle East are dialling up the luxury while dialling down their environmental impact

- Coco Marett

As travellers become increasingly conscious of our planet's ecological challenges, these hotels in the Middle East are proving that luxury and sustainability can not only coexist but thrive.

Whether staying in a cliffside villa at a resort inspired by ancient civilisations or enjoying a walk through a literal oasis of desert palms and aromatic gardens in the middle of an arid desert, these hotels have figured out clever ways to share the magic of the desert with their guests while protecting and preserving these fragile ecosystems.

DESERT ROCK HOTEL, SAUDI ARABIA

Desert Rock Hotel went viral in 2025 for its dramatic desert landscapes in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz Mountains and striking architecture that works with, rather than against, its natural surroundings. Carved directly into ancient terrain, the design of Desert Rock Hotel was inspired by the Nabataeans a nomadic people who inhabited northwestern Arabia between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, and who were known for their elaborate architecture carved from rocks, most famously, Petra in Jordan.

This influence can be seen throughout the hotel, particularly in its otherworldly villas: like the Wadi Villas, which feature private pools in lush surroundings; Cliff Hanging Villas that float above sweeping valley landscapes; or, for total privacy, the Mountain Cave Suites and Crevice Villas, with cliffside pools that appear to cascade over ancient rock formations.