The St. Regis Red Sea Resort was the first private-island resort to open on the water in the wide, largely untouched archipelago off Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Guests arrive by seaplane, a flight of about 25 minutes from the mainland, and the first view from the air is of buildings laid out in a spiral that recalls sand and shell. There are 90 villas. Some stand over the coral shallows, others are pressed into the line of the dunes, and every one has a plunge pool facing the sea. Curved walls and natural textures keep the architecture low and soft against the water and sand, so the setting does most of the talking. The whole resort runs on renewable power, part of a wider effort to open this coast with a light touch. It suits couples looking for real seclusion, and anyone who wants to spend the days in and on the water after time in the mountains inland.
- Rooms
- 90 villas, over the water and on the dunes
Insider tip Decide early between an overwater villa above the coral shallows and a dune villa set into the sand; both have sea-view plunge pools, but the feel is quite different.
Why I choose it A genuinely remote island on a coast that has only just opened to travellers. It gives a Saudi journey its days by the sea after the mountains.