AlUla’s Dar Tantora Hotel wins TIME’s World’s Greatest Places award

Royal Commission for AlUla has announced that Dar Tantora The House Hotel – a luxury property of Kerten Hospitality in the historic Saudi city – has won the ‘2024 World’s Greatest Places’ award constituted by TIME, the global media organisation based in the US.

A leading player in the Middle East region, Kerten Hospitality has 12 lifestyle brands and 11 operational projects, part of a global footprint of 50 projects across three continents and in key destinations: Italy, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Egypt, Georgia, Turkey, and the UAE.

Dar Tantora The House Hotel is the first property to be established in the historic AlUla Old Town – the ancient mud-brick houses city dating back to more than 800 years old, which was recognised as one of the Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by UNWTO. The eco-lodge had just opened its doors in May.

Nestled within AlUla’s desert oasis, the Hotel, stands as an emblem of sustainable luxury. With 30 guest rooms thoughtfully restored from historical mud-brick buildings, it offers guests an immersive blend of traditional Bedouin living and upscale comfort, said the statement from Kerten Hospitality.

TIME, while officially announcing the winners of its 2024 ‘World’s Greatest Places’ awards, highlighted Dar Tantora The House Hotel as a remarkable places to be explored.

This exclusive list, which has been vetted by TIME’s editors and correspondents around the world, features 100 extraordinary destinations to explore, stay and visit.

To compile the ‘World’s Greatest Places’ list, TIME solicited nominations of places – including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more– from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.

On the key achievement, Rami AlMoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “We are elated by the recognitions awarded to our destination’s offerings by TIME in their renowned World’s Greatest Places.

“The exceptional sentiments reflect the excellence and dedication of AlUla’s efforts to preserve and promote its unique cultural heritage through comprehensive and sustainable development initiatives rooted in the community,” he added.