Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Strategy Just Got a 430-Room Hyatt

Hyatt announced on November 2 the opening of Grand Hyatt The Red Sea on Shura Island, part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism development. It is Hyatt’s eighth hotel in the kingdom.

The resort has 430 rooms, suites and villas, nine planned restaurants and bars, five swimming pools and a 750-square-meter spa. It is one of several hotel debuts reported across the industry in the first week of November, alongside Fairmont’s 100th hotel and new properties in Qatar, Thailand and Mexico.

The opening reflects Saudi Arabia’s strategy to become a major international luxury destination, and it brings a recognizable global brand to a coastline that is still new to most leisure travelers. International visitors gain a new resort option, and the project creates jobs and opportunities for suppliers and transport operators.

Industry commentary also raises open questions, including whether the country can attract enough international leisure visitors to keep growing resort inventory full, how much depends on domestic and regional guests and air connections, and how development will affect the Red Sea’s sensitive marine ecosystems.

Sources: eTurboNews, Hyatt Newsroom