The St. Regis Red Sea Resort
Ninety villas on an Ummahat island, with a spiralling overwater plan and untouched reefs.
The resort occupies one of the Ummahat islands in the Saudi Red Sea, reached by boat or seaplane from Red Sea International Airport. The archipelago sits under a development framework that caps keys across the whole destination and protects the surrounding marine area, and the reefs here have had almost no recreational pressure in living memory.
Around ninety villas, most over water, are arranged by Kengo Kuma in curving forms that follow the reef edge rather than a straight jetty. It opened alongside Nujuma as one of the first international properties on this coast, and its operating history is correspondingly short.
Kengo Kuma on a coral island. The curving overwater plan is a departure from the Maldivian jetty and is the property's clearest design argument.
Reefs without a visitor history. The Saudi Red Sea has been closed to tourism for most of modern history, and the condition of the coral reflects it.
Who it is not for
This is wrong for travellers wanting an established destination with a long record of reviews. It is wrong for guests expecting a conventional resort bar culture, which the country's rules shape differently. And it is wrong for those who need familiar logistics. Those wanting proven Red Sea diving should look to the Egyptian coast; those wanting architecture should look at Shebara.
Sources
- marriott.com — around ninety villas, Ummahat islands, Red Sea, architecture by Kengo Kuma
- Villa count and destination key cap unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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