Dar Tantora The House Hotel: First In
Medina · Saudi Arabia
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Next 365 nights · updated daily
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Reviews
Character and identity
Set across the road from AlUla's oasis in northwestern Saudi Arabia, Dar Tantora occupies a labyrinth of restored mud-brick and stone houses inside the old town, reimagined by Egyptian architect Shahira Fahmy. Thirty rooms (with ten more coming) sprawl across a warren of ochre walls, reed ceilings, hand-painted doors, and jute floors layered with oxblood rugs. The all-day restaurant Joontos plates Saudi and Levantine sharing dishes in an open courtyard; Maqha, a rooftop café, drapes itself across staggered roofs. A rooftop lap pool faces the oasis on one side and mountains on the other. After dark, more than 1,800 candles are lit by hand, and service runs through a WhatsApp butler.
Who's it for
Best for:
Design-literate travellers, honeymooners wanting something more cerebral than a beach week, and culture and archaeology obsessives using AlUla as a base for Hegra, Elephant Rock, and the AlJadidah Arts District next door. The candlelit, screen-light atmosphere rewards anyone happy to unplug into a living museum.
Should look elsewhere:
Families with young children (open flames, no kids' programming, duplex stairs), guests who need air conditioning, full accessibility, or a drinks list (Saudi Arabia is dry, mocktails only). The spa is still under construction, and stairs across the property mean step-free routes are limited.
Bottom line
What you're really booking is the architecture and the ritual: candlelit mud-brick rooms, a hand-led welcome ceremony, and a location plugged directly into AlUla's old town rather than secluded from it. Splurge on a Dar Al Hareer room for the terrace and daybeds, plan the trip for cooler months given the lack of air conditioning, and arrive while the property still feels freshly opened.
Location
What this place offers
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi in public areas
- Public internet workstation
- Restaurant
- Table service
- Room service
- Breakfast
- Smoke-free property
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
