This joint venture marks Hotel101’s first major step into the Middle East, with plans for locations in Medina, Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, and Alula.
Hotel101 is known for its “one room” concept: standardized, no-frills rooms designed to provide predictability and value to travelers across the globe.
Management’s view
“We are inspired by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and their sheer determination and will power to make things happen, as such, we are confident in the plans they have laid out for the region and we believe the Hotel101 concept will be able to make a significant contribution in terms of room keys to complement the 2030 Vision for the Kingdom, and to form part of our global vision of 1 million Hotel101 rooms worldwide," said Hotel101 founder, Edgar “Injap” Sia II.
“We feel very fortunate to have found the right local partners to rapidly expand the Hotel101 brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is one of the 25 countries we have identified for the initial expansion of Hotel101,” said Hotel101 CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini.
Major milestone
“With Hotel 101’s rapid-build model and Horizon’s local know-how, we will add 10,000 quality, affordable rooms across the Kingdom—supporting Vision 2030, creating Saudi jobs, and expanding options for pilgrims, tourists, and business travelers alike,” said Horizon CEO Abdulrahman Sharbatly.
Horizon is a Saudi investment group led by the Sharbatly brothers and Wael Daqal, with ties to Alnahla Group and SAMACO, and a focus on Vision 2030 sectors like hospitality and manufacturing.
500 rooms per site
Hotel101’s plan is to build an average of 500 rooms per site in Saudi Arabia, maximizing efficiency through its asset-light ‘condotel’ model.
The first Hotel101 location in Saudi Arabia is planned for Medina, with a pipeline for four more in major cities.
The company believes the Saudi market’s tourism boom makes it an ideal partner for growth, with over 100 million visitors in 2023 and an estimated $67 billion in total spend.
Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision aims to attract 150 million visitors, creating new demand for hotels, shopping, food, and transport.
