Hilton's Most Luxurious Brand Announces 'Agritourism Resort'

06.03.2024 - 16:07 / skift.com / Chris Nassetta / Josh Corder

Hilton has signed deals for three new hotels in Saudi Arabia: There are two Curio Collections, one focused on “eco” and the other on adventure. And an LXR resort will be an “agritourism” property as part of a tie-in with Saudi’s new farming tourism organization, Dan Company.

The deal was signed on March 3.

All three will be located in the country’s Al-Ahsa region, one of Saudi’s largest agricultural areas and home to the world’s largest date farms.

Al-Ahsa Agritourism Resort, LXR Hotels & Resorts will be the most high-end of the bunch and connected to a garden, an amphitheater, dining and retail options, a farmers’ market, and spaces for local agricultural vendors.

On average, LXR properties are the most expensive in the Hilton network – above the rates of the historic Waldorf Astoria. Average daily rates were $519 according to Hilton’s latest results. It is also one of Hilton’s smallest brands in terms of footprint, with 13 locations.

Current LXR properties include private islands in the Seychelles, a sprawling Dubai hotel meant to look like a palace, and the Biltmore Mayfair in London.

Curio Collection hotels go for around $229 a night on average.

“The signing of these three hotels further expands our footprint in Saudi Arabia, where we plan to quadruple our portfolio,” said Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta, who was in the country recently meeting with tourism officials.

No opening dates were provided and the properties are not yet mentioned on Hilton’s development page. Saudi Arabia will see the opening of more than 60 Hilton hotels within the next few years under the 2030 vision.

In 2021, Hilton signed for a new-build LXR property in Diriyah Gate – one of the country’s many projects. It is expected to open in 2026.

The development of Al-Ahsa is the first project Dan Company has announced and will cover 1.8 million square meters.

The company is expected to contribute approximately $1.6 billion (SAR 6 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP by 2030, betting on intrepid travelers getting involved in “traditional farming experiences” in the Gulf state.

The resorts will be easily accessible via main roads, with Riyadh, Dammam, Khobar, Jubail, Bahrain, and Qatar within a one-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-hour drive away, stated the release, implying the resorts will likely target inter-regional tourism.