London-based Yotel announces first hotel in NEOM’s Oxagon in Saudi Arabia

Global hospitality brand Yotel will unveil its first hotel in Saudi Arabia in 2025, following its recent agreement with NEOM’s Hotel Development division.

The property will also be the first hotel to open in Oxagon. Strategically located on NEOM’s Red Sea coast, Oxagon will have multiple residential and business communities, including an integrated live-work-play Research and Innovation (R&I) district, with a dedicated R&I campus. The hotel will be located in the R&I district.

The city will also be home to a next generation port with a fully automated and integrated supply chain and logistics network.

Oxagon is one of several cities and destinations within the NEOM development that will be powered by renewable energy sources, amplifying Saudi Arabia’s plan to sustainably diversify its economy, as part of its Vision 2030 strategy.

Tech-enabled hospitality

“Oxagon’s ambition to house hospitality assets where innovative design, sustainability and technologies converge, echoes our core values,” said Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel. “We understand that the ‘non-stop’ traveller craves destinations that won’t slow them down, and Oxagon promises to be a unique destination where new tech-enabled hospitality experiences can be live-tested. It is an honour to be one of the first hotels to open within a city redefining industries through sustainable innovation.”

Next stop: NEOM!

Set to open in 2025, this brand-new #YOTEL will be located in the highly anticipated city of @NEOMOXAGON where industry, people and technology will come together.

Read all about our first hotel in Saudi Arabia here – https://t.co/PWsng3HMZ2#Oxagon #NEOM pic.twitter.com/plXG5Tpzfh

— YOTEL (@YotelHQ) January 23, 2023

“Oxagon’s hotel strategy is built around several pillars including technology, which is key for integration within a wider smart-city infrastructure,” said Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of Oxagon. “After a competitive selection process, Yotel’s was the clear hotel brand of choice for the district, given our shared ambitions to focus on people-centric design, circularity and digital advancements.”

Highlights of the upcoming hotel

Featuring 300 rooms, the hotel will showcase the brand’s signature robotic concierge, motorised SmartBeds and fully integrated technologies. Guests will have access to Komyuniti – the brand’s signature multi-functional dining and co-working space, a 24-hour fitness centre, a Grab-and-Go Café, and meeting spaces used to network and relax.

The surrounding areas will also be connected to nearby communities through advanced, active, micro and autonomous mobility solutions.

“Yotel’s decision to open their property in NEOM’s Oxagon is a powerful endorsement of our ambition to redefine how people travel, stay and live. When complete, it will serve as the ideal home for modern travellers in search of thoughtfully curated and designed spaces, and we look forward to welcoming them,” added Chris Newman, executive director, Hotel Development at NEOM.

The new announcement signifies the hotel chain’s plans to grow both management and franchised projects in the Middle East region, as part of its larger strategy to reach 50 hotels by 2025.

The partnership also marks the latest hotel agreement for NEOM’s Hotel Development, which has been tasked with building a future-centric hospitality ecosystem in the Northwest corner of Saudi Arabia.

In October last year, the division tied up with Ennismore. The hotel and lifestyle company’s iconic brands – 25hours Hotels and Morgans Originals – will open properties in Trojena, NEOM’s mountain tourism destination.

Read: NEOM Hotel Development names Ennismore as inaugural hotel partner for Trojena

In January, global hospitality brand General Hotel Management (GHM) partnered with NEOM Hotel Development to manage The Chedi Trojena. The company is the second hotel partner to be associated with Trojena, the exclusive mountain destination and host venue of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Also read: NEOM Hotel Development selects GHM to manage The Chedi Trojena in Saudi Arabia