OUR HABITAS AND NEOM REVEAL AN UNPARALLELED JOURNEY WITHIN THE GULF OF AQABA Three Hotels

One Journey of Transformation.  Welcome to the World of Our Habitas in Leyja

London, United Kingdom, November 1, 2023: Sustainable hospitality brand, Our Habitas, is delighted to announce the addition of three new properties to its experiences-led portfolio. Located in Leyja, the latest sustainable tourism destination from NEOM in northwest Saudi Arabia, the three Our Habitas homes will offer an unparalleled journey for guests seeking to experience adventure, celebrate nature and explore innovative wellness practices.

Bringing to life Leyja’s luxury eco-tourism vision, the destination has been developed within a natural wadi and carved between 400m-high mountains that have been crafted over long centuries by the power of nature and water. Starting from the Gulf of Aqaba coast and winding inland, Leyja guests will walk from the destination’s experience center to each property, allowing them to take in the dramatic landscape – with the first home approximately 2.8km from the entrance.

Designed by world-leading architects, the homes will feature 120 rooms and suites split equally across the three properties, each offering differentiated experiences while taking guests on one integrated journey of human transformation through disconnection and reconnection.

• Home of Adventure – Where raw adventure, sport, and technology collide
• Oasis – A celebration of nature’s generosity
• Home of Wellness – Cutting-edge longevity melts with ancient ritual

As purveyors of luxury for the soul, each Our Habitas home in Leyja will harness the delicate balance of allowing nature to be the hero. With 95% of Leyja preserved for nature, the properties will be housed in architectural structures, designed to enhance the natural surroundings.

The design for the Home of Adventure traces the topography of the wadi and forms an out-of-this-world appearance, allowing guests to seamlessly embrace rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and multi-day treks.

Situated further into the wadi, the Oasis is a property that naturally rises alongside the mountains, symbolizing the livable balance between natural protection and strategic innovation. Oasis will indulge guests with stargazing rituals and culinary delights, including a Chef in Residence program.

The final hotel within Leyja will be a restorative retreat for guests. A highly reflective piece of architecture, the Home of Wellness mirrors the extraordinary landscape surrounding it. The property will play host to global longevity experts while blending innovative wellness practices with ancient rituals.

Guests are encouraged to experience each of the three homes as part of a journey to the region, immersing themselves in a distinctive resort whilst also having the opportunity to embrace the entire valley as a collective space – a unique place where the future meets history and technology meets humanity. All journeys will commence at the coastal experience center, at the entrance of the wadi. On arrival, guests will be invited to embrace Our Habitas’ signature welcome ceremony – a 5-minute ritual that grounds each visitor in their purpose for coming and their intentions for the journey ahead, before learning more about the region.

The Our Habitas mission of building deeper human connection is a core theme across all of their homes. Guests will be encouraged to explore the surrounding nature through guided wadi walks, mountain biking and hiking trails, as well as an array of other adventure sports. Our Habitas’ signature ephemeral experiences will also be tucked away in secret corners of the valley – including intimate concerts, immersive art walks, and pop-up culinary experiences. These experiences will move around, synchronizing with the changing nature of the light and enticing guests to wander throughout the valley.

Our Habitas Co-Founder and CEO, Oliver Ripley, comments, “This project is truly unique and visionary. The natural beauty is otherworldly, the architecture and design remarkable and the experience will offer our community an ever-deeper journey of discovery and transformation; both of themselves and their connection to the natural world around them. We are honored to have this opportunity.”

“Our Habitas successfully pushes the traditional limits of hospitality and offers inclusive experiences that engages guests’ imagination. This approach truly resonates with our ambition to be a catalyst for change in our industry” said Chris Newman, Executive Director of NEOM Hotel Division. “Visitors to Leyja can expect to be enchanted by Habitas with a personalized experience, supported by the wider NEOM tourism infrastructure."

Jeremy Lester, NEOM Executive Director of Gulf of Aqaba said, “Leyja effortlessly blends natural and developed landscapes in an innovative and sustainable manner, aligned with NEOM’s broader commitment to conservation. Our Habitas’ thoughtfully curated hotel experience promises serenity, escape, and adventure, set amongst the area’s stunning natural beauty.”  

In keeping with Our Habitas’ and NEOM’s shared desire to redefine the future of hospitality, the partnership was first unveiled in a purpose-built metaverse environment mirroring the stunning natural location where the hotels will be situated. Guests of the announcement received a sneak peek into the experience with next-generation pixel scale detail, as they witnessed for the first time the natural environment that will be offered at Our Habitas in Leyja.