Los Angeles Hotelier SLS Opens First Saudi Resort on Shura Island

If you’ve stayed at an SLS before, you know the drill: bold design, high-energy social spaces, and a sense that something is always happening just beyond your room. The brand—born in Los Angeles and known for turning hotels into cultural playgrounds—has now opened its first Saudi resort on Shura Island, at the heart of the Red Sea’s fast-evolving island destination. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 150-key resort keeps things low and coastal, with buildings shaped by coral forms and paths that trace the shoreline. Inside, SLS’s familiar personality shows up in textured interiors, art-led details, and its signature duck motif—making its Saudi debut—while rooms and villas lean into comfort and privacy. Beachfront villas come with private pools and terraces, offering a quieter way to experience the island without losing access to the buzz.
Food, wellness, and movement anchor the stay. Guests drift between Japanese-inspired dishes at Floating World, seafood-led feasts at Seabird, and relaxed Italian cooking at Fi’lia, with long afternoons unfolding by Shura Island’s largest pool. There’s a full spa with hammams and hydrotherapy pools, water sports along protected reefs, sunset yoga on the beach, and even an open-air cinema after dark. As Shura Island continues to take shape, SLS The Red Sea feels like the brand doing what it does best—bringing personality and a sense of fun to a place that’s already naturally magnetic.