Saudi’s Grand Hyatt The Red Sea Opens With a Seriously Big Ballroom

Grand Hyatt The Red Sea has officially opened on Saudi’s Shura Island, bringing 430 rooms, suites and villas to one of the Kingdom's splashiest new destinations alongside something you might not immediately expect from a beach resort: a 1,390-square-metre ballroom. So, yes, you can come here for a beach holiday, but you could also find yourself at a conference, a wedding or an event with a very, very long guest list.

That ballroom is part of a sizeable events setup, with a 683-square-metre junior ballroom, conference rooms and outdoor venues also on the property. It's a considerable amount of space dedicated to gatherings, and gives the resort a different side to the usual Red Sea escape. The rest of the hotel, meanwhile, is ready for the holiday crowd. There are indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness centre, the 10-treatment-room Ethereal Spa, Camp Hyatt for younger guests and dedicated spaces for teenagers.

Food has its own place in the plans, with a collection of restaurants covering international cuisines, beachfront dining and speciality concepts. And when you fancy leaving the resort, Shura Marina is nearby, with 159 berths for yachts of up to 125 metres. The island's dining and retail scene also includes La Guérite, the French Riviera-inspired restaurant and beach club, giving guests another reason to venture out.

With 12 resorts now welcoming guests across The Red Sea destination, Shura Island is becoming an increasingly interesting proposition for anyone planning a stay on this stretch of Saudi Arabia's coast. And Grand Hyatt's arrival means that the next time someone says they're heading to the Red Sea for a conference, you might want to ask which ballroom they're talking about.