Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea

Please note: Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea opens on December 1st, 2023.

To call Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea a destination resort might be stating the obvious; very few of us are going to find ourselves just passing through this expanse of desert in search of a room for the night. No, like any Six Senses, you come to Southern Dunes for top-flight luxury in a spectacular setting — here, an oasis-like collection of rooms, suites, and villas, set under tent-like roofs in an otherworldly landscape of rolling dunes, with the Hijaz Mountains in the distance.

Stylistically, the accommodations strike a remarkable balance, feeling fresh and novel but also warm and traditionally inspired. The rooms and suites spread out over 60 square meters, and come with terraces that double as outdoor living rooms. The villas, meanwhile, add plenty of extra space as well as private pools; the largest of them contain three- and even four-bedroom varieties, and feel like private resorts unto themselves.

And to say the Six Senses Spa is a highlight of the experience is a bit of an understatement — it spans nearly 4,000 square feet over two floors, with six treatment rooms, a gym, two pools, and a pool bar. Beyond the spa, activities include everything from cooking classes to fishing tours on the waters of the Red Sea. And the resort’s restaurants offer plenty of variety, from a gelato parlor to the fine-dining Al Sarab.