Yotel has signed its first hotel in Saudi Arabia, scheduled to open in 2025.

The Yotel property will be the first hotel to open in the integrated live-work-play Research and Innovation (R&I) district of Oxagon with a dedicated R&I campus. Strategically located on NEOM’s Red Sea coast, Oxagon is reimagining the traditional industrial city by developing multiple thriving residential and business communities.

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

Featuring 300 rooms, the hotel will showcase Yotel’s latest features including the brand’s signature robotic concierge, motorised SmartBeds and fully integrated technologies which Yotel is known for. 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 be walkable and connected to nearby communities through advanced, active, micro and autonomous mobility solutions.

The partnership marks the latest hotel agreement with NEOM’s Hotel Development, the division responsible for building a future-centric hospitality ecosystem in the Northwest corner of Saudi Arabia. Oxagon will be one of several cities and destinations within the NEOM development, all set to be powered by renewable energy sources, amplifying Saudi Arabia’s plan to sustainably diversify its economy, as part of its Vision 2030 strategy.

This announcement signifies Yotel’s ambition to grow both management and franchised projects in the Middle East region, as part of its larger strategy to reach 50 hotels by 2025.

“Oxagon’s ambition to house hospitality assets where innovative design, sustainability and technologies converge, echoes our core values at Yotel,” says 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.”

“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.