The hotel is actually built inside an abandoned mud-brick village. Not a replica. The real thing. Architect Shahira Fahmy didn’t try to modernize it she respected it. Doors are massive and carved, rugs are thick and scratchy in that satisfying way, and by night, over 1,800 candles turn the place into something out of a dream. No cheesy theatrics. Just atmosphere, in the deepest sense. Even check-in skips the counter: there’s Arabic coffee, incense, and dates. It’s small stuff, but man, it hits.

These aren’t cookie-cutter suites with plug-in fireplaces. Each room has its own shape, quirks, and soul. Mud-brick walls, timber ceilings, old books, vinyl records, woven throws... you feel it all. There’s no AC just ceiling fans and centuries-old ventilation tricks that weirdly work. Candles are your main light source, and somehow that makes it all feel even more grounded. It’s quiet. It’s dark. And when the wind blows outside? Pure magic.

The food here doesn’t try to impress it just belongs. At Joontos, the main restaurant, you sit under the stars, surrounded by flames, and share food made from local oasis ingredients. The falafel is warm and pillowy, the olive dip is so good you think about it days later. There’s even a woman who comes in some mornings just to bake bread over a hot plate in front of you. No alcohol (it’s Saudi), but the mocktails are wild herby, sour, unexpected. You won’t miss the whiskey.

Surprisingly, yes. Dar Tantora isn’t in the middle of nowhere. It’s right next to AlJadidah Arts District basically AlUla’s creative heart. You can wander into shops, grab a Saudi coffee, or check out an art exhibit before heading off to Hegra or Elephant Rock. It's rooted, not remote. You’re not just a guest you’re a neighbor for a few nights.

This is where Dar Tantora really wins. The staff doesn’t hover, but they’re always there. They light your room’s candles at sundown without asking. If your bag gets lost, they’ll help you find clothes, call airlines, even haggle for you at local shops. Everything’s handled over WhatsApp, so it’s chill and efficient. It’s not scripted service it’s real people who give a damn.