Days after proposing to long-time girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was rumoured to be heading to Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and one of Saudi Arabia’s most luxurious resorts, on its own island in the Red Sea.
Ronaldo and the Argentinian model, with their five children, are said to be big fans of the property and its sister, The St Regis Red Sea Resort.
If you want to walk in the footsteps of Al Nassr football club’s most famous player and travel like he does across the kingdom, these are the hotels you’ll want to tick off your holiday bucket list.
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
One of seven Ritz-Carlton Reserves in the world, Nujuma is an exclusive property in Hanak, Saudi Arabia, on its own island in the Red Sea. With gorgeous rope-hewn, shell-shaped beachfront and overwater villas, the property celebrates the kingdom’s heritage and history through the building materials used, experiences offered and decor chosen. With rates starting at more than $2,000 a night, it's known to be one of – if not the – most expensive hotels in the kingdom.
While the children enjoy their time at the activity-packed Ritz Kids club, Ronaldo and Rodriguez are said to spend their time at the spa, where they have cold plunges in the outdoor thermal therapy pool. Through her luxury real estate company, Bellhatria, Rodriguez has struck up a partnership with Nujuma, as it also offers 19 one and two-bedroom beachfront villas for sale.
The St Regis Red Sea Resort
The couple are said to be big fans of this Red Sea paradise on the Ummahat Islands archipelago, only a seven-minute boat ride away from Nujuma, with 90 beachfront and overwater villas designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma blending seamlessly with its well-preserved natural surroundings. These start from about $1,500 a night for a one-bedroom on the beach.
The family has spent their days riding bikes around the island’s sandy lanes, getting family spa treatments and playing on the white-sand shorelines that are dotted with mangroves teeming with marine life. In season three of the Netflix show I Am Georgina, the family watch the sunset over the Red Sea from the hotel’s jetty.
Banyan Tree AlUla
During a trip to the ancient city of AlUla, in the Ashar Valley, Ronaldo and family stayed at this local favourite, as they marked one year in the kingdom. The property and its architecture are steeped in cultural heritage, featuring 47 Arabian-inspired tented villas, each with private pools surrounded by jaw-dropping rock formations. Prices range from $300 in the low season, going up to almost $3,000 for the larger accommodation.
“AlUla is one of the most extraordinary places I’ve ever been,” Rodriguez said in season three of her Netflix show, while also sharing a photo on Instagram of Ronaldo enjoying a natural rock pool at the hotel.
Our Habitas AlUla
Rodriguez was also snapped at this gorgeous eco-resort’s signature pool during their trip to AlUla, as part of her TV series. The hotel’s ethos is rooted in sustainability, Saudi heritage and cultural authenticity, with tented villas amid the sandstone canyons featuring private lounge decks and outdoor showers. Rates start from $300 a night.
“You can’t find silence like this anywhere in the world,” she said of the ancient city, where the Old Town is “really romantic”, she added. The family also visited Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site, where Nabatean tombs are carved into the dramatic rock formations.
They also stop to pose outside Maraya, the largest mirrored building in the world, before enjoying a meal at Maraya Social, a restaurant by Michelin-lauded British chef Jason Atherton, where the menu spans Mediterranean, Arabian and British influences.
Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh
One of Saudi Arabia’s most famous hotels, in the renowned Kingdom Tower, was the family’s original home. The couple reportedly spent upwards of $330,000 a month for a two-floor, 17-room suite in the property before moving to their permanent $14 million mansion.
Known as the Kingdom Suite, it is on the 48th and 50th storeys of the 99-floor Kingdom Tower, with the hotel spanning 11 floors of the skyscraper. "At the beginning, I had some ups and downs because we had never lived in a hotel for so long,” Rodriguez said in an episode of I Am Georgina.
The property has several room categories, with prices starting from a little more than $500 a night, and is particularly notable for its French restaurant by Michelin-lauded chef Daniel Boulud and a pastry shop from Pierre Herme (also known as the “Picasso of Pastry”).
