The Jeddah EDITION

EDITION Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah does not do ambition by halves. Along the city’s rapidly evolving Corniche, beside the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina and overlooking a corner of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix circuit, The Jeddah EDITION represents another marker of the city’s transformation. It is also a significant one for EDITION. The collaboration between Ian Schrager and Marriott has taken its particular formula of design, nightlife, food and understated luxury around the world. Jeddah is its first Saudi address. And rather than building upwards, the hotel stretches horizontally across the waterfront in a low-rise composition designed to resemble a superyacht.

A Superyacht on the Corniche

French architect Xavier Cartron designed the building as a sleek arrangement of dark stone, glass and crisp white lines, surrounded by landscaped gardens and tall palms. Its terraced form makes sense beside the marina. But it also gives this urban hotel an unexpectedly resort-like character. The building rises only a handful of floors, with outdoor terraces running along much of its length and views opening towards the Red Sea, marina and Jeddah skyline. Inside, Yabu Pushelberg and the EDITION design team take over.

That EDITION Lobby

For anyone familiar with EDITION, the material vocabulary is instantly recognisable. Travertine. White oak. Walnut. Cream upholstery. Deep sofas. Sheer curtains. Beautifully controlled lighting. But the scale gives Jeddah its own personality. The lobby rises approximately 12 metres, creating a huge volume that could easily have become intimidating. Instead, a glowing orange acrylic sphere by French kinetic artist Vincent Leroy floats within the space. Morning sunlight passes through it, throwing a warm orange glow across the pale timber and stone. It is both artwork and artificial sun.

Quiet Rooms, Extraordinary Views

Upstairs, the visual volume is turned down. The 52 rooms and 11 suites are calm compositions of white-oiled oak, travertine and leather, punctuated by black-and-white photographs of old Jeddah. There is very little visual clutter. Inset leather headboards. Custom furniture. Freestanding baths in selected rooms. Le Labo amenities. And terraces that reconnect the restrained interiors with what is happening outside. Depending on the room, that might mean the Red Sea and marina. Or something rather less meditative: the Jeddah Corniche Formula 1 circuit. During Grand Prix weekend, those balconies become some rather exceptional grandstand seats.

Maritime by Cédric Vongerichten

Food brings more colour into the equation. At Maritime, chef Cédric Vongerichten combines French technique with the Asian flavours that influenced him during his years in Bangkok. The room follows suit. Curved plum-coloured velvet banquettes sit alongside walnut tables, distressed mirrors, tropical planting and blue-and-white ceramics. It is richer and more layered than the lobby, without abandoning the EDITION restraint entirely. And importantly, this is not simply an international restaurant dropped into Saudi Arabia. Regional spices and local ingredients are worked into Vongerichten’s French-Asian vocabulary.

Into The Den

Beyond Maritime, teal velvet curtains conceal The Den. This low-lit cigar lounge is the darker counterpoint to the pale spaces elsewhere in the hotel. Tufted teal banquettes. Brown leather. Rosewood tones. Whimsical photography. Low light. It feels deliberately cocooned from the bright Saudi sun outside. The kind of room EDITION has always understood particularly well.

A Beach Club Without the Beach

Then there is The Roof. The fourth-floor terrace takes its cues from Mediterranean beach clubs, with bougainvillea, potted greenery, cabanas and private lounging areas gathered around a 14-metre pool. There may be no beach directly beneath your sunbed, but the Red Sea is very much part of the atmosphere. The spa and gym sit nearby, making the upper floor feel more resort than city hotel. Downstairs, the expansive outdoor terrace adds a slightly unexpected diversion: A bocce court. Because apparently even Saudi Arabia’s newest luxury hotel needs a little Italian holiday spirit.

Global Formula, Jeddah Address

The interesting question with any EDITION is how much of the destination survives the strength of the brand. Jeddah does not radically reinvent the formula. Nor does it need to. Instead, local references are handled quietly. Historic photographs. The changing colours of the Red Sea light. Art inspired by Jeddah’s sunrises and sunsets. Views towards the Floating Mosque. Regional ingredients in the kitchen. And, above all, a waterfront location that could belong nowhere else.

Schrager, with a Saudi Accent

There is a familiarity to The Jeddah EDITION that will immediately reassure devotees of the brand. But familiarity is not the same as repetition. The vast lobby, Vincent Leroy’s orange sphere, the superyacht-like architecture and extraordinary relationship with the marina and racetrack give this EDITION its own identity. The Jeddah EDITION proves that Ian Schrager’s formula still travels remarkably well: take away unnecessary decoration, obsess over atmosphere, add great art, food and a little theatre — then let Jeddah and the Red Sea provide the rest.