Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Diriyah
An indoor pool inside Diriyah's old town
About this hotel
Bab Samhan is the only pool hotel on this list actually located inside Diriyah, fourteen minutes from the Al-Turaif UNESCO site and close to King Khalid Grand Mosque and Riyadh Park, which gives the indoor pool and hot tub a historic backdrop the central-Riyadh hotels simply cannot offer. Rooms are luxurious, with air-conditioning, private bathrooms, a minibar, TV and free WiFi throughout. The spa and wellness centre includes a sauna, terrace and bar alongside the indoor pool and hot tub, and full-day security and a 24-hour front desk cover the practical side of a stay in a district still developing its full range of guest services. Free on-site private parking is available for guests arriving by car from central Riyadh.
- Indoor pool and hot tub
- Inside Diriyah old town
- Near Al-Turaif UNESCO site
- Five-star Luxury Collection
Our take
This suits travellers prioritising the Diriyah old town and Al-Turaif UNESCO site over central Riyadh's business towers, since the location trades proximity to King Fahd Road for a genuinely historic setting with a five-star indoor pool attached. Business travellers needing daily access to King Abdulaziz Convention Centre or the Al Faisaliah corridor will find the drive back into central Riyadh adds time the more centrally located hotels avoid.
- ✓Visit Al-Turaif in the late afternoon, then return for the hot tub as the temperature drops.
- ✓Book well ahead; the 260-review count suggests this property fills up during Diriyah's peak season.
- ✓Use the terrace bar in the evening rather than driving back into central Riyadh for dinner.
Why we love it
- Indoor pool inside Diriyah's old town
- Hot tub and full spa centre
- Minutes from Al-Turaif UNESCO site
- Full-day on-site security
Why guests love itTravellers staying here find the Diriyah setting changes the whole character of the trip, with the indoor pool and hot tub becoming a quiet counterpoint to a day spent walking the Al-Turaif old town. The terrace bar in the evening removed any need to drive back into central Riyadh for dinner, and the full-day security added a sense of ease that mattered more than expected in an unfamiliar historic district.