First look
Capella’s second Saudi Arabian project is a different animal from its Riyadh hotel. Capella at Elanan sits in the Magna region of NEOM, on the Gulf of Aqaba coast, and is billed as the brand’s first dedicated wellness resort, with 80 keys and what’s described as moon-phase wellness programming. It was announced in 2024 and is grouped with Capella’s 2028 pipeline, confirmed via the NEOM newsroom and Capella’s own press.
This is distinct from Capella Diriyah, so the brand is effectively planting two very different flags in Saudi Arabia at once: a heritage city hotel in Riyadh and a coastal wellness resort in NEOM. The wellness angle is new ground for Capella, which is what makes it worth tracking. What we will be watching for is how much substance sits behind the moon-phase framing, and whether the Gulf of Aqaba setting and the wider NEOM build-out are ready when the resort is.
