Hotel101 Saudi Arabia: $2.5B Expansion Planned
Hotel101 Global Announces $2.5B Saudi Arabia Expansion
Updated May 30, 2025
Hotel101 Global, a subsidiary of DoubleDragon, is set to expand into Saudi Arabia with a $2.5 billion investment. The company, backed by Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong and real estate magnate Edgar Sia II, plans to construct 10,000 rooms across the kingdom, capitalizing on Saudi arabia’s booming tourism industry.
In partnership with the Saudi Arabia-based Horizon Group, Hotel101 has identified five initial locations for its hotel progress. The first project will be in Medina, followed by Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, and Alula. Each location will feature an average of 500 rooms, according to a company statement.
This joint venture precedes Hotel101’s anticipated Nasdaq listing, expected in the first half of 2025.The listing follows Hotel101’s $2.3 billion merger with a Hong Kong-based special purpose acquisition company.
“We see tremendous opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia given the high growth in tourism both domestic and international,” Hotel101 CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini said. “we believe Saudi Arabia will be one of the most exciting markets for Hotel101 globally.”
Saudi Arabia, identified as a key expansion market for Hotel101, saw 27 million international and 79 million domestic tourists in 2023, generating approximately $67 billion in spending. The country is also a significant source of remittances from overseas filipino workers, which supports consumer spending in the Philippines.
Hotel101 aims to establish a global hotel chain by offering standardized rooms in all its properties, promoting efficiency and affordability. The company utilizes a “condotel” concept, pre-selling rooms to investors for an average of $250,000 each. Investors receive 30% of gross hotel room revenues and can stay for free up to 10 days annually.
“With Hotel101’s rapid-build model and Horizon’s local know-how, we will add 10,000 quality, affordable rooms across the Kingdom,” said Horizon Group CEO Abdulrahman sharbatly.
Saudi Arabia marks Hotel101’s fourth international venture, following projects in Niseko, Japan; Madrid; and Los Angeles. The company currently operates over 1,100 rooms in two Philippine hotels and is developing nine additional properties. Hotel101 aims to have a million rooms by 2050.
Sia, with a fortune of $340 million, ranked no. 39 on the Philippines’ 50 Richest list. Tan Caktiong, with a net worth of $2.9 billion, is No. 6.
Horizon Group has interests in real estate, trading, hospitality, and transportation, including a stake in SAMACO, a distributor of car brands such as Audi, Bentley, Porsche, and Bugatti in Saudi Arabia.
What’s next
Hotel101 Global plans to continue its expansion, focusing on key markets and leveraging its unique “condotel” model to achieve its ambitious growth targets in the global hospitality sector. The company’s Nasdaq listing is expected to further fuel its expansion plans.