Al-Koot Heritage Hotel

In Hofuf's Al-Koot district, directly opposite Qasr Ibrahim, guests stay inside a palace close to two hundred years old that was restored into a heritage inn. The 963-square-metre building follows the old Hasawi architectural style, and was restored as a personal initiative by Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Abdulqader. It opened in 1439 AH (2018 CE) at the hands of Prince Sultan bin Salman and Prince Saud bin Nayef, and was the first heritage hotel in the governorate to be licensed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. The rooms are eight suites set beneath ceilings of palm trunks and fronds, their walls cut with arched niches and hung with sadu weaving. Antique pieces are displayed in the entrance hall, and an upper-floor library holds books on the history of Al-Ahsa and Al-Koot in several languages. Qasr Ibrahim stands a few steps from the door, and Qaisariyah Souq and Al-Fawaris Souq about half a kilometre away — a stay inside the historic city rather than on its edge.