This Ritz-Carlton Is a Hotel Again—After Spending Months as a Prison

Everywhere in the world, the name Ritz-Carlton is synonymous with luxe. Everywhere, that is, but Saudi Arabia. For months, Riyadh's beautifully designed Ritz-Carlton has been shut off from the public in order to house prisoners. That's right, a five-star hotel was home to more than 200 people—including some 11 princes (including the high-profile Prince Alwaleed bin Talal), ministers, military officers, and Saudi investors—who, according to the government, were charged with corruption involving billions of dollars. Now it appears the hotel will soon be open for traditional business once more. Starting on February 14, the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh will welcome guests from around the world for a sum of 2,439 riyals, or $650, per night.

While the Saudi prisoners have spent months at the Ritz-Carlton, many outside the country are unclear as to what the exact charges are. Since effectively taking over for his father in 2017, the 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quick to install his agenda. That involved a slight liberalization in Saudi Arabia's strictly controlled social matters, as well as an apparent crackdown on corruption. Those suspects that are still being imprisoned at the hotel will soon be transferred to al-Hayer, a high-security prison outside of Riyadh. Once all of the detained prisoners have left the premises next month, the Ritz-Carlton will go back to business as usual, which is providing five-star accommodations to its wealthy clients.