The Residence Douz

Built on 14 hectares of dune and palm grove at the edge of the Sahara, The Residence Douz was conceived as a desert camp reimagined in villa form. Fifty villas, each with its own terrace, are arranged as a loose encampment beneath the palms, their masonry patterned with Tozeur brick and hung with commissioned work by Tunisian artists. The layout borrows from the region's older forms of desert shelter without pretending to be one. Inside, décor sits modern furnishings against local materials, a pairing meant to read as considered rather than themed. A spa run with Clarins holds eight treatment rooms, two scrub rooms, a hammam, an indoor pool and a gym. Beyond the grounds, excursions run to Chott el Jerid's salt flats and the cave dwellings of Matmata, both familiar from Star Wars location scouting decades ago. Guests can also ride out by camel or quad bike into the dunes. It is a compact world, self-contained but not closed off. From the terraces you can hear little beyond wind through the palms after dark.