Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, planned to open in 2023
A vast, undulating property whose facade was inspired by the superyacht silhouette, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab will occupy a prime site on the tip of a peninsula on Dubai’s largest private beach. The resort will incorporate 390 rooms, suites and penthouses, every one with four-metre-high ceilings and many featuring 11-metre-wide floor-to-ceiling windows. Wherever guests stay, they’ll be able to look out at the Arabian Sea. Renderings I saw of the rooms (with many of the shots not to be released for public view for some time) show beautifully calm, restful interiors in caramel, cream and brown.
The shots made me want to stay there, and those rooms will also be a far cry from the gold and purple suites you might find in the Burj Al Arab, where mirrors are suspended over the beds. (For what it’s worth, those interiors weren’t to my personal taste, but I was won over by the service and food when I stayed at the Burj Al Arab a few years back, and I do understand why some people love it – if you sign up to stay in that type of property then it delivers what you’ll expect.)
Back at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, guests will have access to four pools, including an infinity pool for families and a panoramic pool placed within the resort’s three-storey, 3,500 square metre spa and fitness area. There will also be 10 restaurants and bars designed by internationally acclaimed restaurant designers. Four of these will be placed in a food court-style setting, and will operate concurrently during breakfast so guests can try drastically different menus each morning. The resort will also be enfolded by landscaped private gardens, featuring secluded cabana areas and pavilions.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab was designed by Dubai-based Shaun Killa, whose practice has long worked in the emirate. He was most notably involved with the development of the Burj Al Arab. Responsible for the look of the building’s interiors is French designer Tristan Auer, in association with Wilson Associates. The resort will be the centrepiece of a broader development by Dubai Holding, which will span more than 160,000 square metres of reclaimed land and which will include a number of six-bedroom marina villages and an 83-berth superyacht marina and boardwalk.
Jumeirah’s portfolio currently numbers 24 properties, but José Silva has high expectations for the brand in the years to come. He told me: “We’re going global, but beyond just growing globally we want to elevate the brand. Whereever we go, we want Jumeirah to be an expression of the excellence of Dubai, and of the Middle East.” His expectation is that the group will add between one and three properties to its portfolio over the coming years, and his team are keen to open a ski resort, perhaps in the French Alps, alongside addresses in the Mediterranean and cities such as Paris and Rome.