While many hotel projects have been delayed, put on hold or cancelled across the UAE, there are several exciting properties still to come in the new year.
From the world’s tallest hotel and a superyacht-inspired property in Dubai to a 22-room boutique retreat in Abu Dhabi and a luxury mountain lodge in Ras Al Khaimah, there’s plenty for travellers and staycationers to look forward to.
Here are the openings currently on schedule.
One&Only One Za’abeel
Scheduled opening: January 1
Emirate: Dubai
Starting the new year with a bang is One&Only One Za’abeel, as it opens what the brand describes as its first vertical urban resort. It is located in the One Za’abeel development – by famed Japanese architects Nikken Sekkei – whose dual skyscrapers are intersected by the world’s longest cantilever, The Link, 100 metres above street level.
The Link will feature more than 10 restaurants, including those by world-famous French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, Finnish celebrity chef Mehmet Gurs and Paco Morales, whose Michelin-starred restaurants have reimagined Andalusian cuisine.
On top of The Link will be what promises to be the UAE’s longest infinity pool.
There are 229 rooms and suites, with corner suites including the Sanctuary collection that include a massage table for in-room treatments, meditation and stretching zone, and exercise equipment. Creative Suites feature acoustic panelling and AV technology. There is also the two-storey Sama Signature Duplex Suite, as well as a 775-square-metre penthouse featuring a majlis, outdoor infinity pool, cinema, gym and private chef.
Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort
Scheduled opening: January 15
Emirate: Ras Al Khaimah
This eco-friendly wellness resort by Anantara is a Maldivian-inspired hideaway that sits on the shores of the Arabian Gulf while surrounded by mangroves that are home to protected wildlife, such as turtles, flamingos and dugongs.
The property, in the luxury island development Mina Al Arab, features 174 rooms, suites and overwater pool villas, as well as six food and drink outlets, including Anantara’s signature Asian and Mediterranean spots. Another highlight is the Anantara Spa, which offers traditional Thai healing and wellness treatments, plus a programme of water sports and recreational activities, from kayaking to beach games. There is also a conservation programme and discovery centre on-site.
The Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai
Scheduled opening: February 1
Emirate: Dubai
The Middle East’s first property from Brunei-born luxury hotel operator Dorchester Collection is now open for bookings, as it’s slated to open on February 1.
The Lana, with architecture designed by famed UK practice Foster + Partners, will feature 225 guestrooms and suites, as well as a collection of lavish residences.
It will also have eight restaurants, including Jara by Martin Berasategui, a Spanish chef whose restaurants have collected 12 Michelin stars for his Basque cuisine. There will also be Riviera by Jean Imbert, a modern Mediterranean restaurant inspired by the travels of the French gastronomy chef who won Top Chef in 2012. This will be Imbert’s first restaurant in the region.
A speakeasy-style cigar lounge, a garden bar and patisserie cafe are also among the venues.
Siro One Za’abeel
Scheduled opening: February 1
Emirate: Dubai
With a focus on fitness and recovery, Siro One Za’abeel is a lifestyle brand designed by Kerzner International, the same team behind Atlantis and One&Only hotels. This will be the inaugural Siro hotel, located in One Za’abeel.
The aim is to offer guests a holistic approach to well-being built around five signature experiences – fitness, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindfulness.
Rooms will feature recovery equipment, a stretching bar and access to virtual classes. Fitness Suites go one step further with a personal gym, while Recovery Suites include a treatment room. A two-floor Fitness and Recovery Lab has a 1,000-square-metre gym, multi-sport courts, a meditation garden, plus Pilates, spin and yoga studios. Recovery treatments will span electro muscle stimulation, cryotherapy, cupping, dry needling and more.
Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat
Scheduled opening: February 15
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
A 22-bedroom Anantara hotel is opening in Ghantoot, about halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and styled to reflect the popular Greek island it’s named after.
The focus will be on exclusivity, bespoke service and privacy amid the low-lying white buildings that will house accommodation with soft furnishings, spacious interiors and sea-facing outdoor terraces.
There will be a private beach, outdoor pool and indoor cinema that offers private screenings on demand. Custom-made spa treatments will be available in beachside cabanas and there will be two restaurants on site, with one serving flavours from the Gulf and another classic Greek cuisine.
Lux* Al Jabal Resort
Scheduled opening: Q2
Emirate: Sharjah
Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has partnered with Lux* Collective – a Singaporean hotel company that’s behind swanky resorts in the Maldives and Mauritius – to open the Lux* Al Jabal Resort in Khor Fakkan.
It is currently on track to open in the second quarter of next year.
The nature-surrounded, boutique-style resort is set on a hillside overlooking Soueifa beach and villas, with picturesque views over the Gulf of Oman.
It has a focus on well-being, with the brand’s signature Keen on Green dining concept, which focuses on raw, vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
There will be 45 rooms and suites, including one and three-bedroom suites, plus a royal suite with a pool and butler service.
Ciel Tower
Scheduled opening: Q1
Emirate: Dubai
Since 1999, the world’s tallest hotel has been located in Dubai and the achievement has belonged to five properties so far, including the 321-metre Burj Al Arab – the first – and the 356.3m Gevora Hotel, which currently holds the record. Not for long, though, as Ciel Tower is scheduled to come to Dubai Marina at 365m in the first half of next year.
It will have more than 1,000 guestrooms and suites, plus an observatory and lounge on the 81st floor, alongside an infinity pool. A key feature will also be a 300-metre atrium with vertically stacked landscaped terraces that will span all 82 storeys.
Mama Shelter Dubai
Scheduled opening: October
Emirate: Dubai
This mid-scale brand will open in Dubai’s Business Bay in autumn next year, bringing its hip atmosphere along with a rooftop bar, coffee house, swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, and more.
Other than it's scheduled to open in October, not much information is available about this project yet.
Mama Shelter first opened in Paris’s 20th district in 2008, merging design, inclusivity, food and cheekiness within its DNA. It now has properties across France and in Los Angeles, Belgrade, Prague and London’s Shoreditch.
Lux* Al Bridi Resort
Scheduled opening: Q3
Emirate: Sharjah
Shurooq and the Lux* Collective are also opening Lux* Al Bridi Resort inside the Sharjah Safari project in autumn next year.
It will be the only luxury retreat inside the 800-hectare Al Bridi Reserve, offering visitors unique access to experiences, including opportunities to spot the Big Five – rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, lions and leopards.
Guests will stay in safari-style retreats, of which there will be 35, decorated with a palette of sandstone and a neutral palette that blends in with the desert hues. There will also be a Lux* Me Spa and chefs will whip up dishes centred around nutritious, home-grown produce, as well as plant-based principles.
Five Luxe
Scheduled opening: Q4
Emirate: Dubai
Five is known for its parties and upbeat atmosphere in Palm Jumeirah and JVC, and this property appears to have a similar ethos, as it brings cabaret club Lio Ibiza’s first outlet to Dubai with its opening in winter next year. It will also have several other culinary and nightlife venues throughout the property.
Five Luxe will be located along the beach in JBR, featuring 222 hotel rooms and suites, 275 residences, a 14,000-square-foot stretch of shore and a beach club. The ReFive Spa, indoor and outdoor pools, plus outdoor gym and padel tennis court will also feature, as well as a children’s club.
fiveluxe.fivehotelsandresorts.com
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
Scheduled opening: TBC 2024
Emirate: Dubai
While the branded residences are slated to open before the end of the year, the rest of the much-anticipated, superyacht-inspired Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab will be opening in phases throughout 2024, it has been confirmed. Although a firm date for the hotel opening has yet to be specified.
The property has been designed by Shaun Killa – also behind Dubai Opera House and The Museum of the Future – featuring 387 rooms and suites, all offering views of the sea and the sail-shaped landmark Burj Al Arab in its location in Umm Suqeim 3. There are also 82 residences and an 82-berth superyacht marina, plus a private beach, five pools, 10 restaurants and nine bars. Another highlight is the 3,500-square-metre spa set over three floors, featuring female-only spaces and 13 treatment rooms, each with a private terrace.
Rove Al Marjan Island
Scheduled opening: TBC 2024
Emirate: Ras Al Khaimah
The 441-room hotel will be the brand's first property in Ras Al Khaimah. Pegged as a lifestyle beach resort, Rove Al Marjan Island is set to open by the end of the year in the popular development of Al Marjan Island.
It will feature brightly coloured urban design that takes inspiration from the natural surroundings and with a focus on artworks throughout the hotel.
The mid-scale homegrown UAE brand Rove Hotels already has properties across Dubai. This will be its first in another emirate.
Fairmont Dubai Skyline
Scheduled opening: TBC 2024
Emirate: Dubai
The third Fairmont hotel in Dubai will feature 181 hotel rooms and suites, as well as 121 branded residences with two, three and four bedrooms, plus a full-floor penthouse.
The 226-metre-high property will have 54 floors and sits alongside Sheikh Zayed Road, in Al Sufouh, with unique architecture that features asymmetric balconies that will be lit at night with a spiralling 4.5 km of lighting to give the illusion of movement.
A spa, salon, cinema, fitness centre and dining outlets will also feature, alongside interiors that incorporate natural materials such as marble, metal, walnut wood and leather.
Saij, A Mantis Collection Mountain Lodge
Scheduled opening: TBC 2024
Emirate: Ras Al Khaimah
Building on Ras Al Khaimah’s reputation as a nature tourism destination is Saij, A Mantis Collection Mountain Lodge, an eco resort with 70 luxury lodges, where the team will also provide guided treks, mindful activities and creative experiences.
It comes from conservation-focused African hospitality group Mantis, which has been opening curated hotels, eco lodges and waterways experiences all over the world with a focus on eco-tourism, safaris and adventure travel since 2000.
This property will be located on Jebel Jais, the highest point in the UAE.
