Foodies with a penchant for luxury should make a beeline for the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai — and pack an extra stomach.
Only open nine months, this spectacular 386-room hotel, stacked and curved like some futuristic super yacht, has already been voted one of the top 50 in the world, praised for its instant status as a lifestyle hotspot, its intimate feeling, and its staggering dining options, which start with a sprawling breakfast concept to blow your mind and banish any thought of dieting. Think lobster Benedict, wagyu meatballs, Brittany oysters, Arabic mezze, Turkish-inspired menemen, and enough Pierre Hermé pastries to make a Parisian blush. Then after a swim to burn some calories, try the open-air Kinugawa for lunch, and for dinner the superb Bombay Club overlooking the marina — or the swanky Italian eatery Rialto.
The Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel in Dubai comes roughly 25 years after the iconic Burj Al Arab.
Courtesy of Jumeirah
This mold-breaking resort also boasts scenic pools, happening bars, a sprawling private beach, a high-tech spa and short buggy rides to Jumeirah’s other marquee properties, including the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab that sparked Dubai’s tourism boom. The Marsa Al Arab is also rapidly racking up fashion credibility, having already teamed up with local hero Faiza Bouguessa on a casual capsule collection, and conscripted Roksanda Ilinčić for its first “art residency” that saw the London-based Serbian designer turn her hand to floral installations and more.
The main bathroom in the presidential suite of the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
RUPERT PEACE/Courtesy of Jumeirah
