The long-awaited Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the final piece in Jumeirah’s nautical trilogy, joining the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel and sail-shaped Jumeirah Burj Al Arab on the city’s most desirable stretch of beach.
By Selina Denman | March 2025
Why book?
This is the newest place to see and be seen in Dubai. Emerging from the ocean like a futuristic superyacht coming into dock, the long-awaited Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the final piece in Jumeirah’s nautical trilogy, joining the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel and sail-shaped Jumeirah Burj Al Arab on the city’s most desirable stretch of beach.
Set the scene
Marsa Al Arab extends 470 metres out to sea, on reclaimed land that runs alongside the famed Burj Al Arab, offering a new sidelong perspective on Dubai’s most famous landmark. While Burj Al Arab is all rigid lines and uncompromising verticality, Marsa Al Arab is feminine, sinuous and full of surprises.
Architect Shaun Killa was involved in the original design of the Burj more than 25 years ago, and is responsible for a number of other landmark projects in the region, including Dubai’s Museum of the Future and the new Shebara at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea. For Marsa Al Arab, Killa took his cues from the world’s most luxurious yachts, creating a striking silhouette of sweeping curves and dramatic drop-offs.
My Marsa experience starts at my front door, where I am picked up in a dark green, custom-designed Bentley Flying Spur. For those hoping to skip the traffic altogether, yacht transfers from Dubai International Airport are available to guests in certain room categories. This is a property that aims to wow from the offset: we pull up alongside a dancing fountain under a sweeping arch that frames the Burj Al Arab (a scene Killa says he would love to one day see in a James Bond film). In the hotel’s entrance, a dynamic aerial glass sculpture mimics the movement of a sea breeze; a deep blue 3D-printed ceramic wall nods to the ocean; and 3D-printed wood panels capture the sandy hues of the desert behind discreetly positioned check-in desks.
In spite of the property’s size – 300 rooms, 86 suites and 82 serviced residences – there’s been a concerted effort to make it feel intimate and exclusive. The lobby is divided into pockets, half hidden by mashrabiya screens, centred around a charming viennoiserie by renowned chef Pierre Hermé, where the rows of pretty pastries look almost too good to eat. A custom-created scent lingers in the air – top notes of black pepper and clove; undertones of cedar, sea salt, patchouli and marine steam. The expansive grounds have a Bali-inspired vibe: thousands of trees and plants – oil palms, ficuses, Japanese saigon, olive and lemongrass – hug meandering paths, thoughtfully appointed terraces and the resort’s four outdoor swimming pools, which include an adults-only pool at Kinugawa and one reserved for suite guests at Iliana Pool Club.
There are seamless nods to contemporary Emirati and Arab culture, from lobby lounge menus designed by multidisciplinary artist Andre Mcheileh to custom-made tableware by Lebanese jewellery designer Nadine Kanso. As part of the hotel’s cultural immersion program, I spend a morning learning how to paint with famed Emirati fashion designer and artist Feryal Al Bastaki, an experience that proves almost as good for my soul as my morning in the spa.
The backstory
Homegrown hospitality brand Jumeirah operates some of the UAE’s most iconic properties, including Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, Jumeirah Emirates Towers and Jumeirah Mina A Salam, as well as landmark hotels around the world, from London and Capri to the Maldives and Mallorca. It recently made its debut in Africa, with the launch of Jumeirah Thanda Island and Jumeirah Thanda Safari.
The rooms
Rooms at Marsa Al Arab are inspired by Italy’s vintage Riva boats, with understated nautical themes and terraces that look out either over Burj Al Arab, or the hotel’s marina and the sweeping curve of Kite Beach beyond. Amenities are by Votary and celebrity hair stylist Rossano Ferretti, and all rooms are equipped with Dyson hairdryers.
I stay in the royal suite, an enormous space on the hotel’s 12th floor that offers some of the best views in Dubai from its 310-square-metre terrace, dominated by a raised plunge pool that looks out to sea. The Jacuzzi in my marble-clad bathroom is almost as big, facing floor-to-ceiling windows that offer dramatic headlong views of the Burj. There’s a private gym, spa treatment room, dining table for 10, fully-stocked bar and living area lined with plush sofas. If I could move in, I would.
Food and drink
On opening night, Marsa’s 15 restaurants and bars are already buzzing, a sign of the pent-up anticipation this opening has generated. This is a city that offers endless choice when it comes to dining, but there’s plenty here to make Marsa a firm favourite.
The hotel has, thankfully, sounded the death knell for the soulless all-day dining restaurant and instead serves up The Fore, dubbed Dubai’s first “transformative dining space”. Four distinct restaurants – the Japanese Umi Kei, inspired by the art of kintsugi; the Asian fusion Madame Li; Mirabelle, a delightful Mediterranean brasserie; and The Bombay Club, curated by famed Indian chef Manav Tuli – are, come morning, transformed through nifty panels and hidden walls into a cohesive venue that serves one of the best breakfasts in Dubai. An a la carte menu offers specialties such as black truffle scrambled eggs, lobster Benedict, Turkish-inspired menemen and a goat’s cheese phyllo pie, but I find myself drawn repeatedly to the feuillette station, where delicate puff pastries are stuffed with fillings ranging from veal to heirloom tomatoes and avocado. There’s a room dedicated to healthier fare, including fresh fruits, granolas and six variations of ice tea, and counters offering a curated selection of dishes from each of The Fore’s restaurants, from a dosa station at Bombay Club to sushi and maki rolls at Umi Kei.
Elsewhere, Rialto offers Italian classics done just right and the Mykonos-inspired Iliana serves up Greek fare on a sun-kissed terrace by the edge of the sea.
The spa
Jumeirah’s signature spa offering, Talise, has been honed to perfection here – set across three floors, with a women’s only section, 13 treatment rooms, a 20-metre indoor pool and a remedy suite that offers an iDome, hyperbaric oxygen chamber and cryotherapy, among other facilities. The spa has exclusive partnerships with EviDenS de Beauté, Swissline and Ground Wellbeing for its skincare treatments, and relaxation rooms come with cosy terraces and a selection of books covering everything from menopause to daily mantras.
I start my morning with 25 minutes in the iDome, basking in far infrared rays for a full body detox, before a 90-minute sleep massage that begins with me picking out a crystal and an affirmation card encouraging me to “embrace the soothing power of silence”. From mini cactus bowls placed under massage beds to rose quartz eye masks, it’s all the thoughtful little details that really set this spa apart.
The area
Marsa Al Arab’s setting in Jumeirah, midway between old and new Dubai, makes it the perfect jumping off point for exploring the city. It sits on a prime stretch of beach that serves a number of Jumeirah’s other properties, and Marsa guests are free to roam the bay at will. In the opposite direction, there’s a 14-kilometre walking and running track that hugs the coastline and is perfect for sunset strolls. One side of the hotel is flanked by the new D Marin Marsa Al Arab Marina, a pedestrian strip of homegrown restaurants and cafes that look out over the superyachts docked at Marsa’s marina.
The service
Flawless, from start to finish. Staff at the hotel hail from 99 different countries, a fitting reflection of what makes Dubai so unique as a destination. You can expect vociferous Italian waiters at Rialto, exuberant Indian chefs at The Bombay Club and a burly Greek sommelier at Iliana.
All suites come with a dedicated butler; mine is the unendingly charming and efficient Zahra. Marsa’s butlers are trained by the British Butler Academy, but there’s no stuffiness here. Every night I return to my room to find handwritten, often hilarious, notes left by Zahra, alongside thoughtful gifts, from a Marsa-branded toiletries bag with my initials on it, to a printout of Jeanne Coulon’s short story, Bahri and the Pearl. That’s in addition to a bathrobe, slippers and pillow cases with my initials on them.
For families
Kids will have a ball exploring Marsa’s sprawling grounds, but for more contained adventures, there’s the dedicated Family Club for guests aged three to 10.
