Jumeirah 2.0 has arrived in its hometown with Dubai’s most impressive hotel – a superyacht-inspired lifestyle destination of epic proportions
Isabella Craddock
Near+Far Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab review: 9/10
Why book Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
It’s not that often a hotel comes along that changes a landscape. That makes such a stir and creates almost an entirely new social destination. This is the case of Jumeriah Marsa Al Arab, a hotel; this reviewer, at the time of writing, has visited every weekend and countless times since its opening, some for work, others for play. As the final addition to Jumeirah’s nautical trilogy – the sail of Burj al Arab and a wave of Bach Hotel (and quintet, if you’re counting the beloved Beachfront Madinat properties), Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the superyacht. And super she is: four swimming pools, 11 restart, residences, multi-million dollar villas, its own lifestyle and yachting marina, and so much more.
A long time coming, Dubaians saw its build for years – sleek, graceful rising from the sands by the ocean, and when its time came to open – the hype was at an all-time high. And it lives up to all of this hype. It’s impossibly elegant, from the long, palm-fringed drive to its two striking yacht-shaped spaces, tropical gardens, beach, marina and intimate dining and public spaces, and already pillars of the community – with queues to valet snaking around the grounds, a lobby, gardens pulsating with energy and elegant guests. While part of the Jumeirah complex, it feels completely stand-alone – like being on a tropical island or Mediterranean yacht harbour. We cannot recommend booking or visiting this hotel enough.
Jumeriah Marsa Al Arab Location
Owned by Dubai’s mighty Jumeirah group, Marsa Al Arab has the cream of the crop of locations – something no new Dubai hotels get. Smack bang in the middle of the city in the prestigious Umm Suqeim, it has Burj Al Arab to one side and the low-rise beachy streets of Jumeirah to the other. Very few other new luxurious beach resorts benefit from such a location – sequestered to the north, Palm Jumeirah or JBR areas. This means (pretty much) all of Dubai in 20 minutes – Downtown, DIFC, Marina, Palm – and the views to match.
The location itself is almost a promontory, jutting into the ocean and feeling like its own island. The long drive through lush gardens set the tone before the two buildings in their own areas – beyond that’s its endless ocean and Dubai coast views. Positioning of the main beach overlooking Burj Al Arab gives a front-row view to one of Dubai’s greatest icons and a feast for the eyes on pool days, while private sands for suite guests look onto nothing but open sea.
The vibe
Just weeks after opening, the vibe is palpable on our official review stay – something most hotels would want bottles and sold. There’s the typical Dubai array of supercars parked out front, gleaming Rolls-Royce Spectres and custom G wagons, and the huddles of glamorous locals in the lobby, along with well-heeled Dubains visiting restaurants and bars and its international hotel guests. There’s the 35-berth marina with some of the city’s flashiest yachts. But the space doesn’t feel ostentatious at all. There’s an elevated, upmarket vibe with well-behaved families and good-looking couples, all here to enjoy and make the most of this new landmark – which is becoming a real lifestyle destination for both external and hotel guests. Restaurants and bars are busy, the lobby is always energetic, and a real sense of excitement and wonder in the air.
Decor
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab really does feel like superyacht in its design and interiors. A long undulating corridor weaves the length of the ground floor, with cosy corners of lounges and spaces to hide away. There’s no vast soaring lobby or atrium, and each space feels very intimate, encouraging a sense of cosiness and an exclusive atmosphere. It’s flashy but understated. The flashiest could be the lobby chandelier, with 1,500 hand-blown seashell-shaped crystals from the Czech Republic. Other touches include rich wooden panelling, gleaming floors, spiral staircases, and cosy little nooks hiding boutiques like Pierre Hermé. Glass picture windows look onto the marina and low-rise Jumeirah.
Local touches
Jumeirah was born in Dubai, and while many of its nearby hotels embody an old-world Arabian fairytale style, Marsa is modern-day Dubai and its melting-pot of people that make it great. Lebanese jewellery designer Nadine Kanso crafted bespoke tableware inspired by her pieces, and minibars are filled with cult favourite Fix Chocolate (to name just a few). There’s a real modern Arabian feel to it all, which seems to signify a new age for Jumeirah and its Dubai hotels – which (on the older side) are in the process of renovation to fit into Jumeirah’s grand ambitions for its 2.0 identity.
Rooms and suites
Accommodation lines the long, waving corridors of Marsa’s nautical vestibule, accessed by narrow, soft-lit corridors with plush carpets. Again, this all adds to the cosy but ultra-refined feeling of a superyacht. There are an impressive 21 categories to choose from – the highlight of luxury (which is to the freedom and choice). But they’re all stunning, comfortable and with guaranteed sea views and ocean-front terraces. The smallest is a very spacious 67 square metres (almost triple the size of some of the city’s) – including an 11 square metre terrace.
What makes this so generous and special is that all rooms are given the same core amenities. All rooms have marble bathrooms with double vanities, rain fall showers and soaking tubs, Dyson hairdryers, Nespresso coffee machines and Stagg kettles, a mini-bar with local favourites (including the OG ‘Dubai chocolate’ from Fix) and miniatures of the very best champagne, Billecart Salmon), extensive pillow and bedding choice, HD TV, multiple robes, fluffy slippers, beach bags, elegant kimonos (which this reviewer wanted to take home), a Bang and Olufsen speaker, and much more, depending on the room category. Like all Jumeirah Beachfront properties, there’s also complimentary daily access to Wild Wadi Waterpark.
We checked into an Ocean Deluxe Suite, giving serious primary yacht cabin energy with a charming separate living room, marshmallow bed, vast walk-in wardrobe and marble bathroom – all angled toward the ocean and Burj Al Arab. But the views were best imbibed from its sweeping ocean terrace. Butler service is included for suites, alongside mats by Hercule Studio paired with tailored yoga sessions and access to the suite-only Iliana Pool Club.
Drinking and dining
An incredible 11 restaurants and bars reside in the hotel, but somehow, it hides them away and gives each the feeling of being wholly unique. The most impressive is The Fore, a collection of four venues at the ‘bow’ of the ship, which, come morning, is a glamorous dine-around. After breakfast, all become separate entities with smaller closed-off dining spaces ensuring a cosy and atmospheric experience.
There’s French-Mediterranean Mirabelle, Chinese Madame Li, Indian The Bombay Club and Japanese Umi Kei – beautifully uniquely designed, intimate, and spaced with an outdoor terrace searing. Breakfast is sublime – grab your table (we hide away overlooking the yachts and villas of Marsa Marina each day) and wander station of dosa, croissants, fresh juices and fruits, charcuterie, eggs pan-Asian, seafood, and these special Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab savoury pastries this reviewer becomes addicted to. Each has its own menu at night – though drinks come from a central bar and can be ordered across the space. We dine at Umi Kei at night, finding an authentic Japanese Izakia. Omakase counter, open kitchen and a roaring fire, a handful of tables, the most personalised impeccable service (you can also order cocktails and drinks from all four restaurants) and sushi. But it’s not all fancy; you can order bowls of ramen for just AED100).
Spend the days at Iliana Pool Club and lunch at Iliana Restaurant – the Greek seafront eatery under parasols lapped by the sea. Order fresh fish from the counter and Assyritko wine with proper Greek salad in the sunshine, which is bliss. Our new favourite, however, is Rialto – a striking Venetian-inspired restaurant and bar concept. The bar is a true ‘hotel bar, hotel bar’, a rare breed in Dubai, with top London-trained Italian bartenders and a creative menu trotting Italy’s regions. There’s nowhere sexier for an aperitivo or date night, whether you’re at the hotel or not.
Third-party outlets include Kira, nocturnal haunt Litt Bar and The Cullinan across the fountain foyer, which is set in jungly greens. Kira is Mediterra-Asian with seashell interiors and a garden bar that’s always buzzing. The Cullinan is a luxury steakhouse from South Africa’s FoodFund and interiors by star designer Tristan du Plessis Studio (and perhaps the best service in the city). A whole separate Marsa Al Arab marina is also on offer with more casual spots for external guests, like Beirut’s Meat the Fish and Dubai’s famous SALT – on the lower levels by the bobbing yachts.
Facilities
A private beach, four stunning resort pools (including an adults-only resort pool, the Ilaina Pool Club and an indoor infinity pool). Sadly, there are no sports courts or tennis facilities, but they can be used at neighbourhood Jumeirah Beach Resort for a fee.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab Spa
Past Jumeriah guests and Dubai locals are familiar with Jumeriah’s Talise Spa concept. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab takes its name, reinventing the Talise Spa into a slick, story ultra, modern, clinical, but chic wellness heaven. Three floors include a dedicated women’s-only floor, trendy interiors like orange lighting and boucle chairs and facilities that are next to none. These include an indoor pool, sauna, steam, heat-based therapies, ultra-modern fitness suites and treatments rooms with their own private ocean terraces for post-therapy wellness tincture-infused tea sipping.
Anything to add
For hotel lovers, it doesn’t get much better. Whether you’re a tourist looking for the best of the city or a local Dubaian looking for a glamorous and elevated spot for long lunches, dinners, drinks and staycations, Marsa Al Arab has become a new anchor of the community and a global show pony in a short space of time. From a hotel bar (of which Dubai has very few) to thoughtfully designed spaces, tropical gardens, intimate corners and spacious generous rooms with everything a modern luxury traveller expects. A separate building houses glamorous multi-million dollar residences, the in-demand Commodore Club, and exclusive Marsa Al Arab villas dot the marina. All come together to create not just a hotel but a thriving residential, hotel, commercial eco-system and mini neighbourhood – in an exclusive garden promontory in the heart of Dubai.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab has quickly fallen into the spot of our favourite hotel in Dubai and is the place we bring guests to the city to impress, enjoy date nights, sunny Dubai lunches and more. It’s simply sublime.
High season rates from AED4,959 a night; low season from AED1,575; jumeirah.com, @jumeirahmarsaalarab
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