7 hotels opening in the Middle East in 2023

Arushi Sakhuja  

Travelling to the Middle East in 2023 is going to get more exciting with a tempting array of luxury hotels opening up for global travellers. Located in the top three tourist spots, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Doha, while some are shaped like superyachts, others claim to be the tallest in the world, and there’s even a hotel just for athletes. here are some unique hotels set to open in the Middle East in 2023.  

Dubai  

Atlantis the Royal 

Dubai might get its most luxurious hotel yet in 2023, Atlantis The Royal Palm Dubai. A luxury beach resort and sister hotel to Atlantis The Palm, this new property is pushing the boundaries with design aesthetics as the next-gen ultra-luxury hotel. The 800-room property will open in February. Designed by the world’s leading designers, architects and artists, the hotel includes 44 private infinity pools attached to suites and penthouses, a helipad, and a tank with 4,000 jellyfish. 

Ciel Hotel 

The world will have its tallest hotel in 2023. The height of the hotel will be 1,198 feet, with 82 floors and 1,000 rooms. It is being built at the north end of Dubai Marina and the design is inspired by the concept of Wabi-Sabi. 

The Ciel will include a Sunset Lounge on the 74th floor and Horizon Bar on the 76th floor. A luxury spa and health club will be located on the building’s 61st floor, offering a remarkable location for guests to unwind. Some other key highlights include the Ciel Observatory and Lounge on the 81st floor, as well as a signature rooftop Sky Terrace featuring an infinity pool and bar. From here guests can soak in panoramic views of the Dubai skyline, Palm Jumeirah, and the Arabian Gulf. The property is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2023. 

Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab 

First, there was a sail, then a wave and now comes the superyacht. The Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is the superyacht-shaped hotel and with this, the resort will complete Jumeirah’s oceanic trilogy, which already has the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the sailboat-inspired Burj Al Arab. 

The new resort will feature “386 rooms and suites, four penthouses, as well as 83 luxury hotel apartment suites set amid private landscaped gardens,” Jumeirah said in a statement. All rooms at the resort will offer guests a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea. It encompasses specially integrated wellness and leisure destinations and an impressive line-up of signature restaurants, including a new concept comprising four restaurants in one. With all rooms offering a panoramic vista over the Arabian Sea, this statement property will mark a new epoch for the Jumeirah Group and will open in the third quarter of 2023. 

Siro and One & Only One Za’abeel 

A hotel for those who love to stay fit? The Middle East has answered dreams. From the company behind the Atlantis resorts in Dubai and the One & Only brand, Siro will have a two-story gym and fitness programs shaped by Olympic athletes. The hotel will be in a development called One Za’abeel—two towers with a horizontal cantilever running between them that looks rather like an elevated subway. Located on the northern side of Dubai, One Za’abeel includes apartments, offices, retail and a One&Only resort. Room rates at Siro Dubai will start from $400 to $500 a night and include breakfast, studio workout classes and access to the gym. The all-important recovery program will include cryotherapy, infrared and oxygen therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, assisted stretching, breathing, mediation and visualisation. 

Its sleep-focused amenities are the most intriguing — moments before a guest’s alarm clock goes off, a timer will slowly open the curtains to gradually let in light.  

The first will open in Dubai late in 2023 in the same tower complex as a new One & Only luxury hotel. They’ll share restaurants and other café spaces in a horizontal, cantilevered section of the building called the Link.  

Saudi Arabia 

Six Senses Southern Dunes, the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia 

Six Senses is building at one of two inland sites at the Red Sea development. The luxury brand’s first property in Saudi Arabia will be a desert retreat and spa with 76 rooms and an “artisan village” with arts, crafts, dance and music.  The guest rooms have an open-plan bedroom and living area and outdoor terrace, and clusters of villas range from one to four bedrooms that occupy strategic peaks to offer prime aspects over the pristine landscape. 

The heart of the resort is the Oasis, inspired by a desert flower, blurring the lines between the natural finishes inside and the native plants and water features outside. The idea is to gather vibrant cultural, musical and Earth Lab activities, boutiques, meeting spaces, restaurants, and bars under one roof. 

A vision of its own, the spa features self-shaded water surfaces and deep cold pools creating a contrast to the hot climate. Highlights include a Holistic Anti-Aging Center, male and female grooming centers and indoor zones with wet facilities, a sensory suite, outdoor treatment cabanas with a relaxation area, and a pool bar. Opening in early 2023 the rates start from $899 per night.  

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve 

The fifth Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the world, and the first in the Middle East, will be part of the Red Sea project. Blending indigenous design and highly personalised services, the ultra-exclusive hospitality brand by Marriott will combine luxury accommodation and service with a strong focus on regenerative tourism and an on-site conservation project. The resort will have 63 one- to four-bedroom water and beach villas, in addition to a spa, swimming pools, multiple dining venues, a retail area, a conservation centre and a range of leisure and entertainment offerings. Phase one is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2023.  

Doha

Fairmont and Raffles Doha 

Raffles and Fairmont are set to open their luxury hotels and residences in Doha at the iconic Katara Towers in Lusail. The Katara Towers are a distinctive architectural construct designed as a representation of Qatar’s national seal; the arched towers will house the two hotels. Fairmont will have 362 rooms and Raffles will have 132 suites. Both hotels are now open with rates from about $1,300 for the Raffles and $521 for the Fairmont per night 

The Ned 

After opening in London and New York, this members-only club and hotel, The Ned (from some of the same people behind the Soho Houses) picked Doha for its third location. The building was formerly the Ministry of the Interior offices. David Chipperfield Architects and Soho House Design reshaped the building into a 90-room hotel with an atrium at the centre, a nod to the design in London. The Ned Doha offers seven restaurants, event venues, and Ned’s Club, a private members’ club that gives access to spaces including a rooftop terrace, a health club with spa, gym and 30m outdoor pool.

Members have access to everything The Ned Doha has to offer, from the best tables on the ground floor with unparalleled views of the stage, to Ned’s Club Upstairs, a rooftop lounge decked out in a 70s-glam style. Stay active in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the spa and hammam. The hotel is now open with rates from $344 per night. 

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