The Vibe: Constraint glitter.
The Area: Set on Jumeira Bay, a man-made seahorse-shaped island, with a scenic tableau of the yacht-speckled Arabian Gulf as well as the city’s dramatic skyline, the hotel is a quiet bolt-hole that seems far from the madding crowd, but is just on the other side of a 300m bridge that is connected to the mainland.
The DNA: The 13-hectare Bulgari Resort, Dubai is anchored by the 101-room hotel, a low-slung building that separates two bays: one, a sweeping stretch of white sandy beach lined with 20 villas, and the other, a chichi marina, complete with a string of private residences and the Bulgari Yacht Club – a first for the hotel brand and for Dubai – that is fast becoming the city’s place to see and be seen. In contrast to Dubai’s ubiquitous skyscraper hotels, the property’s understated low-rise architecture is the work of Milan-based firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, whose white Carrara marble façade is defined by three floors of coral-inspired horizontal layers that filter through the sunlight while subtly nodding to the ornate, latticed details found in traditional Middle Eastern architecture. Inside – in addition to the almost all Italian catalogue of furnishings from B&B Italia to Flexform, Flos and Maxalto – the luxury quotient is amplified by Iranian green onyx, Shanxi black granite from Mongolia and heavy wild-wool rugs handcrafted in Morocco.
Suite-Me-Up: The guest rooms are spacious cocoons that pull in evocative beach or ocean vistas, best enjoyed from your private balcony, the deep-soaking bath tub or perhaps from the spa’s 25m lap pool, which also comprises a Vitality Pool lined with shimmering green and real gold mosaic tiles.
Seen: archilovers, Top Hotel Design, Wallpaper*
Accolades: Condé Nast Traveler Hot List 2018, Wallpaper* Best Urban Hotels 2018
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 101 rooms, suites & villas (55-540m2) (592-5,813 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2017 • architecture & interior design: Antonio Citerrio Patricia Viel • bathroom amenities: Bulgari ✅ free on-site parking • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible
