Bulgari opens ‘landmark’ Dubai resort

The Bulgari Resort Dubai, which opens today, will become the third landmark of Dubai after Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab, according to Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.

It may be a bold claim for a city filled with eye-catching hotels and attractions but the contemporary 101-room resort – adjoined by 20 villas, 173 residences and 15 mansions – is certainly distinctive, filled with bespoke designs, Italian residential furnishings and vintage celebrity photos.

The four-floor resort, framed around a marina & yacht club, has been developed by Meraas and designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel.

Superior, Deluxe Beach rooms and Premium Ocean rooms cover 55sqm and four Bulgari suites spanning 120sqm are located at the end of each wing for maximum seaviews. For additional opulence and privacy, the two-bedroom villas comes with spacious lounges and terrace pools – one of which covers 540sqm and can cater for up to 100 people.

Rooms start from Dhs3,500, rising to Dhs9,000 for the Bulgari suites and around Dhs22,000 for the villas.

Read: Dubai’s ‘most expensive’ hotel to open in December

F&B includes the Lobby Lounge, waterside Il Café, La Spiaggia (beach) and Il Ristorante by Nik Romito which features a striking steel and bronze oval bar. A seafood Italian restaurant is located in the yacht club, which also contains a 360sqm ballroom, and Il Cioccolato boutique serves up branded chocolates. Naturally Bulgari jewellery and watches are on display in another boutique.

The attention to detail is pervasive, from the Workshop Gym offering one-on-one training programmes to the mosaic-lined pools and room cupboards where even coat-hangers are branded. The spa contains eight treatment rooms and 25-metre indoor pool.

The resort marks the fifth Bulgari property globally, with Shanghai due to open next Spring.