For most of the past decade, ultra-luxury hospitality has spoken in hushed tones: quiet luxury, discreet villas, silent isolation. Carolyn Turnbull, CEO of Nammos Hotels & Resorts, has a different bet. The dominant narrative of solitude, she argues, is “one-note.” What ultra-high-net-worth travellers want now is not more privacy, but more aliveness, connection and shared joy. She calls it “Vibrant Luxury”, and she is about to test it at one of the most ambitious openings in modern hospitality.

In Spring 2026, Nammos Resort AMAALA will open at Triple Bay on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, the iconic Greek brand’s first property outside Greece. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 110-key resort with 20 private residences sits within AMAALA, the regenerative destination being developed by Red Sea Global as a flagship of Saudi Vision 2030, alongside Four Seasons, Rosewood, Six Senses and Equinox.

Few hospitality brands carry the cultural shorthand that Nammos does. What began in 2003 as a single beach club on Mykonos’ Psarou Beach has, over two decades, become the defining grammar of Mediterranean glamour — the kind of place that does not chase the scene so much as create it. Nammos Dubai later became the highest-grossing restaurant in the world, turning over $71m a year and outperforming the likes of Nobu Malibu. The flagship Nammos Hotel Mykonos opened in 2023, but AMAALA marks the brand’s first full-scale resort and the moment its emotional system gets tested from sunrise to starlight, rather than across a single afternoon.

Leading that expansion is Turnbull, appointed CEO in mid-2025. Backed by ADMO Lifestyle Holding — a joint venture between Alpha Dhabi Holding and Monterock International — she is targeting 10 to 12 properties globally within a decade, with the Maldives following in 2027 and Abu Dhabi thereafter.

Here, she discusses the moment Nammos is entering, why she believes the Red Sea is on the cusp of a defining era in luxury travel, and how the brand plans to become AMAALA’s social heartbeat.

The luxury hospitality market is in an active phase, even with the region’s complicated geopolitical environment. How is Nammos Resort AMAALA navigating this moment, and what shifts are you seeing in traveller sentiment or booking behaviour?

I think the first thing worth saying is that the ultra-high-net-worth segment has always demonstrated a degree of resilience that the broader market does not. These are experienced global travellers who have navigated complex geopolitical cycles before. What we observe is not a retreat; it is a recalibration. Discernment sharpens. The trips they do take become more intentional, more curated, and frankly, higher spend.

What’s changed more noticeably is the geography of desire. There is a meaningful and accelerating shift towards destinations that feel genuinely new, not just geographically, but emotionally. The Red Sea, and AMAALA specifically, represents exactly that. It is not competing with existing luxury corridors; it is creating a new one. And I think travellers who are re-evaluating their mental maps of the world are finding that the story being written here is one of the most compelling in a generation.

From a practical perspective, what we are seeing is longer lead times on decisions, but a higher quality of commitment when bookings are made. The guests we are attracting to AMAALA are not impulse bookers; they are investing in an experience they genuinely believe will be exceptional. That is a high bar, and one we are designing to meet.

F&B has become a major battleground for differentiation in luxury resorts. What emerging dining trends are shaping your strategy, particularly when it comes to elevated beach clubs, experiential dining, and Mediterranean-inspired concepts?

For Nammos Hotels & Resorts, dining is never simply a revenue stream or an operational amenity; it is the emotional anchor of the entire guest stay. The era of the traditional ‘resort dining’ model is over. Today’s ultra-luxury guests are looking for a transformative journey, and we are seeing a definitive shift from mere dining venues to day-to-dusk lifestyle sanctuaries. It is about capturing that celebratory, joyful DNA of our Mediterranean origins and elevating it with extraordinary culinary execution and intuitive service.

What I see shaping this next chapter of luxury dining is what I would call ‘cultural fluency’ on the plate. Guests are incredibly sophisticated, and they want food that honours its place — that feels like it could only exist right there, in that specific environment. While our culinary philosophy will always remain rooted in the convivial spirit of the Mediterranean, we are deeply committed to hyper-local storytelling. At AMAALA, for example, we are drawing on the extraordinary larder of the Hijaz coast. Integrating artisanal partnerships with Saudi communities, ethically sourced Red Sea seafood, and regional botanicals aren’t simply ethical choices; they are flavour choices that create a powerful sense of place.

Ultimately, guests no longer want one static restaurant for the duration of a stay. They want a curated emotional arc. Our strategy is built around this fluidity, designing concepts that seamlessly transition from leisurely morning rituals to high-energy, golden-hour moments, each serving a different emotional register across the day.

AMAALA aims to redefine ultra-luxury travel with wellness, culture, and bespoke experiences at its core. Where does Nammos Resort fit within that vision, and how are you ensuring the property stands out in a portfolio designed to be world-class?

Nammos Resort AMAALA’s role within the destination is to be its social heartbeat. Every luxury portfolio needs an anchor, something that creates gravitational pull, that gives the destination a social identity and a reason to be talked about. That is what Nammos provides, and it is a role we have played before. When we established ourselves in Mykonos, we did not arrive into an existing cultural scene; we became the scene. In Dubai, we became the highest-grossing restaurant in the world not by being the loudest, but by being the most magnetic.

The way we stand out within a world-class portfolio is by occupying territory that no one else can authentically claim. The dominant narrative in ultra-luxury hospitality today is built on solitude, stillness, and what I call ‘quiet luxury’, beautiful, but one-note. Nammos occupies what we call ‘Vibrant Luxury.’ It positions belonging, social energy, and shared joy as the central purpose of the stay. Today’s UHNW traveller already has access to privacy and perfection. What they are seeking now is aliveness, connection, spontaneity, and a sense of being in the right place with the right people. That is what we architect — every day.

AMAALA gives us the perfect canvas. The Triple Bay setting, the ambition of the destination, the commitment to regenerative design, all of it aligns with the kind of flagship we wanted to build. We are not just launching a resort; we are proving that the Nammos emotional system can be scaled from a curated afternoon into a complete, sunrise-to-starlight hospitality experience. And in doing so, we are setting the template for every future Nammos property.

High-spend travellers today are demanding more personalisation and more meaning behind their trips. How are you tailoring the Nammos experience to a guest who wants both escapism and substance?

This is a question we have sat with deeply, because the tension it describes is real. Our guests are intellectually curious, socially engaged, often driven by purpose in their professional lives, and they do not want to simply switch off when they travel. They want to feel something. And they want to feel known.

Our answer to personalisation is what we call ‘Invisible Luxury’, the art of being understood without having to ask. Every guest at Nammos Resort AMAALA has access to a personal butler, operating under a philosophy we take very seriously: ‘Nothing is requested, everything is anticipated.’ That is not a marketing tagline. It is an operational mandate. Our teams are trained in what I describe as ‘human fluency’, an intuitive, emotionally intelligent approach to service that reads the unspoken needs and rhythms of our guests. Warm, not formal. Attentive, not intrusive.

On the ‘substance’ side of your question, I think the most meaningful experiences we can create are those that connect guests to place. At AMAALA, that means direct engagement with the Red Sea environment: access to the Corallium Marine Life Institute, coral restoration experiences, and Red Sea marine adventures. Our guests are not passive consumers of a setting; they are participants in its story. And for a generation of UHNW travellers who care deeply about what they stand for, that level of engagement is not just meaningful, it is emotionally unforgettable.

Supply chains and project timelines across the region have seen pressure during recent global volatility. How are you managing these operational realities while keeping the resort’s rollout and service standards on track?

I will be direct: any hospitality leader operating in this region over the past few years who tells you the supply chain has not been a factor is not being honest with you. It has been a challenge across the entire industry, and we are not immune to that.

What I can say is that working within the AMAALA and Red Sea Global framework has been a significant advantage. The infrastructure investment and procurement frameworks at this scale offer a level of stability that independent operators simply cannot access. We are benefiting from that.

What I am most focused on from a standards perspective is the pre-opening talent strategy. The physical product will be extraordinary, the architecture, the design, the amenities. But Nammos is ultimately a people brand. Our service model depends on teams who embody what we call our ‘Mykonian at Heart’ value, genuine warmth, social intelligence, and a sense of real hospitality. Recruiting, training, and embedding that culture ahead of opening is where I spend the most personal time and energy.

I am actually very encouraged by what we are finding. The innate hospitality culture in Saudi Arabia is exceptional. It is not something we need to import or manufacture; it is already present. Our role is to channel it, shape it, and give it the technical precision that world-class luxury demands.

Looking ahead, what do you expect will define luxury hospitality in the Red Sea region over the next three to five years, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for Nammos Resort AMAALA as the destination matures?

I think the Red Sea is on the cusp of something genuinely historic in luxury travel. We are at the moment that the Maldives was 40 years ago, or the Amalfi Coast was 60 years ago, a destination that the world is only just beginning to understand, but that will, within a decade, be a first-choice address for the most discerning travellers on the planet. That is not hyperbole; it is a reading of the investment, the policy alignment, and the quality of what is being built.

Over the next three to five years, I expect three things to define this region’s luxury narrative. First, regenerative tourism will move from aspiration to expectation. The AMAALA mandate, 100 per cent renewable energy, zero single-use plastics, and a commitment to a 30 per cent net conservation benefit to local ecosystems, is setting a benchmark that will become the industry standard. Guests will not just appreciate it; they will require it.

Second, I expect the region to develop its own luxury cultural identity that stands independent of Western luxury codes. This is already happening. The depth of culture, the warmth of Arab hospitality, the extraordinary natural environment, all of this is being channelled into experiences that feel genuinely of this place, not imported from elsewhere. That authenticity is commercially invaluable.

Third, I think the ‘social luxury’ segment, which we call Vibrant Luxury, will emerge as the defining growth category. We are seeing a generational shift in how UHNW guests think about travel. Younger wealth holders are not retreating to private villas in isolation; they are seeking shared experiences with a curated community of peers. AMAALA, and Nammos within it, is positioned precisely for this.

Our biggest opportunity as the destination matures is to become its cultural centre of gravity. Every great destination has a place that becomes its social heartbeat, the address that defines the cultural life of the area, that attracts the most interesting guests, the most important conversations, the most celebrated moments. That is what we are building. And given 20 years of proof that Nammos can create that kind of gravity anywhere in the world, I am genuinely excited about what we will create on the Red Sea.