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The first Raffles resort in the Middle East is set to open in the last quarter of 2021 on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.

May 26, 2021 Tokyo

Raffles resort to open on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai in fourth quarter of 2021

The property will sit within a 100,000 square-metre landscape on the West Crescent of the man-made island, offering views of the sea and city skyline.

There will be 389 rooms, suites and villas, each featuring a balcony and terrace, plus sea views. Private villas on the beach will also be available.

A 3,000-square-metre Cinq Mondes Spa, a Parisian brand new to Dubai, will feature 23 treatment rooms, two private spa suites and what the developers claim to be the city’s largest indoor swimming pool.

A 500-metre stretch of private beach will be accessible by guests and residents, and there will be a beach club offering Mediterranean cuisine, entertainment and more.

Inside the hotel, there will be eight dining options, including the Raffles Patisserie, Writer’s Lounge and Library, with more to be revealed in the future.

Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, children’s pool, cinema, and a kids’ and teens’ club.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for us,” said Mark Willis, chief executive of Accor India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, which owns the Raffles brand. “There are very few beach resort plots left in Dubai and none on the Palm Jumeirah.

“The size of the property and its location perfectly lend itself to provide a prestigious address for the Raffles brand.”

While there are already two Raffles hotels in the Middle East – one in Dubai and another in Makkah, Saudi Arabia – this will be the first resort in the region.

Two more properties from the brand are set to open in the Gulf soon, with Raffles Manama in Bahrain scheduled to open in 2021, and Raffles Jeddah slated for a 2022 opening, according to its website.

The luxury hotel chain’s roots date back to 1887, with the opening of the original Raffles Hotel in Singapore. It wasn’t until the 1990s, however, that it expanded internationally.

Raffles Dubai first opened in 2007.