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Bulgari Opens Luxury Dubai Resort on Seahorse-Shaped Island

Bulgari officially opens their Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai on a man-made island, the brand's largest hotel to date.

WRITTEN BY
Tyler Roney

PUBLISHED ON
December 7, 2017

LOCATION
Dubai, UAE

Designed by Italian architecture firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, the 158,000 square-meter Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai, the luxury brand’s largest hotel to date, opens today. The long-awaited resort sits on the man-made Jumeirah Bay island carved into the shape of a seahorse and adjoined by a 300-meter bridge to the Dubai coast.

Bulgari held an official launch party yesterday with supermodels, actors, and TV hosts in attendance and Italian singer Matteo Brancaleoni performing for guests.

Villas and Rooms

ABOVE: Bulgari Resort Dubai suite designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel.

The Bulgari Resort & Residences is the latest in Bulgari’s Asia accommodation push, preceded by Bali and with another hotel set to open on the Bund in Shanghai in 2018.

Originally expected to open in the first quarter of 2017, the Bulgari in Dubai will feature 101 rooms and suites and 20 private villas; private sales of the residences have already begun, according to previous reports.

ABOVE: Rendering of Bulgari’s Dubai villas.

The 20 stand-alone villas featuring one to three bedrooms face either the beach – with individual beach access – or Dubai skyline, each with their own swimming pools and car parks. Luxurious suites range from 80 square-meters to 120 square-meters, and all rooms are over 53 square-meters.

ABOVE: Dubai Bulgari Resort balcony.

With a Mediterranean village feel, the complex features the main Resort, six residential buildings with 173 sea facing apartments, 15 private mansions, as well as the Marina and Yacht Club.

Island and Marina

ABOVE: The island design was inspired by the shape of a seahorse.

The seahorse-shaped Jumeirah Bay Island is a 1.8 million square meter island off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Road. The thin man-made island’s unique shape allows visitors sea views as well as vistas of the Dubai skyline and Burj Khalifa.

The island’s Marina flanks the 50-boat harbor with a travertine promenade, and the berths range from 10 to 40 meters. Bulgari’s first-ever Yacht Club overlooks the harbor and features amenities such as the including the Yacht Club Italian Restaurant. The Yacht Club Italian specializes in fish, and boasts a members lounge and outdoor pool and bar.

Dining and Amenities

ABOVE: Dining room at Bulgari Resort Dubai.

Aside from the fare at the Yacht Club, the Bulgari Resort Dubai will have the Il Ristorante, Café, and Bar. The Il Restorante was designed with the Bulgari Hotel Milano in mind, helmed by Michelin-star Italian Chef Niko Romito. Views of the Gulf are found from the high banquettes, and the cuisine is a mix of modern and classical Italian. The Il Café is designed for the more casual diner and is open until late night; Il Bar – of course featuring the signature Bulgari oval bar – is fitted in a shiny chrome and features views over the Gulf as well.

Visitors not sated with those flavors will find yet more at Bulgari’s Il Cioccolato, which serves artisanal haute couture chocolates.  Il Cioccolato’s shop at the Bulgari Resort Dubai opens directly onto the café and the terrace deck leading to the marina promenade.

ABOVE: Spa at Bulgari Resort Dubai.

Those hoping to work off the resort’s cuisine will find the Bulgari spa more than ample: the enormous BVLGARI SPA is 1,700 square-meters. The interior includes an indoor 24-hour fitness center, fitness studio, eight treatment rooms, an Italian barbershop, a beauty salon, and a 25-meter indoor pool with full sea view.

Bulgari’s next Asian property to open will be the Bulgari Shanghai, set to open in 2018.