The word ‘impossible’ isn’t often used in Dubai, a mindset that has led to the Emirate growing from Arabian backwater to global powerhouse and luxury travel hub in a handful of decades. Home to the tallest building in the world, the world’s largest shopping mall and a series of other superlatives, Dubai is ceaseless in its ambition.
Kempinski Floating Palace Dubai is the latest visionary project to emerge from the city: a modular floating hotel anchored in the Arabian Gulf between Jumeirah Beach and The World Islands, surrounded by 12 luxury motor villas, which can be cast off and sailed away along the UAE coast.
The main hotel building will be bisected by a cavernous tunnel with moorings for up to 16 yachts, giving guests the choice of arriving via the hotel speedboat or on their own vessel. A glass pyramid will connect the two halves of the main building, which will be home to 156 rooms and suites, as well as a collection of restaurants and bars, a spa, swimming pools, boutiques and banqueting areas.
The 12 villas, which range from two to four bedrooms, will be available for private ownership and added to the hotel accommodation when not in use by owners. Each will boast two floors of living space surrounded by panoramic windows, with rooftop terraces, infinity pools and all the features of a modern smart home. There’s also room for crew and staff to live aboard when sailing to another port.
The bold project was envisioned by UAE-based Seagate Shipyard, which has posted images of its conceptual ‘Glass Boat Villa’ - the model for the 12 floating villas - on its LinkedIn page. The modular nature of the design means the entire resort will be built onshore and shipped to its final destination when construction is complete in around 18 months, marking another milestone for Dubai and Kempinski, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.