Plans have been announced for a new Ritz-Carlton Reserve property in the Middle East, though we’ll have to be (very) patient…
In this post:
50-villa Ritz-Carlton Reserve Abu Dhabi opening 2029
Marriott has plans to open a Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort in the United Arab Emirates for the first time, though it’s only slated to open in 2029.
The resort will be located on Ramhan Island, a new island destination being developed in Abu Dhabi. This will cover over four million square meters of developed area, and will feature a natural island connected through a network of waterways. The entire development will boast residential villas, marina residences, and luxury hotels.
The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Abu Dhabi will be located on a secluded island within Ramhan Island, and it will house 50 private villas, each with one to four bedrooms. There will be some beach villas, as well as some overwater villas, which are anticipated to be the first such accommodations in the region.
While details are otherwise quite limited, the plan is for the property to feature all kinds of leisure amenities and multiple culinary venues.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ritz-Carlton-Reserve-Abu-Dhabi.jpeg)
For those not familiar with Ritz-Carlton Reserve, this is Marriott’s uber-luxury hotel brand, which participates in Marriott Bonvoy. Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are on a different level than standard Ritz-Carlton properties, and are generally much smaller and offer more personalized service.
The portfolio currently consists of seven properties, including in Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the United States.
Let’s see if/how this develops…
As you can tell, the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Abu Dhabi is five years from opening, and that’s best case scenario. When we see something like this announced so far in advance, it’s anyone’s guess if the project will be completed at all, and if it is, it could very well be rebranded.
This seems like it could be a cool property. This probably won’t be a replacement for the Maldives in terms of the beauty of the water and the seclusion, since Ramhan Island is just a short distance off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Instead, I suspect this is more intended for locals to plan a staycation, and feel like they’re getting away without getting on a plane. For that matter, it could just be a fun alternative accommodation option when visiting Abu Dhabi, even if it’s during a quick stopover.
Speaking of private island resorts in Abu Dhabi, in 2022, plans were announced for a Hilton LXR private island resort on Al Nawras Island in Abu Dhabi. That was supposed to open in 2023, but I haven’t seen any updates lately. Does anyone know what the latest is on that project? Because I’ve been searching, but I haven’t seen a whole lot…
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LXR-Abu-Dhabi-Resort.jpeg)
Bottom line
A Ritz-Carlton Reserve property is planned for Abu Dhabi. The 50-villa property will be located on the Ramhan Island development, and is expected to open in 2029. It’ll be cool to have a property with overwater villas in Abu Dhabi, though this is so far off that I’m not counting on this actually happening as planned. Still, I’ll keep it on my radar, so let’s see how it develops…
What’s your take on the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Abu Dhabi?
“There will be some beach villas, as well as some overwater villas, which are anticipated to be the first such accommodations in the region” - This is not correct as there is a Ritz Carlton in Dubai that has beach access villas. This is one reason why I suppose the Reserve will not be as successful. There are many Marriott brands that have villas in the region. Furthermore, there are more Ritz Carlton Reserve properties...
“There will be some beach villas, as well as some overwater villas, which are anticipated to be the first such accommodations in the region” - This is not correct as there is a Ritz Carlton in Dubai that has beach access villas. This is one reason why I suppose the Reserve will not be as successful. There are many Marriott brands that have villas in the region. Furthermore, there are more Ritz Carlton Reserve properties than you mention. I think you need to fact check these articles more.
There’s literally 7 on the website so please enlighten us on which are missing
https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/ritz-carlton-reserve/
“There will be some beach villas, as well as some overwater villas, which are anticipated to be the first such accommodations in the region”
I believe they already exist in the Red Sea Project.
I live not far from where this project is supposed to be, and while I can’t confirm exactly what is being built here yet, there is large and new development going on in that area, a bunch of new cranes, roads, etc. I’ll try and scope it out, but it will be difficult to get close. I did fly over near here and like
You can see a n google maps it is shaping up into something.