Meliá Hotels International is set to bring Gran Meliá to the UAE for the first time with the opening of J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, set to open on Dubai’s Jumeirah 1 beachfront in Q4 2027.
First announced in 2025, J1 Hotel will feature 366 rooms and suites overlooking the Arabian Gulf and Dubai skyline, including 40 accommodations with private pools.
The beachfront property will bring together an extensive collection of restaurants and bars, a dedicated rooftop wellness offering, four swimming pools, landscaped outdoor and retail spaces, a ballroom, meeting and event facilities, a fitness centre and rooftop terrace.
Named after its Jumeirah 1 location, J1 Hotel will become Meliá Hotels International’s third property in Dubai, joining Meliá Desert Palm, part of The Meliá Collection portfolio and ME Dubai.
J1 Hotel is envisioned as a new dining destination for Dubai, bringing together internationally renowned names alongside concepts making their city debut. Among the latest additions are Jul’s and Tala; the former having recently opened its flagship restaurant in London, and the latter combining Riviera-inspired design with the intimacy of an Arabic majlis.
They join the previously announced Zuma Beach House, Park Chinois and Novikov Restaurant & Beach Club. Set along a 140-metre private beach adjacent to the hotel, Zuma Beach House will become the brand’s first beachfront location in the Middle East and its second lifestyle destination following Mykonos, combining its Japanese izakaya-style cuisine with a pool, lounge and bar.
On the rooftop, Mayfair-born Park Chinois will bring its signature after-dark experience to Dubai, evoking the glamour of 1930s Shanghai, while Novikov Restaurant & Beach Club will bring its Mediterranean concept to J1 Hotel, with a semi-private beach, bar and private cabanas. The wider collection will also feature an all-day dining concept.
Wellness at J1 Hotel will take centre stage on the rooftop with Journée Wellbeing, a dedicated sanctuary developed and managed by Waring Wellbeing Hospitality. Inspired by the relaxed spirit of Mediterranean wellbeing and Dubai’s beachfront setting, the space will combine traditional treatments and advanced therapies with visiting practitioners, movement and social experiences. Highlights will include Aufguss sauna ceremonies from 432 Social Wellbeing and group Reformer Pilates by Jeju Pilates, creating a wellness experience that moves beyond the traditional hotel spa.
