J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, will open on Dubai’s Jumeirah 1 beachfront in Q4 2027.
The property will feature 366 rooms and suites, including 40 accommodations with private pools.
Dining highlights include Zuma Beach House, Park Chinois, Novikov Restaurant & Beach Club, Jul’s and Tala.
The beachfront hotel will feature 366 rooms and suites, four swimming pools and a heavyweight dining line-up.
Dubai’s beachfront hotel scene is getting a major new arrival. Meliá Hotels International has confirmed that its first Gran Meliá property in the UAE will open as J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, in Q4 2027. Located on the beachfront in Jumeirah 1, the project was first announced in 2025 and will form part of the growing J1 Beach destination.
The sizeable beachfront resort will feature 366 rooms and suites, up from the 260 keys previously announced in 2025. All accommodations will offer ocean views, while 40 rooms and suites will feature private pools. Guests will also have direct beach access.
Beyond the bedrooms, J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, is shaping up to be a sizeable lifestyle destination. Plans include four swimming pools, landscaped outdoor areas, retail spaces, a ballroom, dedicated meeting and event facilities, a fitness centre and a rooftop terrace. The development will place particular emphasis on design, dining and wellbeing, reflecting Gran Meliá’s contemporary interpretation of Spanish luxury.
A Major Dining Destination
Food and beverage form a central part of the J1 Hotel experience, with several internationally recognised restaurants and bars already confirmed.
Jul’s will make its Dubai debut at the hotel. Originating in Ibiza and recently expanding to London, the Greek-led restaurant takes a contemporary approach to the country’s culinary traditions. Its self-described “no limit cuisine” philosophy combines classic Greek flavours with different techniques and influences, with an emphasis on fresh and locally sourced ingredients.
Also joining the line-up is Tala, a Pan-Middle Eastern restaurant overlooking the marina. Conceived as a “Sunlit Marina Majlis”, the restaurant will combine Riviera-inspired interiors with elements of an Arabic majlis. The venue will include a main dining room, show kitchen, private dining space, terrace and VIP lounge, with shisha available outdoors.
The two newcomers join several previously announced heavyweight names. Located adjacent to the hotel, Zuma Beach House will become Zuma’s first beachfront location in the Middle East and only its second lifestyle destination after Mykonos. Set along a 140-metre private beach, the venue will combine Zuma’s signature Japanese izakaya-style cuisine with a swimming pool, lounge and bar.
High above J1 Beach, Park Chinois will occupy the hotel’s rooftop. The celebrated London restaurant is known for combining Chinese cuisine with an immersive setting inspired by 1930s Shanghai. Its Dubai incarnation will add resident and international guest DJs to the formula, accompanied by sweeping views across the city skyline.
Novikov Restaurant & Beach Club is also heading to J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel. Following the Mediterranean concept’s Los Angeles launch in 2024, the Dubai venue will feature a semi-private beach, bar and private cabanas. The menu will focus on seasonal ingredients, handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes, premium meats and fresh seafood, with the experience evolving from relaxed lunches into sunset drinks and lively evenings.
Wellness Takes to the Rooftop
J1 Hotel will also feature an extensive wellness offering developed and managed by Waring Wellbeing Hospitality through its Journée Wellbeing brand.
Conceived as a rooftop wellness sanctuary, the space will combine traditional treatments with advanced therapies, fitness and visiting practitioners. Plans include Aufguss sauna ceremonies from 432 Social Wellbeing and group Reformer Pilates sessions by Jeju Pilates, alongside a broader programme centred around relaxation, recovery and movement.
With an opening now confirmed for Q4 2027, J1 Hotel is shaping up to be considerably more ambitious than originally announced. Between its 366 rooms and suites, four pools, rooftop wellness destination and collection of restaurants from Zuma, Park Chinois, Novikov, Jul’s and Tala, the hotel looks set to become one of Jumeirah 1’s most significant new hospitality openings.
Where: J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, J1 Beach, Jumeirah, Dubai
Contact: @gran_melia