Bvlgari Resort Dubai

To be Bvlgari hotel, there are some “basic” requirements that need to be met, and the Bvlgari Resort Dubai, jutting out into the pale blue waters of the Arabian Gulf on a seahorse-shaped arc of terra firma, delivers with aplomb. The peaceful location is a draw in itself, but for its first- and only- property in the Middle East, the Italian jeweler also pulled out all the stops with the hotel’s design, facilities, and restaurants. Italian touches dominate, of course, with travertine marble from Tivoli in the rooms, and Vicenza stone walls in the spa. There is also an Italian restaurant where three-Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito serves the best veal Milanese, but the low-slung architecture is classic Middle East…as is the swanky spa with its indoor pool and hammam where, in true Middle East fashion, you can lie on heated marble and get rubbed, scrubbed and washed in rose water. For the jewel in the crown, the resort is also home to Bvlgari’s first-ever private marina and yacht club with giddying ocean and city views. Dubai is not short of hotels, but this Bvlgari bolthole is in a league of its own.