Dubai’s hotel scene is crowded with icons. From palatial beachfront resorts to the Burj Al Arab’s sail-shaped silhouette, the city has long defined the outer limits of luxury. Yet Ciel Dubai Marina takes a different path. At 377 metres high, it will be the world’s tallest hotel, but the ambition here isn’t height for height’s sake. Where other Dubai landmarks sprawl across private beaches or rise as mixed-use towers, Ciel is pure hospitality, 82 floors dedicated solely to the act of relaxing.
Designed by award-winning architects Norr, Ciel’s elegant “eye of the needle” silhouette is both an architectural and engineering triumph, its slender form a vertical ribbon of light along Dubai Marina. The design draws the gaze upwards and unlike towers where hotel floors compete with apartments and offices, Ciel is hospitality from top to bottom. Its 1,004 rooms and suites complete with floor-to-ceiling windows which offer a sense of living inside the skyline itself, with each elevation bringing a different perspective, a conscious departure from the beachfront resorts that dominate the city.
The 76th-floor infinity pool is destined to become one of Dubai’s defining images, from daybeds and shaded cabanas, guests can swim in the clouds looking down at the city below. On the 61st floor, the spa offers wellness treatments that blend ancient techniques and modern rituals in a space designed for calm above the city’s energy. A state-of-the-art gym complements the spa, open 24 hours with panoramic views.
Dining is equally ambitious. At Risen, a homegrown café and artisanal bakery, mornings offer pastries, specialty coffee and a touch of local flavour. At the other end of the scale sits Tattu, the award-winning UK-born modern Asian concept. Its Dubai outpost stretches across multiple levels, blurring the boundaries between restaurant, pool and rooftop lounge. Beyond these, guests can explore West 13, a lively Mediterranean dining hall inspired by Italy, Greece, Spain and Latin America, and East 14, where open kitchens bring the flavours of Asia to life through live ramen, sushi and curry stations.
Though Ciel is a vertical hotel, it still connects to the coast. Guests enjoy exclusive access to Soluna Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah, a serene hideaway just fifteen minutes away. With a private pool, restaurant and shaded shoreline.
As part of IHG’s Vignette Collection (read our review of The Halyard Liverpool, Vignette Collection), Ciel embodies the brand’s philosophy of individuality and purpose. The Collection celebrates one-of-a-kind hotels that share a commitment to sustainability, community engagement and memorable rituals. At Ciel, this translates into experiences that are thoughtful and immersive, from mindful moments in the spa to sunrise coffee rituals at Risen.
The hotel’s location cements its identity as an urban hub. Positioned at the gateway to Dubai Marina, it is minutes from JBR Beach, Bluewaters, The Walk and the tram line, offering seamless access to the city’s entertainment, retail and cultural heart. It appeals not only to leisure travellers but also to business guests and city-break visitors who want to be immersed in Dubai’s rhythm rather than retreat from it.
For a city built on aspiration, Ciel reflects a new form of it. Not the spectacle of arrival but the experience of ascent, a tower that redefines what it means to look up in Dubai.
