Wynn Al Marjan Island: A first look at the UAE's most ambitious integrated resort

FACT

26-04-2025

The first casino resort in the UAE is expected to open in March 2027.
I've travelled over 5,000 miles and spent more than 24 hours in transit to preview a property that's set to redefine luxury in the UAE. The Eiffel Tower pierces the skyline, but this isn't Paris. The towering Sphinx guards its pyramid, but we're not in Egypt. Medieval castles, circus big tops, and rollercoasters coil around steel spires. Welcome to Las Vegas, the home of the flagship Wynn Hotel.
Here, overlooking the iconic Strip or the dazzling Sphere, Wynn Las Vegas commands its prime position. A temple to entertainment where designer boutiques, destination dining, and paradisiacal pool parties seamlessly converge. Now, that energy is being bottled and brought to the shores of Ras Al Khaimah, as the United Arab Emirates prepares to welcome its first integrated resort—complete with a gaming area.
While Las Vegas brims with themed hotels, the Wynn stands apart as a living garden of lush botanicals. And at Wynn Al Marjan Island, the same philosophy thrives—only with a Middle Eastern spirit. Expect an expansive poolscape bordering the beach, adorned with a plethora of 12 swimming and wading pools, water features, secluded cabanas, and lush tropical landscaping. Gaming will be discreet, tucked away behind multiple foyers. If it's not your scene, you'll never even know it's there.
Wynn Al Marjan Island
Design that reflects the destination
Every space at Wynn Al Marjan Island is expected to be a showstopper and has been treated like set design to bring the sense of theatre to the forefront. Wynn Al Marjan Island will forgo the beautiful botanicals of the Vegas flagship in favour of Indian textiles, North African furnishings, stylish stonework, and a fantastical sense of escape wrapped in timeless sophistication. Art is central to the Wynn experience and Jeff Koons' Tulips (made from more than three tons of metal for $33,682,500), currently on display at Wynn Las Vegas will go on loan to the Ras Al Khaimah property, taking pride of place in the Wynn Esplanade, joining high-end retail options and an art collection curated across continents from the likes of Gordon Getty.
The architecture of the UAE's first integrated gaming resort will draw inspiration from the coastal beauty of Ras Al Khaimah. Expect an elegant atrium echoing Al Marjan's natural light, with sundered spaces and stone-washed palettes. Communal corridors will feature tobacco-coloured carpets and Moroccan mint tea scents, transporting guests into accommodations rich in cultural sensitivity.
Wynn Al Marjan Parterre Shops
Astounding abodes
Ahead of its highly anticipated opening in March 2027, FACT was given an early preview of the creative vision that will shape the 1,530 rooms, suites, and villas at Wynn Al Marjan Island. Conceptualised and brought to life by Wynn Design & Development, the example we viewed in Vegas blended elegance with intention.
Boasting Wynn's most culturally responsible room design, the Resort King room features an entry vestibule that separates the living space from the corridor—a notable departure from the open-plan layouts typically found in contemporary resorts. This carefully considered design element enhances privacy and creates a distinctly residential feel that will appeal to Middle Eastern guests.
Wynn Al Marjan Island's Resort King Room
Inside, a Western aesthetic empathetic to the local culture instils the spaces with an exoticism. Floor-to-ceiling windows will offer uninterrupted views across the Arabian Gulf, providing a brilliant blue colour hit that draws attention away from the room's monochromatic scheme. The interiors evoke a sculptural sensibility, characterised by arched forms, reflective surfaces, and layered textures that draw inspiration from the region's artistic and cultural heritage. Throughout, warm tones, custom lighting, and mirrored accents evoke the rhythmic calm of the sea, seamlessly blending 18th- and 19th-century elegance with modern refinement. Walls are inlaid with ethnography featuring palm leaves and pyramids that wouldn't be out of place in a photo by Wilfred Thesiger. Bathrooms, complete with double vanities, walk-in showers, and freestanding soaking tubs, extend the experience of understated luxury to every corner.
Wynn Al Marjan Island's Resort King Room
'These rooms are rooted in the language of Wynn but reinterpreted for this oceanfront experience. They're a beautiful expression of form and function influenced by Ras Al Khaimah's natural beauty,' Todd-Avery Lenahan, President & Chief Creative Officer of Wynn Design & Development, told FACT.
Though some of the higher category rooms, townhomes and Marina estates at Wynn Al Marjan Island are reserved as 'invite-only' sanctuaries for Wynn's most treasured guests and VIPs, standard guest rooms in Ras Al Khaimah will inherit the luxurious detailing that is usually reserved for high-end suites in Vegas.
Dining and nightlife
Restaurants promise theatre at every turn. And while the Las Vegas property features Cipriani, Delilah (Wynn's headline-grabbing supper club), and the MICHELIN-starred Wing Lei, some are expected to make the move to Ras Al Khaimah. Wynn Al Marjan Island will feature the brand's most ambitious collection of restaurants. The eastern part of the site is quiet and restrained, gradually intensifying as you move west, offering an atmospheric immersion. An Indo-Persian brasserie will seat 90 guests, while Indian, Japanese, and Mediterranean concepts will offer extended dining experiences that flow late into the night. Every diner in the restaurants lining the beach-facing promenade will enjoy sweeping views of the sea.
Wynn Al Marjan's nightclub concept flips the Vegas stereotype, providing an intimate jewel-box venue that is more King Louis XVI than EDM extravaganza. Meanwhile, the beach club is set to become one of the most exquisite the world has seen, engineered with superstar DJs in mind and perched directly on the white sand shores.
And then there's a reimagining of AFT; Wynn Las Vegas' nautical-themed cocktail grotto will be cantilevered dramatically over the ocean in the UAE, promising an upgraded version of Vegas' 'Lake of Dreams' nightly show, reinterpreted for the Arabian Gulf.
Wynn Al Marjan Pool Deck
Glamorous Gaming
While 50% larger than Wynn Las Vegas, the casino itself has been designed with an entirely different feel—fresh, organic, bright and beachy. Elegant lounges will sit at its heart, far from the shadowy confines typically associated with gaming resorts. Instead, the gaming areas have been designed to feel porous and fresh, with the casino detailing being the most similar element to the property's Las Vegas counterpart. A Private Sky Casino will also be found in the Marjan Tower, which rises more than 305 metres above the sea.
Hoping to shake the 'Sin City' stereotype of Las Vegas, it is predicted that Emiratis will not have access to the gaming areas in accordance with UAE regulations. While the specifics of the gaming offered are still being clarified by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), tabletop games such as Blackjack and Roulette are expected, alongside slot machines.
Wynn Al Marjan Island Lobby
Meetings, events and entertainment
At Wynn Al Marjan Island, every element has been tailored to its superb setting. Designed with weddings, celebrations, and large-scale events in mind, all meeting rooms offer a stunning view of the water. Spaces are named after influential artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the Coral Court Ballroom as the centrepiece.
While Wynn Las Vegas is currently home to the superb Awakening show, the theatre at Wynn Al Marjan Island will host bespoke productions specifically tailored to the region. The resort will also offer layered experiences, including nightly laser and light shows for guests to enjoy.
What's next?
More than 6,000 staff will bring Wynn's first-ever beachfront resort to life. Behind the scenes, a level of craftsmanship and curatorial care rarely seen outside of Europe's grand palaces will define every detail, from paisley motifs woven into the carpets to silk panels lining the corridors—an elegant nod to Ras Al Khaimah's name, which translates to 'top of the tent' in Arabic.
Wynn Al Marjan Island isn't just building an integrated gaming resort. It's building a Middle Eastern fairy tale of glamour, sophistication, and show-stopping design that will bring the full spectacle of Wynn hospitality to the United Arab Emirates. Expect 24 restaurants spanning fine dining, casual, and social concepts; a five-star spa; a high-end shopping esplanade featuring global designer brands; 12 swimming pools framed by private cabanas and lush gardens; and a private deep-water marina designed for luxury vessels up to 75 metres. Add to that a 420-metre stretch of pristine white-sand beach and the signature Wynn entertainment experiences, and it's clear the stage is set for something spectacular.
And when it opens, it won't just raise the bar for the region—it will set an entirely new one.
GO: Visit www.wynnresorts.com for more information.