Dubai’s skyline shifts daily, but the latest addition is quite unique – it’s the Opus building, inside of which will be luxury hotel, ME by Melia. Baroque Travel finds out all the details
The extraordinary, unique 95-meter high Opus building that will open in late 2018 in Dubai was designed by acclaimed architect, the late Dame Zaha Hadid, in partnership with luxury Middle East developer Omniyat. The hotel inside is owned by Spanish luxury lifestyle brand ME by Melia, and will be the first ME by Melia property to open in the Middle East.
Located in the city’s Burj Khalifa district, in upmarket, up-and-coming Downtown Dubai, the hotel will feature 93 guest rooms and suites situated on 19 floors, including the ultra-luxurious Suite ME plus 98 serviced apartments that include four penthouses, each with its own private roof terrace.
The hotel will also offer no less than 15 restaurants, including the contemporary Japanese robotayaki restaurant, ROKA. This restaurant brand was founded in London in 2004 by Rainer Becker, following the incredible success of their restaurant Zuma, also in London. This acclaimed restaurant is known for many iconic dishes, such as yellowtail sashimi with yuzu-truffle dressing, which guests will enjoy in the new Dubai branch. Aside from food from the robata, the menu will include exquisitely prepared sushi and sashimi.
The hotel lobby, vertical café, lounges and reception area will all be filled with signature furniture either designed by Zaha Hadid, or personally selected by her. In fact, this exceptional hotel is the only hotel project where Zaha Hadid personally designed every single interior and exterior, and the eye-catching result showcases her vision of ‘interconnectedness’ in the best way possible.
Choosing Zaha Hadid’s vision for the hotel was a coup. According to Mahdi Amjad, Omniyat chairman and CEO, “The architectural wonder of The Opus requires a hotel partner that can resonate with its design and lifestyle appeal.” The design of this exquisite hotel will certainly achieve that. The ME by Melia hotels already located in Miami, Milan, Mallorca, Madrid, London and Cabo are further proof.
The entire Opus building spans 250,000 square feet, and is made up of two separate towers that connect in the form of a cube with a central space where the building offers unexpected and quite dramatic views of its interior. The hotel itself follows ME by Melia’s philosophy of offering culture-seeking guests the ultimate in luxury experiences.
One of the signature touches of any ME by Melia hotel is attention to detail when it comes to service. Each guest staying in one of their hotels is looked after by a dedicated Aura Manager, who offers a bespoke, superlative level of service.