The United Arab Emirates (UAE), specifically Dubai, is home to some of the world’s most incredible achievements in architecture. The Burj Khalifa, at 2,722 feet, is the world’s tallest skyscraper, while other massive projects include Dubai World Islands and Therme Dubai, a park and resort that will include the world’s largest indoor botanical garden and three waterfalls when complete.
In 2025, Dubai achieved another architectural record, completing construction on the 1,237-feet-tall Ciel Tower, now the world’s tallest standalone hotel. The Gevora Hotel, also in Dubai, previously held the record at 1,168 feet. Despite its recent history of overly ambitious projects, Dubai didn’t originally plan to build a record-setting hotel.
Here’s how it happened and what you need to know about the Ciel Tower.
Unintentional Record
“We knew we wanted to build something spectacular, but we certainly didn’t plan on building the tallest hotel in the world,” explained Rob Burns, CEO of project developer The First Group, speaking to the press.
Situated in the heart of Dubai Marina, a master-planned district along the Persian Gulf shoreline with a capacity of around 120,000 people, the Ciel Tower opened November 15. Earlier plans had the building at around 1,199 feet tall with 77 floors. Following several changes to the project’s blueprints, the tower ended up having 82 floors and cost about $544 million.
The developers settled on constructing the massive glass structure on a parcel of land of about 40,000 square feet, which is slightly smaller than a soccer pitch. As a result, project architect Yahya Jan was forced to make several design concessions and utilize a few clever tricks to accommodate the size of the tower.
Speaking with CNN, Jan acknowledged the “irregularly shaped property” and noted it could have been much larger for a tower of such height. The lobby is compact and unassuming, devoid of the extravagant features found in other record-setting buildings in Dubai. The rooms are also fairly modest relative to many of the resort suites in the emirate, though with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. The most notable design feature, however, is a large opening near the top of the structure that Jan refers to as the “eye of the needle.”
The “Eye of the Needle”
As buildings extend higher into the sky they face greater wind force. That makes it imperative for project developers to incorporate design elements to minimize the wind load. The “eye of the needle” is a functional design component that allows wind to pass through the tower. It also gives the hotel a futuristic look.
There are many outdoor lounge and observation spaces around the Ciel Tower, including an observation deck just below the needle. Here, guests can take in panoramic views of the Dubai skyline, now home to seven of 10 of the world’s tallest hotels, and the Arabian Gulf. There are also multiple atria spaced six to eight floors apart near the top of the building, as well as a record-setting infinity pool in the wind-channeling void.
The Tattu Sky Pool, part of the modern Asian chain restaurant Tattu Dubai, is the world’s highest infinity pool. It’s on level 76 of Ciel Tower, about 1,017 feet above ground, and is a visual marvel, with water appearing to vanish into the sky.
More Than 1,000 Rooms
There are 1,004 rooms throughout the Ciel Tower, a number Burns acknowledged to CNN as “definitely a challenge.” While they may not be as large as suites in some of Dubai’s other massive hotels, they offer floor-to-ceiling views of the Marina and the Gulf. Burns also highlights amenities like the infinity pool, restaurants, and social community spaces as major attractions.
Less than one month after its opening, about 800 of its rooms were occupied. Prices per night range from $375 for a deluxe room to $545 for a king suite.
Social Community Spaces and Other Amenities
The tower is broken up into “smaller neighborhoods,” noted Jan to CNN. There are social community spaces throughout the building that can be used for yoga or fitness classes or gathering areas. These also have computer-controlled glass louvers to support cooling and reduce energy usage.
There are also eight restaurants in the hotel, all of which are spread across its upper floors. The UK-based Tattu owns and operates three of those, including the House of Koi surrounding the infinity pool and the House of Phoenix on the 81st floor. There’s also the Mediterranean-influenced West 13 on the 13th floor.
The Dubai Marina
The Dubai Marina, built up over a 10-plus year period beginning in the early 2000s, covers a little less than 2 square miles and features a mix of residential, commercial, and hospitality properties. It also has a pair of mosques and the Dubai Marina Mall, home to about 140 retail outlets. As of 2024, Dubai Marina had a population around 70,000. The first phase of the project cost more than AED 1.2 billion (about $326 million) and included the construction of six apartment buildings, collectively known as the Dubai Marina towers. The second phase involved the construction of a cluster of skyscrapers, including Cayan Tower and Marina Pinnacle. This area is now referred to as the “tallest block in the world.”