Spanish hotel group Palladium has set its sights on the United Arab Emirates, announcing the opening of a major project in 2026 under the brand name The Unexpected Hotels & Residences.
The Iberian group's plans for the Middle East region actually involve the development of not one but two projects: The Unexpected Al Marjan Island Hotel and The Unexpected Al Marjan Island Residences. Palladium intends to open a hotel and luxury residences on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah within the next 2 years.
With a budget of over 100 million dollars, this major project will be carried out alongside Marjan, one of the leading developers of freehold properties in Ras Al Khaimah, and Almal Real Estate Development, a luxury property developer based in the region.
A total of 442 hotel rooms and residences, complemented by "a stylish beach club and restaurant", will open in the country from 2026, marking the group's debut in the Middle East. Palladium has decided to carry out this launch under its Ushuaïa Unexpected Hotels & Residences brand, which will be its first venture outside the Iberian Peninsula.
This is a crucial threefold step for our company, as we unveil our arrival in the Middle East, the growth of an iconic brand for the Palladium Hotel Group, and the group's first foray into branded residences.
Jesús Sobrino, CEO of Palladium Hotel Group
The Ushuaïa Unexpected Hotels & Residences brand was launched in 2011 in Ibiza, and is now evolving through this new expansion, which marks the launch of The Unexpected Hotels & Residences collection. The Unexpected Hotels & Residences collection focuses on customer experience and introduces branded residences as a new business segment for the group. This new brand identity will be reflected in the renovation of The Ushuaïa Tower in Ibiza by 2025.
While retaining the essence of the parent brand in terms of visual identity, with recognisable elements such as its typography, characteristic colour and the emblematic hummingbird icon", it aims to elevate "the hotel and residential offer to a new level of luxury and exclusivity, in response to the growing expectations of discerning travellers.
Explains a Palladium Hotel Group press release
