The Residences at Sheraton Al Marjan Island Resort Phase 2

A Marriott brand to run the daily business of an 18-storey residential tower

The second phase of the Sheraton residences on Al Marjan Island stacks 18 floors of apartments between two basement levels and a landscaped rooftop. ATARA Development is behind the project and leans on the Sheraton name, owned by Marriott International, to sell homes attached to a hotel complex. Unlike several neighbours on the archipelago, this project doesn't lean on an architect's or a fashion house's signature. Its pitch sits elsewhere: housekeeping, valet parking, concierge and chauffeur service all run to a recognised hotel standard. Handover is set for 30 September 2028. Sales are still at the expression of interest stage, with no official launch date yet.

Two basements, a mezzanine and a rooftop built for living

The building's layout is straightforward. Two underground levels hold parking and back of house facilities, freeing up the ground floor and mezzanine for the lobby, retail and dining spaces. Above that sit 18 residential floors, topped by a rooftop that houses an infinity pool and a sky bar. The developer describes a contemporary, beach oriented design, though no architecture firm is named in the available documents. For a buyer, putting the pool on the roof rather than on a podium changes things: every resident gets the view over the Persian Gulf, not just those on the upper floors.

Studios, one and two bedrooms, nothing beyond

The unit mix tops out at two bedrooms. There's no penthouse on the plans, no duplex, no rooftop villa. The only size confirmed so far is the one bedroom, starting around 710 square feet, or roughly 66 square metres. That's a comfortable size for the category and sits at the upper end for the island. This kind of mix clearly targets short term rentals and pied-à-terre buyers rather than primary family homes. Studios will act as the entry point for buyers counting on hotel management to keep occupancy up.

Housekeeping, valet and chauffeur on the amenities list

The amenities list runs to nearly fifty lines, but three groups stand out from the rest. First, the hotel style services: housekeeping, concierge, valet parking and chauffeur, rare in a standard residential building. Second, a children's offering that goes further than usual, with a kids club, a toddlers club, water play areas and even a nursery called "Sleep Over Snug". Third, direct access to a private beach, rounded out with cabanas, a beach volleyball court and an open air cinema. There's also a cigar lounge, a coworking space and a meeting room, a sign the developer is also courting business travellers.

Three minutes from the Wynn construction site

Location here rests on a single neighbour, but it's a heavy one. The Wynn Resort & Casino, the first licensed gaming venue in the UAE, sits about three minutes away by car. RAK Central, the emirate's planned business district, is eight minutes off. Al Hamra Mall and its marina are roughly a quarter of an hour away, and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is about half an hour's drive. Dubai remains over an hour away by road, which makes this project a destination address in its own right rather than a suburb of the neighbouring city.

A phase still at the EOI stage

ATARA is opening this second phase through an expression of interest system, with a modest deposit that secures a place in the queue. A detailed payment plan hasn't been released yet. Neither has an official launch date. The September 2028 deadline leaves just under four years for construction, a tight schedule for a building of this height with two basement levels. Cautious investors will likely wait for the payment schedule and the first construction milestones before committing. It's also worth keeping in mind that Rosso Bay, Address, Costa Mare and others are due to hand over in the same window, on the same stretch of the island.