Sun and sand are the easy sell. What separates the next generation of beach resorts is what happens beyond the shoreline, and three current projects tracked in the THP hotel database show operators betting big on that idea, each in a different way.
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Ras Al Khaimah is the furthest along from these examples, already under construction in the United Arab Emirates. The 156-room property leans on the Nikki Beach name, a brand built around beach clubs and daytime social scenes, suggesting the hotel will lean as much on its pool and beach areas as its guestrooms. Thailand’s Ritz-Carlton Pattaya is earlier in the pipeline, still in pre-planning, but its scale stands out: at 224 rooms, it’s the largest of the three.
Then there’s The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, which takes the opposite approach. With just 67 rooms under construction on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the project trades room count for exclusivity, a strategy increasingly common among luxury operators competing for high-spending travelers who want privacy over proximity to a crowd.
The three projects don’t follow one size or one script. Room counts alone span from 67 to 224, and all three are five-star properties, but they’re taking different paths to get there. Each is one entry among thousands the THP database tracks globally, spanning every stage from early planning through construction and opening.
The Ritz Carlton Pattaya
- Location: Chon Buri, Thailand
- Construction Status: Pre-Planning
- Construction Type: New Building
- Stars: 5
- Number of Rooms: 224
- Opening Date: TBA
- Developer: Asset World Corporation
- Group: The Ritz-Carlton Hotels | Marriott International, Inc.
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Ras Al Khaimah
- Location: United Arab Emirates
- Construction Status: Under Construction
- Construction Type: New Building
- Stars: 5
- Number of Rooms: 156
- Opening Date: 2028
- Developers: SODIC and RAK Properties
- Group: Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts
The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort
- Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas
- Construction Status: Under Construction
- Construction Type: New Building
- Stars: 5
- Number of Rooms: 67
- Opening Date: 2028
- Developers: Access Industries and Caribbean Luxury Real Estate Development Group