By Jeannette Paulino, Middle East Section Editor

 

On a man-made island off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, Wynn Resorts is creating something the Arabian Gulf has never seen before. Set to open in 2027, Wynn Al Marjan Island will bring the brand’s signature approach to luxury hospitality to the United Arab Emirates, combining luxury accommodations and residences with world-class dining, entertainment, nightlife, wellness, beach experiences, retail, and gaming within a single integrated resort.

 

In this exclusive interview, EXCLUSIVE LUXURY MAGAZINE speaks with Max Tappeiner, President of Wynn Al Marjan Island, who brings more than 20 years of international hospitality experience spanning luxury boutique hotels, large-scale integrated casino resorts, and ultra-luxury properties across New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, London, and Berlin. Tappeiner shares what will set Wynn Al Marjan Island apart, the vision behind its guest experience and design, and why Ras Al Khaimah was the right destination for Wynn’s arrival in the Arabian Gulf.

Q&R with Max Tappeiner

What will set Wynn Al Marjan Island apart within the region’s already competitive luxury hospitality landscape?

The region has extraordinary hotels. What it does not yet have is a fully integrated resort in which accommodation, dining, entertainment, wellness, nightlife, beach, retail, and leisure are designed as a single connected experience. That is the fundamental difference.

 

When guests arrive, they enter a self-contained world. The setting on a private island allows for a clear transition; the moment you cross the bridge; you are somewhere entirely distinct. From there, the experience unfolds by design. A guest can spend several days with us and never repeat an experience, because each element has been planned as part of a wider whole, rather than as individual offerings.

 

In this market, guests are already accustomed to the highest standards. What is new is the ability to experience that depth and variety, all in one place, and all working together seamlessly.

 

Wynn is entering Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) at a pivotal moment in the emirate’s evolution. Why was now the right time to establish a long-term presence in RAK?

Ras Al Khaimah is a genuinely exciting place right now, and there is a real ambition here that aligns with what Wynn does best. Ninety-five percent of the world’s population is within an eight-hour flight, and around a third is within just four hours. The fundamentals are exceptional.

 

Beyond the numbers, what drew us here is the spirit of the emirate. Ras Al Khaimah has 7,000 years of history, extraordinary natural terrain, and leadership with a clear vision for growth. The emirate is evolving into a true experience destination; one defined not just by its natural beauty but by the quality and breadth of what visitors can do here. That aligns perfectly with what an integrated resort delivers. We see our role as being part of that story.

 

Beyond gaming, how will dining, nightlife, wellness, beach culture, and live entertainment shape the Wynn Al Marjan Island experience?

These features don’t play a role alongside the accommodation; they are the experience. That is what an integrated resort truly means. Every element from dining, entertainment, wellness, the pools, the beach club 420-meter private white sand beach, the theater, the nightlife, the shopping, the marina is designed to work as part of a single, cohesive guest experience.

 

The resort is structured like a piece of music that builds a crescendo: the east side is quiet and intimate; the energy builds as you move west toward the beach club, the nightclub, and Delilah.

 

Wynn Al Marjan Island will offer 22 restaurants, lounges and bars across fine dining, casual dining, social dining, day/nightlife and beach club concepts, a program designed to establish the resort as one of the region’s most compelling culinary destinations.

 

Wynn Al Marjan Island recently announced a landmark partnership with Punchdrunk, the internationally acclaimed immersive theater company behind the global phenomenon Sleep No More. This will be Punchdrunk’s first production in the MENA region.

 

Further nightlife concepts and partners will be announced in due course.

 

A guest could spend three nights with us and never repeat an experience because every possible mood, moment, and occasion has been considered. That is the open-ended promise of an integrated resort, and that is what sets Wynn Al Marjan Island apart.

 

Wynn properties are known for creating a strong sense of place. How have Ras Al Khaimah’s natural landscape, culture, and identity influenced the design and guest experience?

The resort has been designed from the water out. We deliberately oriented the building toward the open sea, ensuring the primary focus is the majesty of the Gulf. Our palette is sun-washed and airy, blond stone, chalk whites, and sea-tinted glass. If you know our Las Vegas resorts, you know they are deeply saturated with rich, dark tones specific to that setting. Here, everything responds to water, light, and the natural landscape.

 

Our aim is to make Wynn feel like a neighbor, not a Western brand imposing its ideas on a region rich in culture and identity. This mindset directly informs how we design privacy and personal space. For example, floor plans allow staff to enter discreetly without intruding on a guest environment, and wardrobes are generously sized to accommodate extended family stays.

 

How do you see Wynn complementing rather than competing with the existing hospitality ecosystem across Ras Al Khaimah and the wider UAE?

We complement the existing hospitality ecosystem here by introducing a category that simply doesn’t exist yet: a self-contained world where accommodation, dining, a 900-person-capacity theater, a beach club, nightlife, 12 pools, each offering a completely different experience from serene, adults-only retreats on the east side to a lively family poolscape with a splash pad toward the west, a 98-berth deep-water marina, a shopping parterre, and a five-star spa are all conceived as one interconnected experience. Several branded developments on Al Marjan Island already highlight their proximity to Wynn, underscoring the energy this project is generating. We are not here to compete; we are here to expand what’s possible.

 

Looking ahead five to ten years, how do you hope Wynn Al Marjan Island will shape Ras Al Khaimah’s position on the global luxury tourism map, particularly among audiences who traditionally vacation in destinations like Miami, Las Vegas, Monaco, or Ibiza?

What we’re creating at Wynn Al Marjan Island is a category of experience that our guests already seek from Wynn around the world: exceptional hospitality, world-class dining and entertainment, beautiful accommodations, and a level of service that feels both highly personal and effortless.

 

What makes this project unique is the opportunity to bring that experience to a beachfront island setting unlike anywhere else in our portfolio. Our focus is on creating something distinctive to Wynn, an experience guests will travel for because it simply cannot be found elsewhere.

 

Miami and the UAE are both emerging as global hubs for luxury, hospitality, and entertainment. Do you see opportunities for collaboration between Wynn and Miami-based brands, concepts, or talent in the future?

Our focus today is on creating a truly distinctive Wynn experience in Ras Al Khaimah, but we are always interested in ideas, talent, and partnerships that could further elevate the resort.