A beloved desert retreat reborn with contemporary grace, where heritage, craft, and modern luxury converge in harmony.
In the golden heart of Dubai’s desert, a familiar mirage has been reborn. Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, long regarded as one of the UAE’s most poetic escapes, has returned under the Rare Finds collection by Kerzner International and Nakheel. Yet behind this new chapter lies a story of design renaissance led by LW Design Group, who have transformed the beloved resort into a contemporary sanctuary of cultural memory, elegance, and soul.
For LW Design, the project was less about reinvention and more about rediscovery. Entrusted with reimagining one of the UAE’s most cherished retreats, the studio approached Bab Al Shams as a story to be retold, not rewritten. Guided by the narrative of The Lost Princess, their design unfolds as a tribute to her imagined sanctuary—a place of heritage, emotion, and modern elegance.
A Dialogue Between Past and Present
From the first step through the iconic wooden gates, the LW Design ethos is felt. The entry sequence unfolds like a cinematic transition: barasti-style canopies filtering sunlight, adobe walls grounding the architecture in the earth, and water features punctuating the desert’s stillness.
Inside, the lobby becomes an ode to cultural layering — carved walnut desks, jewel-toned textiles, and locally inspired screens balanced with a quiet palette of micro-concrete and natural timber. Every piece tells a story. Some are newly handcrafted by Emirati artisans; others, carefully repurposed relics from the resort’s past, restored with purpose and finesse.
The Ya Hala lobby bar retains its nostalgic heart, now framed in softer lighting by Studio Lumen and enriched with the art curation of Capsule Arts. Each artifact contributes to the larger narrative, from Mahsa Baraghani’s textile homage to Bedouin jewellery behind the reception to Mohammed Ahli’s photographs of the Arabian dunes. Together they build a visual memoir of the desert’s feminine mystique.
Spaces of Intimacy and Discovery
LW Design’s touch extends into every suite and dining space. Guestrooms embrace simplicity with layers of craft with high timbered ceilings, majlis seating reborn in bold fabrics, and bespoke mini bars inspired by the princess’s traveller’s chest. Mirrors, lighter palettes, and discreetly engineered lighting expand the sense of air and luminosity, creating intimacy without enclosure.
Across the resort, the interplay of material and mood anchors the experience. The signature restaurant, Zala, fuses Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours under rattan arches and ceramic pendants, while Anwa; the rooftop Asian dining destination, opens to the horizon with barasti-roofed terraces designed for sunset ritual. Even Al Hadeerah, the famed desert theatre of Arabic gastronomy, has been reimagined with a spirit that feels both glamorous and grounded.
The Sanctuary of Serenity
Completing the resort’s transformation, LW Design unveils the Spa & Hammam at Bab Al Shams, a tranquil 1,100-square-metre sanctuary soon to open its doors as the final chapter of The Lost Princess’s story. Nestled beside the main building and envisioned in collaboration with Landscape Designer Square M, the standalone facility embodies renewal and repose through natural light, organic textures, and artisanal detail. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the desert horizon, while a serene palette of sage, teal, and travertine mirrors the landscape’s gentle tones.
Inside, six treatment rooms, two hammams clad in translucent green onyx, and a sunset-facing plunge pool form an elegant haven of wellbeing. The interiors, designed by Colin Doyle, Founding Partner in Architecture at LW, with lighting by Studio Lumen and art by Capsule Arts, seamlessly blend modern craftmanship with regional heritage, evoking the timeless elegance of Bab Al Shams. More than a spa, it is a soulful retreat, a space where heritage, design, and serenity converge to complete the resort’s rebirth.
A New Chapter in Arabian Design
What distinguishes LW Design’s approach is its balance of speed and soul. Despite the project’s demanding timeline, every choice reflects thoughtfulness — reusing existing pieces, commissioning local artisans, and preserving architectural memory. The studio’s commitment to sustainability transcended materiality; it was philosophical. Every reused object became a vessel of memory, every preserved beam a gesture of respect. It was a restoration of spirit as much as of space.
“We wanted to let the past and present coexist,” says Pooja Shah-Mulani, Design Director. “It was about honoring what was already there and revealing its beauty through a modern lens. Our aim was to achieve timelessness — a design language that feels both contemporary and rooted in its heritage.”
The Spirit of a New Arabia
Today, Bab Al Shams stands not as a reinvention but as a revelation. It is a refined, soulful desert retreat where design becomes storytelling. Under the creative direction of LW Design Group, the resort reflects the evolving identity of modern Arabia — confident, cosmopolitan, and deeply connected to its roots.
The Lost Princess may remain a myth, but her spirit lingers in every carved detail and every shimmer of light across a mother-of-pearl vanity. Through LW Design’s vision, Bab Al Shams has rediscovered its legend, a rare find in every sense of the word.
