VELA opened the Marasi Bay chapter of the Dorchester Collection story. The Lana gave it a hotel anchor. Vela Viento is the third move — larger, later, and built around a genuinely unusual piece of architecture: two towers joined by a sky-bridge, with residences suspended inside the connection itself.
The Basics
- Developer: Omniyat, managed by Dorchester Collection
- Location: Marasi Bay, Business Bay, along the Dubai Water Canal — directly connected to VELA and The Lana by the same waterfront promenade
- Structure: Two towers, rising approximately 180 metres, joined by a sky-bridge
- Residences: 95 total — 2- to 4-bedroom apartments, duplexes, and a limited penthouse collection, including duplexes suspended within the sky-bridge itself
- Architecture: Foster + Partners — the same firm behind VELA and The Lana. Interiors by Gilles & Boissier.
- Starting price: from AED 17.5 million at launch
- Status: under construction, expected completion 2027 — this is an off-plan purchase, not a completed-unit resale market yet
What Sets It Apart
Scale, within the same portfolio logic. At 95 residences, Vela Viento is the largest of the three Marasi Bay properties — more than double VELA’s 38 and The Lana’s 39. It’s still tightly held relative to the broader market, but it offers more unit variety and a range of entry points than its two sister buildings.
The sky-bridge duplexes. Two towers connected by a bridge, with residences built into that connection, is not a layout you’ll find elsewhere in this portfolio — or in most of Dubai. It’s the single most distinctive architectural decision in the building.
A full-floor amenities deck in the sky. Roughly 330 feet up, a dedicated amenities floor holds an infinity pool, a double-height gym, and a yoga studio — separate from the podium level spa, indoor lap pool, and meeting rooms below.
The same cross-portfolio access as the rest of the collection. Golf-buggy service connects residents directly to VELA and The Lana’s amenities, and private transport links to the Beach Club at One at Palm Jumeirah — consistent with how amenity access works across the wider Dorchester Collection portfolio, not something unique to this one building.
Who This Suits
A buyer who wants the Marasi Bay address and lifestyle but more unit variety or a different price entry point than VELA offers — and who’s comfortable buying off-plan against a 2027 handover rather than acquiring something ready or near-ready. This is a longer-horizon purchase than VELA, The Lana, or AVA currently represent, and it should be evaluated as one.
Questions to Ask Before You Commit
- What is current construction progress, and how does that compare to the original delivery timeline?
- What is the current asking price by unit type — Viento Residences, Horizon Residences, and the sky-bridge duplexes are priced differently, and published starting prices reflect the launch, not necessarily today’s market
- What does the current payment plan structure look like at this stage of construction? What NOC and resale terms apply to a purchase at this point in the build?
The Bottom Line
Vela Viento extends the Marasi Bay proposition rather than repeating it — more residences, a wider range of layouts, and an architectural signature (the sky-bridge) that VELA and The Lana don’t have. The trade-off is time: this is a 2027 handover, not a near-term one, and it should be positioned to buyers on those terms from the start.
I specialize in the Dorchester Collection portfolio across Dubai and can walk you through where Vela Viento fits relative to VELA, The Lana, and the rest of the collection.