Marina 101 Dubai Marina Tower Guide 2026: Height, Floors, Location & Prices

Marina 101 is a 101-storey, 425-metre (1,394 ft) supertall skyscraper in Dubai Marina, making it the second-tallest building in the UAE after the Burj Khalifa. Developed by Sheffield Holdings and designed by the National Engineering Bureau, the tower combines hotel floors, serviced apartments, and luxury three-bedroom residences with panoramic marina and Gulf views.

Rising directly off Al Sufouh Road on the northern edge of Dubai Marina, Marina 101 is one of the most talked-about addresses in Dubai’s skyline – and one of its longest-running construction stories. Named for its 101 floors, the tower stands 425 metres tall, edged out only by the Burj Khalifa in the UAE’s height rankings. For more than a decade it was a familiar sight on the Sheikh Zayed Road corridor: a nearly finished supertall waiting for its final chapter. That chapter matters to anyone researching Marina 101 today, because the building’s ownership, branding, and completion status have shifted more than once, and getting the current facts right is essential before buying, renting, or simply understanding what the tower has become.

This guide covers everything a buyer, tenant, investor, or visitor needs: the tower’s height and floor breakdown, its design and construction history, unit types and pricing, amenities, transport links, and the nearby Dubai Marina neighborhood it anchors.

Marina 101 at a Glance

Attribute	Detail
Location	Dubai Marina, off Al Sufouh Road, Dubai
Height (architectural)	425 m (1,394 ft)
Height (top occupied floor)	~371 m (1,217 ft)
Floors	101 above ground + 6 basement levels
Status	Second-tallest building in the UAE (after Burj Khalifa)
Developer	Sheffield Holdings Limited
Architect	National Engineering Bureau
Main contractor	TAV Construction
Elevators	29
Parking	677 spaces
Floor area	approx. 120,706 sq m (1.3 million sq ft)
Construction started	2006–2008 (phased)
Use	Mixed-use: hotel, serviced apartments, residential

How Tall Is Marina 101?

Marina 101 tops out at 425 metres (1,394 feet), with its highest occupied floor reaching approximately 371 metres. That height places it as the second-tallest building in the United Arab Emirates, behind only the Burj Khalifa‘s 828 metres, and among the tallest 30–35 buildings in the world depending on which global ranking and year is used. Only residents on the 94th floor and above get a direct sea view of the Arabian Gulf; lower floors face the marina, Sheikh Zayed Road, or the Emirates Golf Club.

The tower’s name is a direct reference to its floor count – 101 storeys – combined with its Dubai Marina address, a naming convention shared with sister project Marina 106, a taller and still-unfinished tower nearby that was originally planned to reach 449.5 metres.

Design, Developer, and Construction Timeline

Marina 101 was developed by Sheffield Holdings Limited, a private developer founded by Abu Ali Malik Shroff, and designed by the National Engineering Bureau in a postmodernist style with two-tone aluminium cladding and double-glazed, heat-reducing glass. TAV Construction, a Turkish contractor, carried out the main build, with Middle East Foundations Group handling the foundation works. The tower’s structural system relies on a reinforced concrete core with outrigger trusses at mechanical levels to manage lateral loads – a standard approach for slender supertall towers built on Dubai’s sandy coastal soil.

Ground and foundation work began in 2006–2008, with an original handover target of 2010. Like many Dubai Marina projects launched before the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, Marina 101 was hit hard by the downturn, and its completion date slipped repeatedly – first to 2014, then to 2015, and beyond. The building’s structural shell was substantially finished by 2017, but interior fit-out, MEP works, and handovers dragged on for years afterward as the developer worked through funding constraints. Official completion is now generally dated to 2024, roughly 18 years after construction began – a timeline that makes Marina 101 one of the most protracted supertall builds in Dubai’s history.

Hotel Branding: What Changed

Marina 101 was originally announced in 2014 as the future home of a Hard Rock Hotel, intended to be the brand’s flagship Middle East property occupying the lower ~30 floors (around 300 rooms). Hard Rock International, however, was reported to have exited the project by 2019. Some more recent listings and travel guides still reference Hard Rock branding in connection with the tower, but this appears inconsistent across sources.

Editorial verification flag: the current hotel operator and branding status of Marina 101 should be confirmed directly with Sheffield Holdings, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, or the hotel’s official booking channels before publishing operator-specific claims, since public sources disagree on whether Hard Rock remains associated with the property.

Floor Layout: Hotel, Serviced Apartments, and Residences

Marina 101 was designed as a vertically stacked mixed-use tower:

• Lower floors (roughly floors 1–30): hotel component, originally planned for around 300 rooms.
• Middle floors: approximately 480 serviced one- and two-bedroom hotel apartments.
• Upper floors: roughly 60 luxury three-bedroom apartments and six full-floor penthouses, finished with premium materials reported to include Spanish marble, German fixtures, and Japanese-made elevators.
• 101st floor: a club lounge and restaurant, accessed via a dedicated glass-cased exterior elevator, with panoramic 360-degree views over the marina, the Gulf, and the Dubai skyline toward the Burj Khalifa.

This layered structure – transient hotel guests below, longer-stay serviced residents in the middle, and owner-occupied luxury units at the top – is a common configuration for supertall towers in Dubai Marina, where land is scarce and mixed-use zoning maximizes a single footprint’s commercial value.

Amenities and Facilities

Residents and hotel guests at Marina 101 have access to:

• Two infinity pools (mid-level and ultra-high-level)
• A fully equipped gym and fitness centre
• Spa facilities, including a sauna and jacuzzi
• 24/7 security and concierge services
• High-speed passenger and service elevators (29 in total)
• Retail space at podium level
• 677-space parking facility with direct access from Sheikh Zayed Road
• Fine-dining restaurant and lounge on the 101st floor

Location and Getting Around

Marina 101 sits at the northern edge of Dubai Marina, close to Al Sufouh Road and within the cluster of supertalls sometimes described as the “world’s tallest block” — a stretch of Dubai Marina that also includes Princess Tower, 23 Marina, and Elite Residence. The tower is a short drive from Sheikh Zayed Road, giving quick access to both Downtown Dubai and the Expo City / Dubai South corridor.

Public transport:

• Metro: The Dubai Metro Red Line serves the area via the DMCC and Damac Properties stations, both a short drive or ride-hail trip from the tower; the Al Khail Road corridor is also reachable in a few minutes by car.
• Tram: The Dubai Tram links Dubai Marina to Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Bluewaters Island, and Dubai Media City, with the nearest tram stop a few minutes away by car.
• Bus: RTA routes including 8, 84, and N55 stop near the Mina Al Siyahi area close to the tower.

Nearby landmarks: Dubai Marina Mall and The Walk at JBR (short drive), Ain Dubai on Bluewaters Island (around 8 minutes by car), the Emirates Golf Club, and JBR Beach.

Marina 101 Property Prices in 2026

Marina 101 has an active resale and rental market. Recent listing data shows:

• One-bedroom apartments (roughly 990–1,600 sq ft) listed between AED 1.5 million and AED 2 million, depending on floor level, view, and finish.
• Average recorded transaction pricing around AED 1,265 per sq ft, though this fluctuates with market cycles and unit specification.
• Units are typically marketed as fully furnished, reflecting the tower’s hotel-apartment heritage.

Editorial verification flag: real-estate pricing changes frequently. Always confirm current asking and transaction prices via the Dubai Land Department’s transaction records or a licensed brokerage before publishing or acting on specific figures.

Advantages and Trade-Offs of Buying or Staying at Marina 101

Advantages:

• Iconic address with genuine second-tallest-in-UAE status, useful for resale marketing and short-term rental appeal
• Panoramic views from mid-to-upper floors, including sea views from floor 94 upward
• Furnished-apartment convenience with hotel-style amenities
• Central Dubai Marina location with metro, tram, and Sheikh Zayed Road access

Trade-offs:

• Long construction and handover history means buyers should verify snagging and building completion status carefully
• Mixed hotel/residential use can mean more transient neighbours and higher footfall in shared lobbies/elevators
• Historical hotel-branding changes (Hard Rock’s reported exit) mean prospective buyers should confirm current hotel operator status before purchase, since branding affects resale and short-term-rental positioning

Best Practices for Researching a Marina 101 Purchase

1. Verify current unit ownership and title deed status with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) directly.
2. Confirm current hotel operator/branding rather than relying on older marketing material.
3. Ask for a recent snagging or inspection report, given the tower’s extended fit-out history.
4. Compare price-per-square-foot against other Dubai Marina supertalls (Princess Tower, Elite Residence, 23 Marina) for context.
5. Check service charge history, since mixed-use towers with hotel components can carry different fee structures than purely residential buildings.

FAQs

1. How tall is Marina 101?

Marina 101 stands 425 metres (1,394 feet) tall, with 101 floors above ground and 6 basement levels, making it the second-tallest building in the UAE.

2. Is Marina 101 the second-tallest building in Dubai?

Yes. After the Burj Khalifa (828 m), Marina 101 is the second-tallest completed building in both Dubai and the wider UAE.

3. Who developed Marina 101?

Marina 101 was developed by Sheffield Holdings Limited and designed by the National Engineering Bureau, with TAV Construction as the main contractor.

4. When was Marina 101 completed?

Construction began in 2006–2008, with the structural shell largely finished by 2017. Full completion, including interior fit-out and handovers, is generally dated to 2024 after a long, finance-related delay.

5. Is Marina 101 a hotel or residential building?

It is mixed-use: lower floors were designed as hotel rooms, middle floors as serviced hotel apartments, and upper floors as private luxury residences and penthouses.

6. Is the Hard Rock Hotel still part of Marina 101?

Hard Rock International was announced as the hotel operator in 2014 but was reported to have exited the project by 2019. Current operator status is inconsistent across public sources and should be verified directly before publishing.

7. What floor of Marina 101 has sea views?

Units from roughly the 94th floor upward have direct views of the Arabian Gulf; lower floors typically overlook the marina, Sheikh Zayed Road, or the Emirates Golf Club.

8. How much does an apartment in Marina 101 cost?

Recent one-bedroom listings range from around AED 1.5 million to AED 2 million, with average transacted pricing near AED 1,265 per square foot, though this varies with market conditions.

9. What is on the 101st floor of Marina 101?

The top floor houses a club lounge and restaurant, reached by a dedicated glass-cased exterior elevator, offering panoramic views across Dubai Marina and the Gulf.

10. How do I get to Marina 101 by metro?

The Dubai Metro Red Line’s DMCC and Damac Properties stations are the closest stops, with the Dubai Tram providing additional connections to JBR, Marina Mall, and Bluewaters Island.

11. How many parking spaces does Marina 101 have?

The tower includes 677 dedicated parking spaces with direct access from Sheikh Zayed Road.

12. Is Marina 101 taller than Princess Tower?

Yes. Marina 101 (425 m) is taller than Princess Tower (about 414 m), though Princess Tower held the record as the world’s tallest residential-only building for several years due to Marina 101’s mixed-use classification and delayed completion.

Conclusion

Marina 101 is a defining piece of Dubai Marina’s skyline: a 425-metre, 101-floor supertall that survived a financial crisis, a decade of delays, and a change in hotel branding to become the second-tallest building in the UAE. For buyers and residents, its combination of iconic height, marina-front location, and mixed-use amenities is a genuine draw — but the tower’s unusually long construction history makes independent verification of completion status, hotel operator, and pricing more important here than for most Dubai Marina addresses. Anyone researching Marina 101 today should treat older articles and marketing material with some caution and confirm current details through the Dubai Land Department, RTA, and official tourism channels before making a decision.