By BBR Research Team / Market Research

BBR view

Kerzner International is not a single hotel brand. It is a hospitality platform operating multiple distinct brands, each targeting a different buyer segment within the ultra-luxury and luxury-lifestyle spectrum. For branded-residence buyers, that distinction matters more than it might appear. The brand attached to your residence determines everything from service depth and operator involvement to resale positioning and rental yield potential.

With brands including One&Only, Atlantis, SIRO, and Rare Finds under its umbrella, Kerzner controls one of the most vertically differentiated portfolios in the branded-residence space. Yet not every project carrying a Kerzner-affiliated name offers the same level of operator commitment, and buyers need to understand where each brand sits in the hierarchy before committing capital.

This guide breaks down Kerzner’s brand architecture, evaluates each brand’s residence relevance, and positions the portfolio against competitors in the ultra-luxury operator landscape.

Kerzner’s Brand Architecture

Kerzner International Holdings, founded by the late Sol Kerzner in South Africa, has evolved from a single-property resort company into a multi-brand luxury hospitality group. The company is currently headquartered in Dubai, with its operational footprint spanning the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and select destinations in Europe and the Americas.

Understanding the brand hierarchy is essential because each brand carries different service standards, design expectations, and buyer implications.

Brand Hierarchy and Residence Relevance

Brand	Positioning	Residence Relevance	Typical Buyer Profile
One&Only	Ultra-luxury resort and urban	High. Active branded-residence pipeline with operator-managed units.	UHNW buyers seeking resort or urban trophy assets with full hotel-level service
Atlantis	Luxury entertainment resort	Moderate to high where a residence component is confirmed, strongest at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai. Atlantis Sanya is an operating resort, but buyers should not assume a for-sale residence component unless separately verified.	Affluent buyers drawn to resort lifestyle, entertainment amenities, and brand recognition
SIRO	Wellness and fitness lifestyle	Emerging. New brand with residence-integrated concepts in early pipeline.	Wellness-focused buyers, younger affluent demographic, active lifestyle investors
Rare Finds	Collection of distinctive independent properties	Low to moderate. Limited residence pipeline; properties tend toward boutique hotel formats.	Experience-driven buyers seeking unique, non-standardized hospitality

Selected Kerzner Branded Residence Examples

The examples below show how each Kerzner residence model works in practice. Each visual example is followed by the analysis for that specific brand, so the image, status, and buyer-relevant explanation stay together.

Project 01

One&Only One Zaabeel

Urban ultra-luxury residence model · Dubai, UAE

Developer / platform

One Zaabeel / Kerzner One and Only

Status / model

Operating urban flagship

Location

Dubai, UAE

One&Only One Zaabeel is the strongest Kerzner urban residence signal, pairing the One and Only service model with a high-profile Dubai address.

Why it matters

It shows Kerzner can move One and Only from secluded resort positioning into a city-center trophy asset while preserving a full-service residence proposition.

What to underwrite

Confirm residence service scope, management obligations, fees, resale evidence, and the price gap versus other ultra-prime Dubai branded residences.

BBR buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a scarce, operator-backed urban trophy asset rather than a larger resort community.

One&Only: The Flagship Residence Brand

One&Only is Kerzner’s clearest play in the branded-residence market. The brand operates or has announced residence components at several of its resort properties, with notable projects including:

One&Only One Zaabeel, Dubai. This urban property opened to guests in early 2024, following late-2023 completion activity at the wider One Zaabeel development. It represents Kerzner’s push into city-center ultra-luxury, with branded residences managed under the One&Only service model [1].

One&Only Private Homes. Kerzner has expanded the One&Only model to include private-home and residence formats at select destinations, offering buyers villa or apartment-style ownership with access to adjacent One&Only services and facilities. The Palm in Dubai is a useful delivered reference point, while Private Homes at Mandarina and Kea show how the brand is extending the model into selective resort settings [2].

The One&Only residence proposition centers on three pillars: exclusivity (very low unit counts per property), full-service resort integration, and design standards that are typically bespoke to each location rather than following a standardized approach.

Project 02

Atlantis The Royal Residences

Entertainment-led resort residence · Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Developer / platform

Kerzner Atlantis / Dubai resort platform

Status / model

Operating hotel-residence asset

Location

Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Atlantis The Royal gives Kerzner a residence model built around amenity depth, restaurants, beach access, tourism visibility, and strong Dubai brand recognition.

Why it matters

The value proposition is not pure privacy. It is the scale of amenities, dining, beach, and resort infrastructure attached to a globally visible Dubai address.

What to underwrite

Model service charges, rental restrictions, resale depth, total branded supply on Palm Jumeirah, and whether the entertainment focus matches the buyer profile.

BBR buyer fit: Best for Dubai-focused lifestyle buyers and rental-minded investors who value resort energy and brand visibility.

Atlantis: Entertainment-Scale Residences

Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, which opened in 2023, introduced a significant branded-residence component alongside its hotel operation. The Royal Residences at Atlantis offer buyers access to the property’s extensive amenity ecosystem, including multiple restaurants by high-profile chefs, a private beach, and resort facilities [3].

The Atlantis model differs from One&Only in important ways. Unit counts tend to be higher, the atmosphere is more entertainment-oriented than secluded, and the buyer profile skews toward those who value social amenities and brand visibility over privacy. For investors, Atlantis residences in Dubai have shown strong rental demand, partly driven by the property’s tourism draw.

Atlantis Sanya is not a future announcement. It has operated in Hainan since 2018, under Kerzner management and Fosun ownership. For residence buyers, the important distinction is that Atlantis Sanya should be treated as evidence of Kerzner’s Asian resort operating footprint, not as a confirmed for-sale branded-residence opportunity unless a current residence component is independently verified [4].

Project 03

SIRO One Zaabeel

Wellness and performance lifestyle concept · Dubai, UAE

Developer / platform

Kerzner SIRO / One Zaabeel

Status / model

Emerging brand model

Location

Dubai, UAE

SIRO is Kerzner newer wellness-led platform. The buyer question is whether performance fitness can mature into a durable residence premium.

Why it matters

SIRO gives Kerzner exposure to wellness-focused luxury buyers, especially those who value fitness, recovery, and active lifestyle programming.

What to underwrite

Treat SIRO as early-stage. Verify brand recognition, service delivery, residential rights, fee structure, and resale evidence before assuming a premium.

BBR buyer fit: Best for wellness-led buyers with a longer hold horizon and tolerance for newer-brand risk.

SIRO: The Wellness Pivot

SIRO is Kerzner’s newest brand, launched with a focus on fitness, wellness, and active lifestyles. The first SIRO property, SIRO One Zaabeel in Dubai, is positioned as a wellness-integrated hotel and residence concept [5].

For the branded-residence market, SIRO represents an interesting test case. Wellness-branded residences are a growing segment globally, with brands like Six Senses, SHA, and Aman all active in this space. SIRO’s differentiator is its emphasis on performance fitness rather than spa-centric wellness, targeting a younger, more active affluent demographic.

Buyers considering SIRO residences should evaluate whether the brand achieves sufficient market recognition and operational track record to support premium pricing over time. As a new entrant, SIRO does not yet carry the resale credibility of established wellness-residence operators.

Rare Finds: Limited Residence Application

Rare Finds is Kerzner’s collection brand for unique, independent-minded properties that do not fit neatly into the One&Only or Atlantis frameworks. The brand currently has limited direct relevance to the branded-residence market, though individual properties may offer residence or long-stay components on a case-by-case basis.

BBR Brand Tier Assessment: Kerzner Portfolio

Dimension	One&Only	Atlantis	SIRO
Global brand recognition	Very high in ultra-luxury segment	High, especially in Middle East and Asia	Early stage, limited recognition
Residence track record	Established, multiple delivered projects	Established at Atlantis The Royal	First projects in pipeline
Service integration depth	Full resort-level, bespoke	Full resort-level, entertainment-oriented	Wellness-integrated, format still maturing
Unit exclusivity	Very low counts, high privacy	Moderate counts, social atmosphere	Expected moderate counts
Resale premium potential	Strong in established markets	Strong in Dubai, unproven elsewhere	Unproven
Design consistency	High, location-adapted	High, signature architectural approach	To be determined

Competitive Positioning: Kerzner vs. Ultra-Luxury Peers

How does Kerzner’s residence portfolio compare to the major branded-residence operators? The following table positions the Kerzner brands against key competitors on dimensions that matter most to buyers.

Operator	Positioning	Residence Pipeline Scale	Service Model	Key Strength	Key Tradeoff
One&Only (Kerzner)	Ultra-luxury resort and urban	Small, selective	Full operator management	Exclusivity and bespoke design	Very limited inventory, fewer markets
Atlantis (Kerzner)	Luxury entertainment resort	Small to moderate where residences are confirmed	Full operator management	Amenity depth, tourism-driven rental demand in Dubai	Entertainment focus may not suit all buyers, and not every Atlantis resort has a residence component
Four Seasons	Luxury, global scale	Large, 50+ residence projects	Full operator management	Global consistency, proven resale premium	Higher unit counts reduce exclusivity
Ritz-Carlton	Upper luxury, Marriott ecosystem	Large, global pipeline	Marriott-managed	Urban strength, loyalty program integration	Brand dilution risk from Marriott portfolio breadth
Aman	Ultra-luxury, privacy-focused	Small, selective	Owner-operator	Extreme privacy, cult brand loyalty	Very high price points, limited locations
Rosewood	Ultra-luxury, cultural identity	Growing, selective	Operator management	Design distinctiveness, rising brand equity	Smaller track record than Four Seasons
Banyan Tree	Luxury resort, Asian roots	Moderate pipeline	Operator management	Strong Asia-Pacific presence, wellness integration	Less recognized outside Asia

Where Kerzner Wins

Exclusivity. One&Only residences typically feature the lowest unit counts among comparable ultra-luxury brands. For buyers who prioritize privacy and scarcity, this is a genuine differentiator.

Vertical brand separation. Unlike hotel groups that stretch a single brand across dozens of tiers (Marriott, Accor), Kerzner keeps its brands distinct. A One&Only residence buyer knows exactly what segment they are in, without confusion from sub-brands or loyalty-program dilution.

Entertainment and amenity depth (Atlantis). For buyers who want a resort residence with extensive social and dining infrastructure, Atlantis offers a scale of amenities that most ultra-luxury operators cannot match.

Where Kerzner Faces Limitations

Geographic footprint. Kerzner operates in significantly fewer markets than Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, or even Aman. This limits buyer choice and may affect long-term brand visibility in regions where Kerzner has no presence.

Pipeline scale. The total number of Kerzner-branded residences globally is small compared to Four Seasons or Marriott-affiliated brands. For buyers who value a deep resale network or want operator consistency across multiple investment properties, this is a constraint.

New brand risk (SIRO). SIRO has not yet proven its residence model in the market. Buyers committing capital to SIRO residences are taking early-mover risk on a brand that may or may not achieve lasting market positioning.

Buyer Fit Analysis

Strong Fit

•

UHNW resort buyers seeking ultra-low-density, operator-managed residences in established One&Only locations

•

Dubai-focused investors looking at Atlantis The Royal for rental yield backed by the property’s tourism infrastructure

•

Brand-loyal buyers who already know and trust the One&Only or Atlantis experience from hotel stays

•

Portfolio diversifiers adding a Kerzner residence alongside holdings with Four Seasons or Aman to spread operator risk

Conditional Fit

•

Wellness-focused buyers interested in SIRO, provided they accept early-stage brand risk and have a long hold horizon

•

Buyers in markets with limited Kerzner presence who may find resale liquidity more constrained than with globally distributed operators

Weaker Fit

•

Investors seeking urban portfolio scale across multiple cities (Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton offer far more options)

•

Buyers prioritizing loyalty-program integration and global hotel-network benefits (Marriott and Hyatt ecosystems are stronger here)

•

Short-hold investors looking for quick resale, as Kerzner’s smaller footprint may slow secondary-market matching

Understanding Operator Involvement: A Critical Distinction

Not every project associated with a Kerzner brand name involves the same level of operator commitment. Buyers should verify the exact nature of the brand relationship for any specific project:

Full operator management. The Kerzner brand operates the property, manages services, sets standards, and is contractually involved in the ongoing residence experience. This is the strongest model for buyers and applies to flagship projects like One&Only One Zaabeel and Atlantis The Royal residences.

Brand licensing or design partnership. In some cases, a developer may license a Kerzner brand name or engage the company for design consultation without full operational involvement. These arrangements can deliver aesthetic quality but may not include the ongoing service management that defines a true branded residence.

Pipeline or announced projects. Projects that have been publicly announced but not yet delivered carry execution risk. Buyers should confirm construction status, operator contract terms, and expected delivery timelines through independent due diligence.

For a detailed explanation of how branded residences differ from standard luxury developments, see BBR’s guide to what branded residences actually are and the comparison between branded residences and luxury apartments.

Risks and Due Diligence

Operator contract terms. Verify the length and renewal terms of the management agreement between the developer and Kerzner. Short or non-renewable contracts may leave residences without brand services after a fixed period.

Service charge structure. Kerzner-operated residences typically carry premium service charges reflecting the ultra-luxury service model. Buyers should obtain a full breakdown of fees, including any annual escalation clauses, before purchase.

Market liquidity. One&Only’s small unit counts can be a double-edged sword. Exclusivity supports pricing, but a thin resale market may mean longer holding periods if a buyer needs to exit.

Pipeline execution. For announced but undelivered projects, including future SIRO or Kerzner expansion concepts, standard off-plan risks apply: construction delays, specification changes, and the possibility that the final product differs from initial marketing materials.

Currency and jurisdiction. Kerzner residences span multiple jurisdictions (UAE, Maldives, and others), each with different ownership rules, tax implications, and regulatory frameworks. Buyers should engage local legal counsel familiar with foreign property ownership in each specific market.

For a broader perspective on evaluating branded-residence investments, BBR’s investment guide covers the key financial and structural considerations.

BBR Bottom Line

Kerzner International offers one of the most distinctive branded-residence portfolios in the ultra-luxury segment. One&Only sets a genuine standard for exclusivity and bespoke resort living, while Atlantis delivers an entertainment-forward model with proven rental demand in Dubai. SIRO is a promising but unproven addition that wellness-focused buyers should watch carefully.

The tradeoff is scale and geographic reach. Buyers who want a global network of operator-consistent residences across dozens of cities will find Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton better suited to that need. But for those who value scarcity, design individuality, and deep operator integration at a single trophy location, Kerzner’s brands, particularly One&Only, compete at the highest level.

As with any branded-residence purchase, the specific project matters more than the brand name alone. Verify the operator contract, confirm the service model, and conduct independent due diligence on the developer and jurisdiction before committing.

For buyers

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For developers

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Sources

Kerzner International, “One&Only One Zaabeel” official property information, kerzner.com (accessed 2026)
One&Only Resorts, “One&Only Private Homes” program overview, oneandonlyresorts.com (accessed 2026)
Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, official residences information, atlantis.com (accessed 2026)