Two GCC stories from the same island, and they land on the same day for a reason: a record first half confirms the demand thesis, and a new groundbreaking is institutional investors' response to that confirmation. The US side is quieter in tone but substantively important — a New York brief that reframes the platform argument on LL18, and a California vote tomorrow that could reshape the unincorporated county market.
GCC
Ras Al Khaimah posts its strongest H1 on record — 670,000 visitors, domestic travel up 47%
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Ras Al Khaimah attracted 670,000 visitors in the first half of 2026, the highest first-half total in the emirate's history, according to data released by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and reported by Gulf News on July 24.[1] May 2026 was also the strongest single month ever recorded. Domestic arrivals rose 47% year-on-year as UAE residents chose RAK for short breaks during a period when regional disruptions dampened some international travel flows.
"The destination remained resilient through a period that affected international travel across the region, and a record first half is testament to Ras Al Khaimah's strength as a short-break destination," said Phillipa Harrison, CEO of RAKTDA. "With new hotels opening and anchor developments advancing at pace, the emirate is entering its next phase of growth with real momentum."
The RAK Moments domestic campaign contributed directly to the result: 127,817 additional visitors in Q2, generating 224,000 hotel room nights and Dh104.4M in room revenue — a 67.1% increase over Q2 2025. Booking platform partnerships (Wego, Expedia, Booking.com, Cleartrip, Almosafer, Yandex) were the primary distribution channels.
On supply: two hotels are scheduled to open in H2 2026. Rotana Ras Al Khaimah The Mangroves opens Q3 with 258 rooms at Al Qawasim Corniche, including one of RAK's largest pillar-free ballrooms. SAIJ Mountain Lodge by Mantis follows Q4 on Jebel Jais — the emirate's first mountain lodge concept, offering guided treks, organic farming, stargazing and wellness. Wynn Al Marjan Island remains on track for 2027; newly confirmed programming includes a Punchdrunk immersive theatre partnership, 22 dining venues, an Alain Ducasse steakhouse and the first international branch of Las Vegas supper club Delilah.
Infrastructure is also advancing: a new VVIP terminal at RAK International Airport (via Falcon Executive Aviation, early 2027), commercial autonomous shuttles expected later in 2026 following a pilot, and air taxi operations from Skyports targeting 2027, with Al Marjan Island as the first node in a RAK-Dubai network. RAK's GDP reached $13 billion in 2025 on 4.3% growth; the emirate is targeting 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030.
So what: The 670,000 H1 figure arrives at a moment when the broader UAE hospitality narrative has been dominated by Dubai's post-disruption recovery story. RAK has run a different play: a domestic demand cushion (UAE residents treating it as a short-break destination) that buffered the international travel dip, combined with a long-lead infrastructure story that keeps institutional confidence high regardless of quarterly swings. For STR and serviced apartment operators in RAK, the 47% domestic surge is the actionable data point. It confirms that UAE residents are proximity-aware and price-sensitive, and that RAK's product is landing for them without needing long-haul originations. The supply additions coming in H2 2026 (Rotana, SAIJ) and 2027 (Wynn) don't change the near-term STR competitive picture — they expand it.
Ground breaks today on Janu Al Marjan Island — Aman Group's Janu brand, 2029 opening
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Marjan and Wynn Resorts broke ground this morning on Janu Al Marjan Island, a luxury hotel and branded residences project on Al Marjan Island opening in 2029, Gulf News reported today.[2] It is the second joint venture between master developer Marjan and Wynn Resorts — the first being Wynn Al Marjan Island, which remains under construction nearby.
Janu is Aman Group's contemporary sibling brand. The name means "soul" in Sanskrit; the brand positions around wellbeing, social connection and accessible luxury — a deliberate contrast with Aman's more reclusive ethos. The development is designed by SCDA Architects and will sit directly adjacent to Wynn Al Marjan Island, giving the two projects a shared waterfront address. The project was first announced in November 2025.
"Janu is an exciting addition to Al Marjan Island and a natural complement to what we're creating at Wynn Al Marjan Island," said Max Tappeiner, President of Wynn Al Marjan Island. "As neighbouring developments, we expect a natural connection between our guests and residents that will create meaningful benefits for both properties."
Abdulla Al Abdouli, Group CEO of Marjan, said the groundbreaking "marks an important milestone in our long-term vision for Al Marjan Island as a globally recognised waterfront destination," adding that Janu's "approach to modern luxury aligns with that vision and opens a significant new chapter in the island's journey on the global stage."
Vlad Doronin, Chairman and CEO of Aman Group, said the development will provide "a vibrant setting where like-minded individuals can connect through shared experiences, immerse themselves in the region's striking natural beauty, and embrace the brand's spirited approach to contemporary, connected living."
So what: Al Marjan Island now has two major luxury builds simultaneously underway, with a third development (Marjan Beach: 85M sqft, 22,000 residential units, 12,000 hotel rooms) progressing in the background. Today's groundbreaking is institutional investors signalling confidence in RAK's 2029 demand curve before Wynn has even opened. The logic is compounding: Wynn will bring a first wave of international premium leisure travellers to Al Marjan Island from 2027; Janu — adjacent, complementary in positioning, different in tone — is betting that demand creates demand. For STR operators and serviced-apartment investors on Al Marjan Island, the near-term implication is directional: when both properties are operational, RAK will have a new category of internationally branded luxury comp set it does not currently have, and the addressable guest pool at the top of the market will be materially larger than it is today.
Regulation
NYC Local Law 18 survives another challenge — new brief shows who's actually benefiting
New York City, USA
A policy brief released this week by the Pratt Center for Community Development and NNPNYC found that New York City's Local Law 18 is working as housing advocates predicted: the licensed STR supply that remains is concentrated among homeowner-occupants renting rooms or accessory units, while the investor-operated whole-apartment sector has contracted sharply since enforcement began in September 2023.[3]
New York City enforcement director Christian Klossner appeared at a public hearing on July 20 to defend the existing framework against ongoing platform lobbying. Airbnb and Vrbo have continued to argue publicly that LL18's licensing requirements are too restrictive and should be loosened. As of late July, the city has collected more than $72M in STR enforcement fines in 2026 — a figure that simultaneously signals active enforcement and continued operator non-compliance.
The brief's central finding cuts against the platform's preferred framing. The platform argument has rested on the claim that LL18 hurts small hosts. The Pratt Center brief gives housing advocates a direct counter: the homeowner segment has not been materially harmed. The contraction in licensed supply is concentrated in the professional investment layer — operators running full-apartment STRs without owner presence — not in owner-occupant hosting.
So what: If the "small host harm" argument fails on the evidence, the platform's remaining advocacy levers are economic — tourism revenue displacement, reduced visitor accommodation supply, price effects. Those arguments are harder to make in a city collecting $72M a year in enforcement revenue on STR violations and citing housing availability as the policy rationale. The Pratt Center brief doesn't settle the debate, but it shifts the evidentiary burden: the platform case for weakening LL18 now has to argue against data showing the intended beneficiaries (homeowners) are doing fine. Watch the July 20 hearing transcript and any council follow-up for how the enforcement director's position gets characterised in the legislative record.
Also worth watching
Riverside County, CA: Vote on ordinance 927.3 scheduled for tomorrow, July 28. The county's proposed STR ordinance for unincorporated areas would require 30-day minimum stays, with enforcement tied to permit suspension and fines. Host groups have mounted public comment opposition over several weeks. The result will indicate whether California's unincorporated county market faces a significant new minimum-stay constraint.[4]
Salt Lake City: 200-night annual cap passes. The city council approved a 200-night annual operating cap on STRs, per Strisker's July 24 roundup.[4] Operators exceeding the cap in a calendar year lose the right to continue listing for that year.
North Charleston, SC: Permits go non-transferable. North Charleston has enacted a rule under which STR permits expire at change of ownership. The provision prevents permit value from being priced into property sales and gives the city a reset point — and a fresh review window — whenever a property changes hands.
Bradenton Beach, FL: Two-plus-two occupancy model adopted. Bradenton Beach has moved to a two-adults-plus-two-children per bedroom maximum occupancy formula, departing from the per-bedroom headcount models common in Florida STR markets. The formula is intended to reduce party and large-group rental activity without imposing a flat cap.
Westlake, OH: Party ban enacted. Westlake has adopted an STR-specific prohibition on party rentals. Fines apply to both the operator and the booking party in cases of violation, creating shared financial liability.
Ann Arbor, MI: Council weighing moratorium on new STR licenses. Ann Arbor is considering a temporary freeze on new STR license issuance pending a supply and neighbourhood impact review.
