Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, part of Thailand-based hospitality company Minor International, has introduced its first hotel in Dubai, UAE.
Owned by Dubai-based Seven Tides, the Asian style resort, previously known as Royal Amwaj Resort, was slated to open in 2010 by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, reported HotelierMiddleEast.com.
However, the opening was delayed and in October 2012 Seven Tides announced that it was holding talks with a new company to operate the resort.
Seven Tides CEO Abdulla Bin Sulayem was quoted by the website as saying that after a lengthy selection process involving many international firms, Anantara was selected as the operator of the resort.
"We found that Anantara’s brand DNA was a perfect match with our aspirations for this luxurious property, not just through its Asian design-led proposition, but beyond to encompass the complete guest experience," Sulayem added.
The resort, now known as Anantara Dubai Palm Jumeirah Resort & Spa, is located on the crescent of The Palm Jumeirah and is primarily targeted at visitors from the GCC, Asia and Europe.
The resort has 293 rooms and suites, with 130 rooms featuring direct access to 11,000m² of lagoon pools.
It has 12 beach villas, 18 over-water villas and three royal beach villas.
Facilities offered by the resort include a private beach, three natural lagoons, a spa sanctuary with 12 treatment rooms, a fitness studio and two tennis courts, an entertainment area along with meeting rooms, and a ballroom that can accommodate 300 guests.
It also features six restaurants and bars comprising an all-day dining restaurant that serves Middle Eastern and international cuisines, an Australian-inspired grill, an Asian-themed restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant, a lobby lounge, and poolside restaurant.
Minor International chairman and CEO William E Heinecke said the company is excited to announce its first Anantara property in Dubai as it is a significant milestone for Minor.
The new resort is the fourth property for Anantara in the UAE – its Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, and Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa are located in Abu Dhabi.
