Cityscape Dubai, September 9, 2015: Minor Hotel Group (MHG), a hotel owner, operator and investor,currently with a portfolio of 134 hotels and resorts in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East,Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, is pleased to announce its continued expansion in the United Arab Emirates with its first property in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah – Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort.
Scheduled to open in 2018, the luxury resort will soon begin development in Mina al Arab, a mixed-use development, separated from the mainland by a small lagoon. Mina Al Arab is being developed by RAK Properties, a prominent real estate developer in the UAE, listed on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange, and will include a mix of residential, hospitality and retail components.
Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort will offer 225 keys which will include guest rooms, suites and Maldivian-style overwater villas, the first in Ras Al Khaimah. A diverse selection of quality restaurants will also feature, including specialty Asian dining and a seafood grill. Facilities at the resort will include meeting and events space with a ballroom seating 250, a health club with a gym, aerobics room and a yoga room, squash courts, a tennis court, a large outdoor pool, a kid’s club with a specialty kid’s restaurant and an extensive Anantara Spa.
The resort will be located in a secluded and picturesque area of Mina Al Arab with a private beach and overlooking an eco reserve with mangroves. The area around the eco reserve will not be developed to keep it unspoiled and will be home to an Eco-Learning Centre. With its peaceful location, overwater villas and ‘eco’ theme, the resort will provide a unique offering in the UAE market.
Mina Al Arab is located along the coast, just 45 minutes from Dubai International Airport, 15 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and 10 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah City. Mina Al Arab is an architecturally designed and landscaped waterfront community constructed along a stretch of coast, south of the city, where much of the tourism development in the emirate is taking place.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, “The Middle East is a key market for Minor Hotel Group, both for outbound business to our properties worldwide and also to further expand our footprint within the region. We are delighted to be partnering with RAK Properties to add Ras Al Khaimah to our already well established UAE portfolio and look forward to working closely together to bring this new Anantara resort to the market.”
Mohammed Sultan Al Qadi, MD & CEO, RAK Properties, said: “Our partnership with Minor Hotel Group perfectly represents the coming together of an established international brand and a reputed local company that is known for its world-class residential and hospitality projects. In MHG we have found a highly credible and compatible partner that paves the way for a sustained and very productive association. Mina Al Arab is an ideal fit for a resort of Anantara’s stature given the strategic location, environmental settings, excellent infrastructure and the outstanding amenities in and around Mina Al Arab. Anantara will be a great addition to Mina Al Arab and we expect this resort to be highly sought-after, especially taking into account the tranquil appeal of its Maldivian-style overwater villas.”
MHG now has a total of ten hotels and resorts in operation across multiple brands in the Middle East, having added its first property in Qatar at the beginning of the year. The group’s growing pipeline in the MENA region includes two Anantara resorts in Oman – one in Jabal Al Akhdar and another in Salalah, a second Anantara in Dubai and the group’s first properties in North Africa with Anantara resorts recently announced in Morocco and Tunisia. Overall, Anantara currently has a portfolio of 34 hotels and resorts in operation in ten countries across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa and the Middle East, along with a pipeline of more than ten properties in multiple countries.
