Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), announced that Anantara will operate the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, a property that was originally going to be operated by Banyan Tree.

The hotel forms part of the Eastern Mangroves development, which will be an integrated hotel, marina, retail and residential destination.

On the announcement James Pringle, acting CEO of TDIC, said: “The delivery of the Eastern Mangroves resort in 2012 will add further value to the outstanding tourism offerings of Abu Dhabi. We have chosen Anantara to operate this highly important project, as their brand is expanding very fast, and they are known in the industry for going that extra mile and beyond, which is an element we wish for all TDIC projects to also be renowned for.”

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Eastern Mangroves occupies a position along a 1.2 kilometre stretch of Abu Dhabi’s protected eastern mangrove district – an area famed for its strikingly green mangroves.

The hotel, marina and retail section of the project will be completed in January 2012, whilst the residences will be delivered in the second quarter of 2012.

The Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa is set to be a luxury five-star hotel, which will include 224 hotel rooms and suites, three themed restaurants, a rooftop lounge with views of the mangroves, an infinity pool, ballroom with capacity to accommodate up to 350 guests, conference facilities, and a luxury traditional spa offering an authentic Arabic hamam experience.

William (Bill) E. Heinecke Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Minor Group said: ”Abu Dhabi has become one of the world’s top tourist destinations, and the launch of our first city hotel and fifth property in the UAE will ensure that Anantara continues to offer unique destination experiences in key locations across the globe.

“From an exotic oasis in the historic Liwa desert to Arabian wildlife and island adventures on Sir Bani Yas Island, guests can now experience the wonders of Abu Dhabi with our first city hotel. This new management partnership cements our close relationship with TDIC and shows that together we can offer a true, all-encompassing destination experience to guests visiting the Middle East.”

Upon completion, Eastern Mangroves will be an integrated tourism destination and residential community. It will consist of eight residential apartment buildings of varying designs, a promenade featuring restaurants, retail outlets, and a stunning marina with berths for up to 30 yachts. The residential component of the resort will feature 220 premium apartments separated between two distinct residences. The properties will benefit from stunning views over the mangroves, as well as private pools, gyms, corniche facing terraces, and will offer a unique level of privacy for its residents.

Banyan Tree pulled out of plans to operate the Angsana-branded resort following disagreements between the owner and operator over how to develop the project.
Banyan Tree vice president marketing Luca Deplano said at the time: “The Angsana was Eastern Mangroves and the owner is TDIC and we decided in a very friendly way not to proceed with the project.
“Mostly the reason was that we have different visions of how to evolve that project. For the Angsana brand, the integration with the surrounding environment is still very, very important. The feel of an eco resort is very important,” explained Deplano.
“We feel that as part of the Banyan Tree and Angsana experience you need to connect with the surrounding environment. We felt that TDIC had different ideas of how to develop the project so we realised that this was not going to work. So we decided in very friendly terms to [cancel the contract.”