Despite operating a group of safari properties in Africa, Rajakarier admits he is scared of animals, something he?s not previously admitted to his team.
New Openings
The next property to open is right on Hotelier’s doorstep. On September 15, MHG will debut in Dubai with Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa, a long-awaited resort owned by Dubai’s Seven Tides.
“We have been working on that project for a long time; our contact with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem (chairman of Dubai World) has been really important for us. We were involved going back a few years where we talked about the brand and how we can get involved in the Middle East. When you look at the hotel, it’s a true Anantara — it looks like an Anantara and feels like an Anantara and everything speaks for the brand,” says Rajakarier.
By this, he refers to Anantara’s promise to offer guests a complete and unique experience.
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“We are transforming Anantara, our core Asian brand, into a global one. Recognising the growing traveller demand for luxury resorts and hotels that offer experience-based holidays — and the growing number of owners seeking to capture this market — Minor conceived the Anantara brand as a truly story-filled experience, bringing our unique brand of effortless luxury, intuitive service and harmonious design to more breathtaking destinations around the globe so that our guests have more places at which they can discover their own epic story,” he says.
The Palm resort comprises 293 guest rooms and suites in units of four to eight, with 130 rooms featuring direct access to 11,000m² of lagoon pools, 12 beach villas, 18 over-water villas — the first of their kind in the Middle East — and three Royal Beach Villas.
Facilities include a private beach, an infinity pool, and Anantara Spa, while the F&B concepts include Bushman’s Australian Grill, Mekong, featuring Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes and Beach House, a beachfront Mediterranean restaurant. What’s exciting though are the little Thai touches Rajakarier hints will be introduced at the resort.
“We will bring Thai culture as well with tuk tuks and longtail boats and they are some of the indigenous touches we bring in. Thai hospitality is the best in the world and bringing that sort of hospitality into the Middle East is important to us to position this hotel as a true luxury five-star hotel,” he asserts.
Also opening this year are Anantara Phuket Layan Resort & Spa in Thailand, Anantara Emei Resort & Spa, Sichuan Province, China and Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort — another addition to the group’s Abu Dhabi island destination.
In January 2014, Anantara will debut in Doha, with a Maldives-style resort in partnership with Al Rayyan Hospitality.
“The good thing about Doha is it takes Anantara to the next stage,” says Rajakarier. “This hotel is focused around spa and wellness and that’s going to be another key focus area for Doha.
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