The hotel’s location on Palm Jumeirah also lends to its success, as Laurent explains: “The Palm is quite unique; it’s a destination within a destination. We are surrounded by water; the view and the location are fantastic. So I think as a guest coming to Dubai, the one place you want to be is on the Palm.
“The Palm is actually quite accessible for a lot of people [even in the UAE]. It’s only 15kms from JBR and the Dubai Marina. Don’t forget the trunk and the fronds are also inhabited and a lot of guests are also coming from the proximity, especially for food & beverage and bars,” he adds.
With 239-keys offering a mix of guest rooms, suites, swimming pool villas, and Dubai’s first over-water villas, the resort offers guests a variety of choices.
| Advertisement |
The property has also added 30 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments to its inventory, while Thai and oriental touches around the resort — from the electric tuk-tuks on arrival to the Thai-inspired architecture — drive home the Anantara brand.
The resort also includes 10,000m2 of swimming pools and lagoons spread throughout the property, with some villas offering direct access to temperature-controlled lagoons. Another quirky touch at the resort is the sight of hotel staff passing by the villas through the lagoons serving up cocktails and fresh fruit during the day.
Commenting on competing with other resorts on the Palm, Laurent says: “Our property is very unique in terms of architecture, design, and offering. We are definitely competing but I think we are offering an alternative to more traditional hotels.
Our resort is spread over the land with only one-storey buildings, compared with others that have three or four floors. So it really gives a sense of being far away and if you close your eyes you really feel like you’re in Thailand. I think everyone tries to find their own way in the market and we have tapped into the right pocket and that’s why I believe we are so successful.”
WORK IN PROGRESS
With the hotel succeeding at drawing in guests, Laurent reveals there are some facilities that were still to open during the interview with Hotelier in April. Up first was Anantara Spa, which was scheduled to open by the end of the month. The spa (which is now open) comprises 17 treatment rooms, including private beach side cabanas for massages.
“The spa has a contemporary look with a touch of Asia and we will have some unique treatments. We thought of using products from the Middle East and indigenous products. We like to keep things indigenous at Anantara and so some of the products will include dates in scrubs and sand collected from dunes in the desert,” explains Laurent.
Also due to open at the end of April was the resort’s Australian bar and grill, Bushman. “From what I have seen so far, the choice of food and spices are quite unique. And it’s great that even after so many years, after experiencing a lot of outlets in Dubai, there are still spices and ingredients I’ve never heard of,” says Laurent.
Bushman (which also opened as scheduled) adds to Anantara’s current F&B offering, which includes all-day dining restaurant Crescendo, Far-Eastern outlet Mekong, the Lotus Lounge, which overlooks the pool, and outdoor venue The Beach House.
Article continues on next page ...
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
