RAK drives leisure north

Ras Al Khaimah offers the opportunity to put together adventure packages for clients.

The resort will have 70 suites and 31 tented villas all measuring at least 100m² and with private pools, plus a spa with 10 treatment rooms, hydrothermal garden and hammam, four meeting rooms and a private island in the Al Hamra lagoon with beach, cabanas and spa facilities.

According to sales and marketing director Bobbie-Jane Skewes, the range of facilities on offer means the resort will be able to cater to longer-stay guests as well as those seeking a weekend getaway.

"We will be appointing a dedicated sales manager who will target the GCC market, particularly for the summer months," she says.

 

"It has helped having the Bahrain property as a promotion for the spa element of Banyan Tree given that we are a new product in this market."

Although pricing will be benchmarked against resorts such as Al Maha, Skewes says there will be a distinct differentiation for the RAK property.

"We will be family friendly - pool villas come with their own camels for instance and we also have beach access and an acclaimed spa, as well as offering personalised leisure experiences that guests can take when they wish, rather than at set times."

While the Banyan Tree is positioned as a destination in itself, Rotana's first offering in RAK - set for a December 1 soft opening - is also a unique resort proposition with villa units as well as a hotel at The Cove Rotana Resort, all set around a beachfront hillside and secluded water inlet.
 

Story continues below

In partnership with Egyptian developer Orascom, which includes El Gouna in its portfolio, The Cove Rotana will have 202 rooms, 185 real estate units of one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, many with private pools, plus a private beach, restaurants and three meeting rooms - all designed with Nubian touches and oriental themes, and complete with sunset views.

General manager Maurice de Rooij says property owners could lease back their units to be included in the hotel inventory, giving Rotana a unique flexibility.

"Existing hotels here have tended to cater to the budget beach sector but as a new hotel, we can market to additional audiences such as MICE," he says.

"In addition, the Rotana name, which is well-known regionally, will be a strong pull.

"As a diversified product, RAK will then have a more sustainable product - appealing to those that want to seek out its unique attractions in terms of the flora and fauna, history and culture etc."

De Rooij also suggests that in future, the northern emirates could be positioned as one destination, combining Fujairah on the Indian Ocean with RAK on the Gulf: "There is synergy between these two products and we could offer special packages to operators to combine the two."

While this summer might see more of the same in RAK, with overseas tourists dominating the market mix, already golf is one area where the emirate is scoring heavily, with a combination of superior courses and at comparatively low play rates.

As well as the 18-hole, par-72 Tower Links course, situated near the centre of the city amid mangroves with a floodlit driving range, training academy, clubhouse and spa, Al Hamra has now added a second option with its 18-hole golf club and marina sited around the lagoon behind the Al Hamra Fort Hotel.

General manager Chris White says the opening of the clubhouse last month completed the project that now included a par-72 Peter Harradine-designed golf course that offers a 'taste of links' golf, as well as floodlit nine-hole par-3 academy course and 350-yard driving range, and a golf academy with indoor coaching studio, lecture room, workshop and two air-conditioned 'swing rooms' with open doors to the range.