Movenpick finalises deal to manage RAK resort

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has finalised a deal to operate its first property in Ras Al Khaimah.

The 550-key Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, slated to open in 2019, will also have a beachfront location, offering guests views of the Arabian Gulf and the Ras Al Khaimah coastline.

Al Marjan Island is Ras Al Khaimah’s first man-made project, built for almost US$1.8 billion, and featuring a cluster of coral-shaped islands.

Mövenpick’s upcoming five-star resort comprises 430 rooms and suites and 120 serviced apartments.

Visitor numbers to Ras Al Khaimah are expected to surge 11% to reach more than 820,000 in 2016, according to the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, which has set a target of one million arrivals by the end of 2018.

“Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah is a valuable addition to our portfolio and will provide leisure travellers with another compelling reason to visit one of the UAE’s most stunning holiday destinations,” said Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and South Asia COO Andreas Mattmüller.

Hotelier Middle East earlier reported that, according to RAK properties CEO and managing director Mohammad Sultan Al Qadi, “Ras Al Khaimah is in immediate need for new hotels and rooms, the estimates suggest as many as 10,000-15,000 hotel rooms within the next 10 years.”