Anantara to debut in Saudi Arabia by 2019
Minor Hotels will debut its luxury Anantara brand in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2019.
The Anantara Jeddah Resort will be located on the waterfront in Obhur in the city’s upmarket northern district and will offer 226 guest rooms and 102 two to five bedroom villas, along with views of the Kingdom Tower which is scheduled to open in 2020.
The property is owned by SAB Group and was previously a luxury residential compound which will undergo a renovation.
Facilities will include a selection of dining options with both indoor and outdoor seating, fitness and swimming pool areas, a kid’s and teen’s club and a library.
For business guests, there is a 500m2 meeting room which is divisible by two, plus two further meeting rooms. The resort has two receptions and lobbies, one dedicated for VIP arrivals.
Spa and wellness will be a focus of the resort, which will offer a female and male Anantara Spa and a wellness centre. A range of wellness journeys will be available, as part of Anantara’s ‘Balance’ programme. These will include detox, de-stress, weight management, anti-aging and rejuvenation, along with therapies such as Ayurveda, hammam and reflexology.
Guests will be able to enjoy wellness cuisine and healthy cooking classes, with activities including yoga, pilates and Tai Chi. In addition, the resort will offer a regular programme of wellness-focused educational workshops and special events.
Minor International chairman and CEO William E. Heinecke said in a statement: "We are delighted to announce Anantara Jeddah which represents Minor Hotels’ debut in Saudi Arabia and grows our presence in the GCC to four countries.
"Minor Hotels has been looking for the right opportunity to expand into Saudi Arabia and we are pleased to be partnering with SAB Group to launch our luxury Anantara brand in this key strategic market.”
Sheikh Salah al Belawi, chairman of SAB Group, added: "The concept of a health and wellness resort is long overdue in KSA and our Obhur property lends itself to such a concept. We, at SAB Group, are very delighted to partner with Minor Hotels and host the Anantara brand."
Minor Hotels currently operates nine Anantara properties in the Middle East and has a strong pipeline in the region with new resorts under development in the United Arab Emirates (in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah), Bahrain, Morocco and Tunisia.
Overall Minor Hotels currently operates 14 properties in the Middle East across four of its brands – Anantara, Avani, Oaks and Per Aquum.