UAE debut
These elements are all evident in the newly-opened Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah, which marks the brand’s debut in the UAE.
First and foremost, the Ras Al Khaimah resort was designed to blend unassumingly into a striking desert backdrop, Barclay explained. “At Banyan Tree Al Wadi, the interface between the desert and the resort is intended to be as seamless as possible, providing guests with the experience of staying ‘in’ the desert.
“Consisting of 70 Al Rimal Deluxe pool villas and 31 Al Khaimah and Al Sahari Tented pool villas, the resort sits on 100 hectares of desert plains, of which 60% is dedicated to a nature reserve housing indigenous wildlife and flora.
“Designed to retain the natural feel, topography and vegetation of the desert, the pool villas are constructed on valley floors between existing dunes, thus maintaining a degree of privacy and consequently preserving the site naturally,” said Barclay.
While care is always taken to capture the Banyan Tree ethos, each resort features its own unique selling points, and the Ras Al Khaimah property is no different. It is the first Banyan Tree with its own nature reserve, horse and camel stables, water home, bird-hide, and falconry mews.
The emphasis is on creating symbiotic relationships between resorts and their physical surroundings, while playing with local influences and a site’s natural quirks. “If you look at our signature restaurant Saffron, for example, which is a restaurant that can be found across all Banyan Tree properties, each Saffron is uniquely designed. Saffron in Banyan Tree Al Wadi, has been designed overlooking the water-hole so that you have a front-row seat for animal viewing,” Barclay noted.
This is one of a number of ‘interest areas’, Barclay explained. “As the resort is spread out over one quarter of a 100-hectare private nature reserve, we tried to create interest points as guests move through the resort – such as the water-hole, which is a source of water for the animals and overlooked by Saffron, our signature Banyan Tree restaurant, watchtowers on higher ground, the falconry mews with viewing deck, to name a few.”
| Advertisement |
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
