Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas will open its third Dubai property in just a month’s time. Marking a new approach for the popular Thai brand, Anantara Downtown Dubai will be a city hotel. The first city Anantara in Dubai opens on July 1 this year.
Distinctly different from the resorts found on Palm Jumeirah and World Islands, Anantara Downtown Dubai will be amidst Downtown and Business Bay, close also to DIFC, Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa. The hotel will have 252 keys, a range of dining options, a floor dedicated to wellness and events space.
Known for its resorts, the Thai brand has been introducing more city properties as of late, including Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel and most recently added, Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam.
Anantara Downtown Dubai place in market
Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels, commented, “We are pleased to grow our strategic partnership with Aujan Group Holding to bring Minor Hotels’ luxury Anantara brand to the downtown area of Dubai. The continued expansion of Anantara into strategic global capitals including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bangkok, Rome and Amsterdam is positioning the brand as a key player in urban hubs. The addition of Anantara Downtown Dubai is a testament to our ongoing efforts and we expect the property to become a landmark in the market.”
Abdulla Aujan, executive chairman of Aujan Group Holding, added, “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with the Minor Hotels and are particularly excited to add another Anantara to our portfolio. With a positioning towards luxury urban business and leisure, we think that the brand has great potential to take advantage of developing customer trends.”
Last month, Hotelier Middle East heard from Minor Hotels on this trend, with Anantara looking to bring a resort-feel to city properties.
Amir Golbarg leverages offshore resort expertise
“We’ve been stamped as the gurus in offshore resorts. We’ve done it a number of times and we have expertise in how to evolve that concept. The demand for the guest is for getaways and offshore resorts provide that. They give space, they give privacy, they give a sense of escapism,” explained Amir Golbarg, Minor Hotels’ senior VP of operations in Middle East and Africa.
Speaking to Hotelier at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Golbarg continued: “It’s part of our priority for sure [offshore projects]. Not only that though, we want to take the essence of an offshore resort into the city. That’s something we’re looking at now – how to get the DNA of a remote, private location, woven into a city property.
“It sounds simple, but right now we’re looking at exactly what our [remote] resorts offer. What we’re seeing is that they are able to curate experiences for every guest individually. They set themselves up as destinations and I think that is what the city segment of hospitality is missing.”
You can read the interview in full here.