Minor International will make its debut as an exhibitor at Arabian Travel Market with the announcement of the opening of a luxurious resort and a stylish hotel, both located in Dubai. The management contracts are the first UAE ventures for the Thailand-based company, one of the leading hospitality and leisure organisations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first project, scheduled to open in December 2007 will be Anantara Resort Palm Jumeirah, a five-star luxury resort located just 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport.

The resort is an integral part of the AED 2.1 billion Tiara Residence project launched by Zabeel Investments. Both Tiara Residence and Anantara Resort Palm Jumeirah will form a private, gated community located off the main trunk of the Palm Jumeirah.

Lush landscaped gardens and a tropical forest will surround both the Residence and the Resort with streams creating an authentic look of an Asian destination juxtaposed against and overlooking the Arabian Sea. The architecture of the buildings will represent a contemporary style inspired by its natural surroundings. This will be highlighted with the use of wood as a prominent feature on the exterior as well as forming part of the façade of the buildings.

Anantara Resort Palm Jumeirah will comprise 243 hotel rooms complemented by 132 fully furnished and serviced apartments, all within a single 15-storey building. The rooms and suites range between 35 sq metres and 90 sq metres in size whilst the one-bedroom serviced apartments offer living areas of between 50 sq metres and 90 sq metres including kitchen facilities.

World-class dining options will include ‘Spices’, a contemporary Asian restaurant featuring classic South East Asian and Thai specialities, the ‘Market’ featuring an open-plan kitchen offering international and Middle Eastern favourites and the High Tide offering al fresco dining by the ocean.

A focal point of the resort will be the highly acclaimed Anantara Spa, an inviting facility of approximately 800 sq metres providing a full range of eastern and western treatments and therapies.

Said William E. Heinecke, Chairman and Chief Executive of Anantara’s parent company, Minor International:

“We are delighted to be a part of the prestigious Tiara project. Anantara Palm Jumeirah Dubai will mark our hotel brand’s debut in the UAE and I am particularly proud to be able to present Anantara’s distinctive style of luxury within this magnificent architectural landscape.”

The second property in Dubai will be the Anantara Jumeirah Lake Dubai. Due to open in the first quarter of 2008, this property will be located within the distinctive Jumeriah Lakes development project comprising of offices and residential facilities. The 45-storey hotel is situated behind Dubai Marina and just minutes away from the world-famous Emirates Golf Course.

Anantara Jumeirah Lake Dubai will feature 473 rooms, suites and service apartments ranging from 42 sq metres to 115 sq metres in size. Hotel facilities will include four restaurants, three refreshment lounges, extensive meeting facilities and the world-class Anantara Spa, in addition to other recreational facilities.

Both Anantara Resort Palm Jumeirah and Anantara Jumeirah Lake Dubai will feature interiors designed by Milan-based Studio Marco Piva.

Anantara is taken from a Sanskrit word that means ‘borderless water’, and was chosen for this element’s association in many Asian cultures with wealth and good fortune.

‘Anantara Resorts offer leisure experiences that invoke a tremendous feeling of tranquility and privacy and amidst luscious natural landscapes with finishings and offerings that reflect the traditions and lifestyle of the surrounding environment,’ said Heinecke.

‘Our existing properties in Thailand, as well as a new resort opening in the Maldives in early July, operate along these very principles,’ he added. ‘With distinctive settings in Hua Hin, on Koh Samui and in the Golden Triangle, and with the dedication of highly motivated service teams, the Anantara experience offers guests luxury and tranquility in surroundings that are culturally and environmentally uplifting.’
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