27 Nov 2014
R Hotels plans AED500m sharia-compliant resort and spa
BY Helen Andrews
R Hotels, the hospitality management division of the Ajman-based R Holding, UAE, has revealed plans for the first sharia-compliant four-star resort and spa on the east crescent of Palm Jumeirah – set to cost AED 500m (US$136m, €109m, £87m).
The 259-key property will be the group’s sixth hotel and is due to launch in Q4 of 2016.
Recreational facilities will include a spa for men and women, a gym and swimming pool. Wellbeing treatments will be offered at the spa, plus fitness and nutrition programmes – in collaboration with a wellness centre that specialises in these services. The name of this centre was not disclosed.
Details of the spa were not revealed but there will be a sauna and steambath at the property.
In keeping sharia compliance, the male and female areas of the spa will be separate. Sharia compliance is becoming a regional trend for resorts and spas in an effort to boost tourism in the Middle East.
"We take pride in our sharia-compliant properties in the UAE and we aim to make a mark in the hospitality industry by capitalising on strategic locations, particularly in Dubai," said Sumair Tariq, managing director for R Hotels.
Other features of the resort include an all-day dining restaurant and a poolside bar, in addition to an array of activities exclusively for children, including a fully-supervised indoor and outdoor play area.
Aimed at leisure travellers, the resort will provide guests with easy access to various dining and shopping venues, as well as to an array of attractions for family and individuals. Activities on offer at The Palm include water skiing, wind surfing, wakeboarding, fishing, boat trips and sky diving.
R Hotels currently owns and manages four properties in the UAE: Ramada Hotel Suites Ajman, Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman, Ramada Downtown Dubai and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Jumeirah Beach Residence.
The recently-announced fifth hotel in the portfolio is expected to open in the second quarter of 2015 at Al Mina Road in Jumeirah.
The new properties are part of the group’s AED 1.5bn (US$408m, €328m, £260m) investment plan, announced in 2013.
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