From new openings and landmark refurbishments to historical collaborations, we bring back the highlights from ILTM Cannes 2016.
MARRIOTT/RITZ-CARLTON
The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah will be the second hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the brand when it debuts next month, in an eye-catching landmark situated over eight acres. Featuring 224 guest rooms, including 30 exquisite royal suites spanning 500 square metres each, the hotel will cater to a diverse range of visitors from short-stay business guests taking advantage of its unmatched conference facilities, to large wedding groups.
The world’s fifth Bulgari Hotels and Resorts property, The Bulgari, Dubai, will be located on the exclusive Jumeira Bay Island, sculpted in the shape of a seahorse, when it opens in October this year. The 1.7 million feet complex will enjoy lush landscaped gardens, surrounding the 100 rooms and suites.
This year will see the introduction of two newly managed properties in the UAE, The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach, and the The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert. Al Hamra is an exclusive 32 all-villa property that enjoys an extensive stretch of white beach, whilst Al Wadi is a 101 all-villa escape, on the edge of a vast desert. Both offer an alternative Emirate’s experience to the buzzing metropolises, with their sense of gentle respite and tranquillity.
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Fit for a president … The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah, Ajman opens this March |
In January next year, The Ritz-Carlton, Rabat, an urban resort will open within the grounds of the most highly esteemed golf course in the Kingdom, The Royal Golf of Dar Es Salam. The golf estate is comprised of three courses and will provide the scenic backdrop to The Ritz-Carlton, Rabat, located near the 10th tee of the main course, which will house 120 rooms including one and two bedroom villas.
Marriott’s other luxury offering St. Regis, with 38 hotels today and 21 in the pipeline, continues to reinterpret the legacy of the original St. Regis hotel in New York for today’s luxury traveller. The brand is slated to make debuts in five destinations in this year, including Shanghai, Changsha and Cairo.
W Hotels continues to ride the wave with W Goa, which made its much-anticipated debut last month and the brand has 33 hotels in the pipeline. This year will be a strong year for W Hotels with six anticipated openings, ranging from Tel Aviv and Panama City to Shanghai.
Edition will debut additional properties in Bangkok and Barcelona by the end of the year. The Luxury Collection, meanwhile, surpasses its 100th hotel milestone with a robust 2017 pipeline. After marquee openings in Venice and Los Cabos, JW Marriott also continues to soar.
OBEROI
Following on from the opening of The Oberoi, Dubai in 2013, The Oberoi Group expands its offering in the UAE. The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah, Ajman opens in March 2017 in a new luxury eco-destination just 25 minutes from Dubai. The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah will offer a new luxury eco-destination experience introducing Al Zorah’s pristine natural environment including one million square metres of protected forest area, white sand beaches, lagoons and mangroves just 25 minutes from Dubai. The recreational activities suit guests of all ages and are part of the Al Zorah complex (Jack Nicklaus golf course, bird watching, watersports, exploring the marine wildlife and coral reef). Fresh local and international cuisine will be prepared by The Oberoi’s Master Chefs.
TAJ
The 157-room Taj Swarna Amritsar is strategically located 30 minutes from both the international airport and the sacred Sikh shrine of Shri Harmandir Sahib. The design draws inspiration from the local Amritsar culture, craft and traditional weaves called Phulkari as well as the magnificence of the Golden Temple. The hotel is home to Grand Trunk a sprawling all-day diner, a rooftop classic Chinese cuisine restaurant aptly christened Chinese Room, a bar Peg that overlooks the pool, lush banqueting lawns and a Jiva Spa.
Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Andaman Islands is located at the edge of the jungle and opens out to a pristine white beach on The Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This will be Taj’s first foray into this destination. The ultra-luxury resort hotel will have 75 villas with a presidential villa of 8,000 sq. ft. and the resort will have its own private beach. The villa designs are inspired by the pitch-roof style of the traditional Jarawa huts.
ANANTARA
Scheduled to open in 2019, 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. The property is owned by SAB Group and was previously a luxury residential compound, which will undergo a renovation and transformation, led by cutting-edge international design architects.
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 500 square metre meeting room, which is divisible by two, plus two further meeting rooms. The resort has two receptions and lobbies; one is dedicated for VIP arrivals.
Spa and wellness will be a major focus of the resort, which will offer a separate female and male Anantara Spa and an impressive wellness centre. An extensive selection of wellness journeys will be available, as part of Anantara’s ‘Balance’ programme.
PENINSULA
The newly unveiled renovation (worth $123 million) of The Peninsula Beijing marks the latest chapter in The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels’ (HSH) long tradition of hospitality excellence in China.
Located in central Beijing, just a short walk from Tiananmen Square and the city’s historic cultural venues, The Peninsula Beijing has welcomed the world to Beijing and Beijing to the world for more than a quarter of a century, arguably the most exciting period in the nation’s 5,000-year history.
The hotel’s original 525 rooms and suites have been reduced and reimagined to just 230 suite-style rooms, each offering a separate bedroom, living room, bathroom and dressing room. With standard room at an average of 65 square metres, the standard rooms are now the largest in Beijing, and among the most spacious in China.
BARRIÈRE
Barrière is about to make landfall on St Barthelemy, a stunning island hidden away in the middle of the Caribbean. It is in this tiny jewel in France’s overseas crown that the group will open its latest five-star property, the Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf St-Barth.
The group has decided to expand its network through the renovation of one of the island’s emblematic hotels, the Carl Gustaf, which closed its doors in 2013. After two years of studies and construction work, it will reopen at the end of 2017 more surprising and elegant than ever before following a complete renovation.
Staff Report