THE Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Emirates’ first luxury conservation based resort outside the UAE will open on schedule for an October 1 soft opening. Located in the heart of Australia’s Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, the resort is built on the same principles as the group’s Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, UAE.
Joost Heymeijer, general manager, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, said, “We have reached that very satisfying point in the development when the hard construction work is behind us and the focus shifts onto detail, quality finishing and preparation for operations.” The resort is fully integrated into its environment, incorporating many ecologically sustainable design principles including rainwater collection, full recycling of all domestic water, heat exchange technology to reduce electricity consumption and the use of solar panels for all hot water systems. The resort has over 100 solar-energy units, significantly reducing its energy consumption and resources footprint.
Additional measures aimed at reducing the resort’s carbon footprint included efficient room heating and cooling methods, using traditional windmills instead of electrical pumps and wherever possible, natural and recycled materials such as sandstone and timber were sourced locally.
Most of the artisans, carpenters, crafts people were locally sources too.
Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is the only resort in recent history to receive permission to be built within a World Heritage Area. Following some of the most rigorous legislation and environmental controls in the world.
