Hospitality Breaking NewsMinor Hotels has signed a management agreement with Basma Group and ARADA for a new Anantara resort in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Scheduled to open in mid-2020, the 233-key Anantara Sharjah Resort will be located on a prime beachfront location in Sharjah, approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport and 15 minutes’ drive from Sharjah International Airport. The new-build resort will offer a selection of accommodation options including Deluxe Rooms and Luxury Suites. Facilities will include multiple dining options with a specialty restaurant located on a pier, a male and female spa and wellness centre, a kids’ club, a swimming pool and a ballroom able to accommodate up to 540 guests for a banquet.
Basma Group and ARADA will be the joint owners of the hotel, with the latter playing a developer management role in the delivery of the property. Both companies are headquartered in Sharjah, under the chairmanship of HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi.
The third-largest emirate in the UAE, Sharjah is an established tourism destination which is growing significantly in popularity. Home to great beaches, it is well known for its commitment to art, culture and preserving the local heritage, with an impressive selection of museums, art galleries and beautifully restored traditional areas. The Sharjah tourism authority is continuing to enhance the tourism and hotel industries, with the Emirate having adopted a long-term development strategy aimed at diversification of the economy and becoming a cultural and leisure centre for the region.
Sharjah International Airport accommodates a number of international carriers as well as regional airlines and is the official hub of Air Arabia, the Middle East’s first low-cost carrier.
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas was launched by Minor Hotels in 2001 and currently operates 39 properties in 12 countries. The luxury brand has nine hotels and resorts in the Middle East – six in the UAE, two in Oman and one in Qatar. In addition Anantara has further properties under development in the region including in the UAE and the brand’s first properties in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Morocco.
At the signing, which took place yesterday in Sharjah, William E. Heinecke, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Minor International PCL, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Basma Group and ARADA to bring our luxury Anantara brand to Sharjah. There is a huge opportunity within the luxury segment in this fast-growing destination and we are confident that Anantara will be well received within the market.”
HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Basma Group and Chairman of ARADA, said: “Anantara is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury hotel brands, and this new property marks yet another hospitality milestone for Sharjah. We’re looking forward to launching the Anantara Sharjah Resort in 2020, and delivering on our commitment to providing exceptional new destinations to the residents of Sharjah, as well as tourists to our fast-growing Emirate.”
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels, also commented, “Anantara is very well established in the Middle East market and adding a resort in Sharjah is a great opportunity to further extend the brand in the region and reach new markets. We look forward to working with Basma Group and ARADA to bring the new resort to market and to ensuring its success as one of the leading hotels in the emirate.”
Minor Hotels currently operates 13 properties in the Middle East across four of its brands – Anantara, AVANI, Tivoli and Oaks – and has a further strong pipeline in the region across these four brands.