21 May 2013
Minor Hotel Group continues with its strategic expansion in the Middle East with the announcement of its first hotel in Qatar, to open in early 2014.
Anantara Doha Island Resort & Spa is a 141-room five star resort in the Arabian Gulf, just off the coast of the country’s capital Doha. Minor Hotel Group is partnering with the Qatari owned company Al Rayyan Hospitality to open its first property in the country. The resort will become part of the internationally renowned Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas portfolio, known for its luxury experience and discovery-led hospitality, which is already well established in the UAE with three properties in Abu Dhabi.
Located on a 13-hectare island, the new resort will be accessible by speedboat from Doha’s downtown area and from The Pearl. Anantara Doha Island will be the sole off-shore escape for both Doha residents and visitors alike, representing an exclusive getaway from the hectic business city.
The resort boasts a total of 141 rooms, ranging from standard guest rooms to over-water pool villas. There will be four restaurants and bars, including a contemporary Japanese restaurant and an Arabic beach club. A total of four pools will be spread throughout the resort’s lush grounds, including a large lagoon pool, a surf pool with wave machine and hydro exercise pools. The resort will offer an Anantara Spa and an extensive Wellness & Holistic Centre, as well as a 24-hour fitness centre and tennis court. The island will also be home to a marina accommodating up to 50 boats.
An extensive selection of family activities will be available including a kids club, a dedicated family beach with access to beach volleyball and water sports, a nine-hole golf putting course, a ten-pin bowling alley and a cinema. An off-shore reef is also being developed and the resort will be home to a reef conservation centre, giving guests the opportunity to plant their own coral and learn more about the underwater environment. In addition there will be a fully equipped diving centre.
For business guests, the resort will offer a ballroom accommodating up to 250 people for a banquet. There will also be two meeting rooms for up to 50 delegates and an outdoor event space with a capacity to host up to 100 people.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotel Group, commented, “We are very excited to announce this new resort in Qatar in partnership with Al Rayyan Hospitality. The Middle East is a key strategic area of development for Minor Hotel Group and we are actively looking at opportunities to grow not only Anantara but also our AVANI and Oaks brands in the region.”
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Editor Notes:
About Minor International:
Minor International (MINT) is a global company focused on three primary businesses including restaurants, hotels and lifestyle brands distribution. MINT is a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of 45 hotels and 42 serviced suites under the Anantara, AVANI, Oaks, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Minor International brands in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Tanzania, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. MINT is one of Asia’s largest restaurant companies with over 1,300 outlets operating system wide in 18 countries under The Pizza Company, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Thai Express, the Coffee Club and Ribs and Rumps brands. MINT is also one of Thailand’s largest distributors of lifestyle brands focusing primarily on fashion, cosmetics and contract manufacturing. Its brands include Gap, Esprit, Bossini, Charles & Keith, Pedro, Red Earth, Tumi, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, and ETL Learning. For more information, please visitwww.minorinternational.com.
About Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas:
For hundreds of years throughout Thailand, people would leave a jar of water outside their house to provide refreshment and extend a welcome to the passing traveler. Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means 'without end', symbolising this sharing of water and the heartfelt hospitality that lies at the core of every Anantara experience.
From lush jungles to pristine beaches and legendary deserts to cosmopolitan cities, Anantara currently boasts 21 stunning properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Bali, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and China; with future properties to open in Thailand, China, Laos, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, UAE and Oman.
For more information on Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, please visitwww.anantara.com.
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/anantara and Twitter: Anantara_Hotels
Press contacts:
Mark Thomson (Anantara)
David Wasserman (Wasamedia – Anantara’s PR representatives in Australia)
Gemma Kaczerepa (Wasamedia – Anantara’s PR representatives in Australia)
