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Bangkok-based Anantara is expanding its portfolio across Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the Middle East to encompass 50 properties within the next five years. The group currently operates seven resorts in Thailand, two in the Maldives, one in Bali, and two in the Middle East.
Spearheading the company’s rapid expansion is entrepreneur and hotelier William E. Heinecke, CEO of the Minor Group and its subsidiaries, including Minor International, which owns Anantara. Minor Group is one of the largest hospitality and leisure companies in the Asia Pacific region. By the end of 2011, Anantara will have expanded its portfolio by 60% in new and existing markets.
Openings from Anantara in 2011 include:
Maldives
Anantara Kihavah Villas
Seventy-eight spacious over-water and beach suites are set within the lush tropical nature of Kihavah Huravalhi island in the Baa Atoll in the Maldives. With private infinity pools, high ceilings, timber interiors, and terrazzo floors, the resort will additionally feature five dining options including an underwater restaurant and wine cellar. Guests can also enjoy the Anantara Spa and a wide range of unique Maldivian cultural experiences. Opens January 2011.
China
Anantara Sanya Resort & Spa
Situated on the serene Luhuitou Peninsula, Xiaodonghai, on the southernmost point of Hainan Island in south China, Anantara Sanya will comprise 128 guestrooms and 20 pool villas flanked by two beaches, Xiaodonghai Bay, Luhuitou Bay, and a mile-long coastline. The renowned Sanya tourism attraction, Luhuitou Park, is located on the hill overlooking the peninsula and provides a setting for 1,000-year-old romantic fables as well as panoramic views of the vast sea, the rolling mountains, and Sanya city, less than two miles away.
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa
Located in the Hengduan Mountains, Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province, Anantara Xishuangbanna will feature 103 guestrooms inspired by local Dai influences, including 80 deluxe rooms and 23 pool villas along the Luosuo River. Xishuangbanna is rich in nature that includes rain forests, rare plants and wildlife such as the Asian elephant, which is still found in the wild. Nearby Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport provides connections to Shangri-La, Kunming, and Beijing.
Oman
Anantara Al Madina A’Zarqa Resort & Spa
Set on a natural peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Oman, the 122 room luxury resort and spa is located an hour outside the historical city of Muscat and just 40 minutes from Seeb International Airport. The resort will feature traditional Arabian architecture and an Anantara Spa.
Indonesia
Anantara Uluwatu Resort & Spa
Anantara’s second property Bali, Anantara Uluwatu will be perched high on a limestone cliff on the island’s south-western tip. Each of the resort’s 77 spacious suites will offer unobstructed views of the ocean and the incredible Balinese sunset.
United Arab Emirates
Al Sahel by Anantara, Sir Bani Yas Island
Three miles off the coast of Abu Dhabi in a cluster of eight islands known as Desert Islands, Sir Bani Yas was founded by the late ruler and founder of the U.A.E., Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as a wildlife reserve for endangered species of Arabia. The island is home to the stately Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, a 64-room luxury resort, and in 2011, Anantara will open a complex of 30 new luxury chalets, each with private plunge pools, within the island’s Arabian Wildlife Park. Overlooking the rugged landscape and salt-dome hilltops, the rustic lodges will be surrounded by a lush grass savannah with uninterrupted views of grazing sand, mountain gazelles, and the Arabian oryx.
Al Yamm by Anantara, Sir Bani Yas Island
These sea-facing chalets will grace the eastern shores of Sir Bani Yas Island and will be surrounded by natural sandy beaches on the edge a peaceful lagoon rich with mangroves. The elegant flamingos that grace the landscape will doddle around the property, creating a serene environment for holiday-goers.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
