Business Traveller (Middle East)
ACTIVITY BREAKS
Forget the hotel gym – business travellers can now make use of impressive sports resorts
Forget the hotel gym – business travellers visiting the UAE can now work and relax in new five-star sports resorts
The horses at the first St. Regis resort globally come at a canter. After walking past three sculptures at the front and several more within minutes of entering, I’m now standing open-mouthed beneath a horse chandelier – at the ballroom pre-function area – which might be a first in both an equestrian and lighting context. Corridors and rooms lined with black-and-white and colourful paintings further cement the equine links; there can be no doubt you’re in a polo resort.
General Manager Andrew Henning greets me outside and as we walk in, light seeps through archshaped windows, illuminating an attractive orange-tree courtyard. We walk right, past an Equestrian Lounge, which will serve traditional afternoon tea, and a brick-walled Taperia tapas bar. We peek in four meeting rooms offering field views, one of which is a makeshift gym while work on the spa, gym and pool is finishing off.
The central Andalucia restaurant is flanked by grand staircases, which look very St. Regis, and after peeping down on a small bubbling fountain I head outside where enormous terracing overlooks two vast pitches (a third is on the other side) which were irrigated by powerful jets as I parked. I’m handed double-thickness business cards in line with the overriding grandeur.
Interior design was led by British architectural firm WS Atkins & Partners and inspired by Andalusian architecture.
Given polo is part of St. Regis’ DNA, it strikes me as surprising that a dedicated resort hasn’t cropped up before, but Henning says now this one is up and running, it’s attracting widespread interest.
“Developers and owners are starting to talk about more projects,” he says. “It’s a perfect fit. Polo has been one of the passion points since the brand was born, enjoyed by the Astor family, and so it’s great to do it in a grand way. Last week we had several highhandicap Argentinian players – the highest you can go is 10 and there’s only a handful who reach it – so to attract that calibre shows Dubai is growing as a recognised polo destination on a global scale.”
While polo players locally have been served by decent facilities scattered across Dubai, at Desert Palm Per Aquum, Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club and Arabian Ranches, this one takes it to a new hospitality footing. Alongside the 136 hotel rooms (96 rooms, 30 suites), the perimeter is lined with 120 residential villas and 25 on the left, as you enter, will be serviced by the hotel with full butler services.
The chukkers are now firmly underway. The Dubai