NEW YEAR, NEW BEACHFRONT HOTELS
The east coast this month welcomed another resort to its shores: InterContinental Hotels Group’s first Middle East resort has opened in Fujairah. Located on Al Aqah Beach, the luxury resort consists of a series of low-rise Arabesque village-style buildings and has 190 guest rooms and suites, including 44 Club InterContinental Rooms and 38 suites. Facilities include a spa by L’Occitane, gym, four meeting rooms, a boardroom and a ballroom. There is a kids’ club, a teen’s club and a family pool, and a babysitting service. The resort has two gourmet dining restaurants: Nama, which offers an international buffet, and Drift, a casual beach bar and grill. Rooms start from Dh665.
Dubai’s known for its fast-paced lifestyle, but the latest trend in hospitality is for something more healthful. The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery, on the Palm Jumeirah’s East Crescent, is a four-star contemporary hotel by AccorHotels, describing itself as the ‘region’s first 360-degree holistic well-being resort’. The beachfront hotel has 255 rooms and suites decorated following Feng Shui philosophy. There are organic pressed juices handed out every hour; in the evening the lobby has a calming candlelight ritual to calm the mind. Experiential travel is the name of the game: Expect Bedouin breakfasts in the desert, beach yoga and book clubs. Food at the four eateries is local and organic. The Rayya Wellness Centre’s treatments are organic with Dubai Health Authority-endorsed wellness experts on hand – including life coaches, nutritionists, a wellness chef and a doctor of naturopathy. Six retreat packages are available for those who want to truly immerse themselves in a rejuvenating lifestyle. Expect to pay around Dh1,100 per room per night, excluding taxes.