04 Mar 2016

From the desert in the United Arab Emirates to the shores of a Maldivian island to an elephant camp in the North of Thailand, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas celebrates 15 years of unforgettable journeys since the luxury hospitality brand’s first resort in Hua Hin opened its doors. Guests and team members enjoyed the festivities in 11 countries around the world, including Chairman and CEO of Minor International, William Heinecke, and CEO of Minor Hotel Group, Dillip Rajakarier who joined in the celebrations in Bangkok, the brand’s home base.

With its fresh, new look which was recently unveiled in line with a new brand platform – Life is a Journey – Anantara’s portfolio now includes 35 hotels and resorts in a diverse range of locations across Asia, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Africa.

Since its inception a decade and a half ago, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has become known for its heartfelt commitment to corporate responsibility, contributing to social and environmental projects in each country of operation, as well as supporting grassroot initiatives. On top of matching guest donations as part of its Dollars for Deeds programme to support causes such as elephant and turtle conservation and medical care for disadvantaged children, Anantara recently raised USD 285,000 through its sponsorship of Bangkok’s first Elephant Parade. Now in its fourteenth year, The King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, taking place on the banks of Bangkok’s Chaophraya River from 10 – 13 March, is one of the biggest charitable events in Southeast Asia, which has raised nearly USD 1 million to date.  All Anantara Hotels are also undergoing Green Growth 2050 Certification in order to stay at the forefront of sustainability best practice.

Looking to the future, Anantara recently announced plans to open a second resort in Sri Lanka – Anantara Kalutara Resort – as well as two resorts in Oman – Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort and Al Baleed Salalah Resort by Anantara – which will all open by mid-2016 along with Anantara Guiyang Resort in Guizhou Province in central southern China and Anantara Al Houara Tangier Resort in northern Morocco.

Other Anantara resorts in the pipeline include: Anantara Tozeur Resort which will open in the southwest of Tunisia in 2017; Anantara Dubai Creek Hotel which is under development in Culture Village in Dubai; Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort, Anantara’s first property in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah; the brand’s first property in Bahrain, Anantara Durrat Al Bahrain Resort; and Anantara Desaru Resort & Villas in Malaysia – all of which are slated to open in 2018.

During the celebrations with team members at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel on Friday 4 March 2016, Dillip Rajakarier said: “The travel and hospitality landscape has changed dramatically over the past 15 years but the true lifeblood of Anantara has not – the success of our brand is down to the passion and the drive of all our team members around the world. They help connect our guests to each destination by offering indigenous experiences and a high level of expertise. At the same time as celebrating 15 years of success, we are looking ahead to the next 15 years and beyond. This is only the beginning of our journey and we are aiming to offer guests a choice of over 50 Anantara hotels and resorts by 2020.”

As well as its much-loved signature concepts such as its personalised dining concept, Dining by Design, Spice Spoons cooking classes and resident experts, Anantara Gurus, Anantara is renowned for its spa experiences using indigenous techniques and ingredients. As a natural extension of its award-winning expertise, Anantara recently launched ‘Balance’, an innovative new wellness concept. Balance motivates guests to pursue their personal passions and goals through bespoke experiences from ‘Passion Mapping’ to ‘Sound Healing’ as well as transformational wellness retreats which promise to deliver long-term health benefits and a positive lifestyle impact.

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Wayne McKinnon