Saudi’s first Anantara hotel to open in Jeddah

Hotel operator Minor Hotels has announced plans to debut its luxury Anantara brand in Saudi Arabia, with a property in Jeddah.

Anantara Jeddah Resort will be located on the waterfront in Obhur and will offer 226 guest rooms and 102 two to five bedroom villas.

The property, owned by SAB Group, was previously a luxury residential compound and will undergo a renovation and transformation, a statement said.

The resort will have two receptions and lobbies, one dedicated for VIP arrivals.

Facilities will include F&B options with both indoor and outdoor seating, fitness and swimming pool areas, a kid’s and teen’s club and a library.

For business guests, there will be three meeting rooms including a 500 sqm room divisible by two.

The resort will also offer a female and male Anantara Spa and a wellness centre that will offer treatments including detox, de-stress, weight management, anti-aging and rejuvenation.

Wellness cuisine and healthy cooking classes will also be held, with activities including yoga, pilates and Tai Chi. The resort will also offer a regular programme of wellness-focused educational workshops.

The hotel is scheduled to open in 2019.

Sheikh Salah al Belawi, chairman of SAB Group said: “The concept of a health and wellness resort is long overdue in Saudi Arabia and our Obhor property lends itself to such a concept.”

William E. Heinecke, chairman and CEO of Minor International, added: “Anantara Jeddah represents Minor Hotels’ debut in Saudi Arabia and grows our presence in the GCC to four countries. Minor Hotels has been looking for the right opportunity to expand into Saudi Arabia.”

Minor Hotels currently operates nine Anantara properties in the Middle East and its pipeline in the region includes new resorts under development in the UAE (in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah), Bahrain, Morocco and Tunisia.

Overall Minor Hotels currently operates 14 properties in the Middle East across four of its brands – Anantara, AVANI, Oaks and PER AQUUM.