Anantara Opens New Luxury Island Resort In Doha

Luxury hotels and resorts operator Anantara has unveiled Banana Island Resort Doha, the brand’s first luxury property in Qatar.

The resort will be developed by Al Rayyan Hospitality, which has other hospitality projects such as Qatar’s Souq Waqif, London’s Orya Hotel, Salwa Resort and the hotel and spa at Masila to its credit.

Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara is located on a Qatari crescent shape island in the Arabian Gulf and has an 800-metre private beach.

The resort consists of 141 luxury guest rooms, suites and villas in Arabian styles with 54 Premier Sea View Rooms, 16 Deluxe Sea View Rooms, eight Sea View Suites, 18 Anantara Suites and 34 Sea View Pool Villas featuring a personal pool and poolside cabana, the resort operator said in a statement.

It will also have eight two-bedroom over water villas and a trio of three-bedroom Anantara over water villas that offer 360 square metres of space and a 62 square metre personal pool.

In addition, the property is also equipped with a marina that has 30 berths along with a dive centre and a two lane surf pool.

The resort also consists of recreational facilities such as a fitness centre, an entertainment centre with a nine-hole putting golf course, eight pin bowling alley and a VIP cinema theatre.

The island resort has about eight dining locations including restaurants with Middle Eastern, Italian and international cuisines.

David Garner, regional director of sales and marketing director for Anantara Hotels & Resorts Middle East, previously said that the Doha island resort is targeted at the luxury tourists in the GCC.

Banana Island Resort Doha is part of a major expansion strategy chalked out by Anantara, which aims to open 50 new properties by 2015.

In the Middle East, Anantara operates Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, two resorts on Sir Bani Yas island and the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, Anantara in Abu Dhabi. In 2013, it opened Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, which is the company’s first property in Dubai.