Ras Al Khaimah’s latest eco-tourism destination, the Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort is aiming to debut the Maldivian ambiance in the serene northern emirate when it open its doors next year (2022).

Part of the new Mina Al Arab luxury development, a beachfront playground with a marina, waterfront cafes and boutiques, the resort offers 306 guest rooms, suites and overwater villas in Maldivian resort style overlooking a lush, mangrove-lined eco-reserve and pristine private beach.

The premier five-star hotel will also feature a range of food and beverage outlets, a discovery and eco-learning centre and a world-class wellness centre complete with a state-of-the-art gym, aerobics and yoga studios, as well as squash and tennis courts. In addition, the resort will offer an outdoor swimming pool, kids’ club, signature spa, and meeting and events spaces.

Culinary experiences will celebrate the flavours and specialties of Asia, where bamboo artwork will tie the menu to the interiors.

Developed by RAK Properties, the Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort is being designed for Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification by the Dubai studio of global hospitality firm Wilson Associates, executed with Perkins Eastman Architects International.

The design concept is inspired by the organic contours of the biodiverse landscape on which the upcoming Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort sits and respects the sanctity of the nearby reserve while balancing a sense of sophistication and intrigue through careful placemaking.

More than simply an abstract influence, Mina Al Arab’s iconic mangroves provide a pièce de résistance for the overall scheme –– Perkins Eastman’s shell orientation capitalises on views of the glittering waterways, stacked high with thick roots, while Wilson Associates’ interior design seeks to maintain the reserve’s integrity and longevity through a careful attention to sustainability, in keeping with the Dubai studio’s design philosophy.

For the resort’s interiors, Wilson Associates took a natural approach to materiality, recalling the hues and textures of the iconic mangroves that hallmark the design concept for the destination hotel. Celebrating refined craftsmanship, stone and wood accented with authentic finishes create an elevated palette – a neutrality that will be accented by bright pops of colour and trendy accessories to infuse a sense of playful leisure into the mindfulness of the design narrative.

The resort’s interiors take a natural approach to materiality.

Both private and public spaces champion sustainability, as well as an ecological and cultural sensitivity, through a keen attention to detail –– with each furnishing and fixture selected in accordance with Leed standards, down to the custom basins found in the guest washrooms.

Culinary experiences will celebrate the flavours and specialties of Asia, where bamboo artwork will tie the menu to the interiors. Further anchoring the resort’s leisure spaces in the landscape, an upscale Thai restaurant will feature floating dining pods, mirroring the Maldivian-inspired overwater villas, while the main pool overlooks the mangroves. Each of these pieces come together in an aesthetic that will invite guests to relax and unwind in the tranquility of the locale, where earth, nature, and humanity combine in authentic luxury.

Intended to protect the biodiverse site from being spoiled by development, these design influences culminate in an on-site, open-to-the-public discovery and eco-learning centre.