Written by Anantara has opened the first luxury resort on Dubai’s World Islands archipelago. Located in the Arabian Gulf, approximately four kilometres off the coast of Dubai, the new island resort is the first hotel in the South American continent of the development and offers guests a new luxury destination in Dubai and a unique perspective on the city.
The island sanctuary offers a total retreat from the buzz of Dubai, where guests can opt for views of the iconic cityscape, including the famous landmarks of Burj Khalifa and Burj al Arab, or a combination of island and sea views. The resort is accessible by a 15-minute luxury speedboat ride from the jetty at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort.
Anantara World Islands has a wide selection of accommodation options across 70 suites, beach and pool villas – all with a balcony, deck or terrace and offering plenty of space to unwind and relax. The 40 private pool villas have an outdoor dining area and direct access to the beach, with the two and four-bedroom pool villas offering an abundance of space and able to accommodate up to eight or 12 guests respectively. Interiors have a light contemporary feel with rattan detailing and turquoise accents, and many rooms have outdoor bathrooms.
The resort’s unique location on the World Islands also brings complete tranquillity to the guest experiences. Cinema under the Stars can be enjoyed in total peace and privacy, at the end of a sandbar, whilst Anantara’s signature Dining by Design has a special home in a bubble on the shoreline, with candle lit romance set to a soundtrack of lapping waves.
For experiences on the water, Anantara World Islands is the only hotel in Dubai where guests can relax on their own luxurious HamacLand, a unique floating lounge with hammocks and VIP food and drink service for guests to recline and enjoy a new perspective on the city. To explore the surrounding islands of ‘The World’, luxury boat cruises can also be arranged.
Dining options at the resort include Qamar, an Arabic-Indian restaurant with a large southwest facing deck, perfect for sundowners and shisha. Helios is a casual Mediterranean restaurant open daily for breakfast and beachside dining. Offering elevated panoramic views of the Dubai skyline is Luna, a stylish bar lounge for cocktails and light bites inspired by South American cuisine. Grand House is a lobby cafe serving coffee, cake and sandwiches throughout the day, overlooking the resort’s main swimming pool and deck. Freshly caught seafood is central to the culinary experience throughout the resort.
Opening in March, the Anantara Spa with six treatment rooms and spa cabanas on the beach will offer a range of spa and wellness therapies, including the signature Island Lava Shell Massage, with hot lava shells to relax the muscles and boost blood circulation, and traditional Thai healing treatments including Thai massage, a nod to Anantara’s Thai roots. Products used will include marine plants-based brand Phytomer and magnesium-rich Of the Islands. For the more active, a well-equipped gym with skyline views makes for a great work out. The resort also offers a wide range of water sports including kayaks and stand-up paddleboards and yoga classes taking place in a studio with skyline views.
More than 4,000 plants, including over 1,000 coconut palms, have been planted in the resort on the beachfront and throughout the landscaped gardens, attracting rich birdlife passing through. A family of peacocks also call the resort home. A large on-site greenhouse is growing hydroponic and organic fruit and vegetables, for use across the resort’s restaurants.
Commitment to sustainability in the construction of the resort includes a food waste to kitchen gas converter, its own water desalination plant and a washable glass water bottling plant, ensuring no use of plastic water bottles. The resort’s water system uses thermodynamic solar water heaters, variable frequency drive (VFD) pumps, and low flow sanitary fixtures. Sewage water is treated and recycled for irrigation, and energy-efficient heat pumps are used for all resort pools.