With many markets seeing a return to leisure travel following more than a year of disruptions and pent-up demand, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is entering a phase of growth that will see it add several resort destinations to its worldwide portfolio of hotels, resorts and residences. The heritage luxury brand has announced plans to double its global footprint over the next three to five years. The brand’s resort development pipeline includes Jaipur (India), Sentosa (Singapore), Manama (Bahrain) and Macau (China).
“Resort travel is rapidly increasing in demand and we are seeing an uptick in resort developments in several markets around the world,” said Agnès Roquefort, chief development officer of Accor, the global hospitality group that owns the Raffles brand, in a press release. “The pandemic has awakened people’s desire to travel further, visit dream destinations and experience the world together—in small groups or with the whole family.”
Raffles is aiming to deliver a range of experiences that focus on wellness, community and discovery. The luxury brand’s wellbeing program, “Emotional Wellbeing by Raffles,” was launched in late 2019 and can be discovered at resort locations such as Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Raffles Bali, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo, Raffles Seychelles and Raffles Hainan.
The brand recently launched India’s first Raffles resort, Raffles Udaipur. It offers a fresh perspective on the region of Rajasthan from a 21-acre private island set in the middle of Lake Udai Sagar. The property is reminiscent of a country estate, with manicured gardens and offers views of the surrounding Aravalli Hills, the lake and a 400-year-old temple. The resort houses 101 rooms, suites and signature suites that interweave western cultural references with Rajasthan’s royal heritage and elements of Mughal architecture. Guestrooms have uninterrupted lake views, balconies, private gardens, plunge pools and an east-west design aesthetic with murals, besides handcrafted furniture and other crafts by local artisans.
Located on the Palm Jumeirah, Raffles The Palm, Dubai opened on October 1 this year, spanning 100,000 square meters (1,076,391 square feet) of the West Crescent. Raffles’ second property in Dubai—and its first resort in the Middle East—offers sea views and vistas of Dubai’s skyline. It is located a short drive away from the city’s popular attractions. The resort will offer 389 luxurious guestrooms, suites and villas, each with a balcony and sea-view terrace, along with eight bar and restaurant concepts. To meet the growing demand for bespoke wellness experiences, the resort will have a spa with 23 treatment rooms and two private spa suites, and the city’s largest indoor swimming pool.
