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InterContinental is opening a luxury beach resort in Ras Al-Khaimah in February

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We normally get to hear about new IHG hotels before they get anywhere near opening, but the new InterContinental Mina Al Arab resort in Ras Al-Khaimah seems to have popped out of nowhere.

IHG has a bit of a problem in the UAE. It has a lot of hotels, but no high end beach resorts. This makes the chain less attractive, especially in a market like this where a lot of local residents like to book into hotels at the weekend to get pool and beach access.

This is about to change.

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab

On 1st February, InterContinental Mina Al Arab Ras Al-Khaimah is due to open.

Bookings are now being taken via ihg.com here.

As you can see from the photo above (click to enlarge), it looks good. Below are a few more from the website:

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab

The rooms look particularly impressive:

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab

and

InterContinental Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah

According to IHG:

Escape to the exquisite landscapes and hospitality of modern Arabia. Situated along the breathtaking shores of the Arabian Sea, InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort and Spa awaits with the promise of spectacular adventure, ultimate relaxation and cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Stretching across two peninsulas and a private beach, the 351-room resort features an exclusive collection of rooms, suites and villas and chalets.”

Where is Ras Al Khaimah?

Ras Al Khaimah is a 60-minute taxi ride (about £40-50) from Dubai. Whilst there is very little going on in Ras – it’s not the place for a shopping holiday – the beach resorts are of a very high quality and substantially cheaper than Dubai.

Past HfP hotel reviews have included:

We also covered the launch of the world’s biggest Hampton by Hilton in Ras a couple of months ago.

I don’t know anything more about the new InterContinental beyond what is written here, but it is worth keeping an eye on. The hotel website is here.


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Comments (12)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Rob says:

    Comments now open. Not sure how they got disabled in the first place!

  • TGLoyalty says:

    Is the IC in Doha not a beach resort ?

    • Tom says:

      I suppose it is, but even most people who live in the Middle East probably wouldn’t think of going to Qatar for a beach holiday!

      • Tom says:

        Although actually while we’re at it the IC Fujairah is a beach resort, the IC Abu Dhabi is a beach resort, the IC Muscat is by the beach albeit the hotel itself doesn’t have a private beach, etc., so I think what the article actually means is there is currently no IC beach resort in the area of the UAE that Rob usually visits…

        • Rob says:

          Abu Dhabi is a dump (we’ve reviewed it) and few are going to Muscat for the weekend from the UAE.

          • TGLoyalty says:

            I think many people are going to muscat for the weekend based upon the clientele at Al Bustan when I was there.

  • Benilyn says:

    What are people’s favourite RAK redemption? (IHG/Hilton/Marriott)

  • Jamie says:

    What would the ballpark cost be for something like this? I’m totally unfamiliar with the UAE. Is this an “if you have to ask” or could you do a few days for £1-2k?

    • Tom says:

      My guess is this will be a you could definitely do a few days for £1-2k over most of the year, but then will become “if you have to ask” over certain peak periods like Christmas / New Year / Easter / some local holidays. That seems to generally be how IC level and equivalent resort properties in the UAE price.

    • BP says:

      It’ll probably be about £150-£200 most of the year. A little cheaper in the baking hot summer maybe.

    • Chaz says:

      Or for the same amount of time to write the message here, go and make an enquiry on their website? FYI – £200 for basic room, to £850 for a pool villa for 4 – which looks (on description only) decent for the price.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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