InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa to open in February


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Ras Al Khaimah's newest hotel will open in the northern emirate before the end of this month.

The InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa is less than three weeks away from opening its doors on Hayat Island.

The 351-room resort is Ras Al Khaimah's first InterContinental hotel and is set right on the beachfront with views of the Arabian Sea and the Hajar mountains.

Six new dining and drinking spots will open at the hotel including New York-inspired Noho Bar and Turkish and Lebanese fusion spot Levant & Nar. Sunset drinks around the fire pit at Shasha will undoubtedly be popular, with the al fresco venue offering awesome views over the ocean as well as poolside dining.

Click through the gallery above for a sneak peek of what to expect at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa.

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort and Spa will have six new restaurants and bars. Photo: IHG
InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort and Spa will have six new restaurants and bars. Photo: IHG

Guests staying at the hotel can book a room, suite or villa, with each category offering spacious accommodation and a private balcony or terrace. For those seeking utmost privacy, private pools and family villas are surrounded by well-manicured gardens and located only a few steps from the white sandy beach.

For travellers staying in premium rooms, there will be complimentary access to the Club InterContinental Experience. Housed in a separate building, this exclusive club offers a dedicated premium check-in area, a private pool and bespoke food and beverages served throughout the day.

The hotel has plenty to keep the whole family entertained with two temperature-controlled swimming pools, a fitness suite and a luxury spa with a Turkish hammam and 10 treatment rooms.

A deluxe sea-view room at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort and Spa. Photo: IHG
A deluxe sea-view room at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort and Spa. Photo: IHG

Children will be entertained and educated at Planet Trekkers, IHG's signature club that specialises in creating adventures for children to allow them to find out more about the world through hands-on activities. Older children will be happy at the Teens Club.

The hotel is also offering a plethora of day trips to some of Ras Al Khaimah's most interesting spots including visits to the Suwaidi Pearl Farm, dhow cruises through the mangroves and desert safari excursions.

Rooms start from Dh1,007 excluding taxes. To celebrate the launch, the advance saver rate offers a 15 per cent discount on best available rates plus complimentary breakfast to guests who are among the first to stay at the new luxury resort.

InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Spa, Al Raffa, Ras Al Khaimah; ihg.com

Update: This article previously stated an opening date but this has been changed due to incorrect information provided.

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

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Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.

A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”

Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”

Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”

By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.

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Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

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Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

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Updated: February 15, 2022, 12:48 PM`