Desert bound

Natural vegetation was preserved.
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The new Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah blends seamlessly into its desert setting

When it came to selecting a location for their first ever resort, the founders of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts settled on a 600-acre site in Phuket, Thailand – vast swathes of picturesque coastal land punctuated by lagoons of the most intense cobalt blue. It soon transpired, however, that the intensity of the blue had little to do with the marvels of Mother Nature and was, in fact, the result of extensive pollution from the site’s previous tenant, a tin mine.

Rather than walking away, the founders dedicated themselves to cleansing the acid-laden soil and planted more than 7,000 trees, painstakingly transforming an ecological wasteland into the environmentally-sensitive site of the first ever Banyan Tree resort.

This was a founding block of the Banyan Tree ethos. “Banyan Tree is about the romance of travel and giving people a ‘sense of place’,” explained David Barclay, assistant vice president of design, Architrave Design and Planning, the design arm of the Banyan Tree Group. “Through the design and architecture of our resorts, we promote the uniqueness of indigenous cultures.

“Each Banyan Tree resort is designed to blend into its natural surroundings, using locally-made materials as far as possible, and reflecting the landscape and architecture of the destination.”

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The company’s inherent respect for natural environments is reiterated in the newly-opened Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah, the brand’s debut property in the UAE.

First and foremost, the Ras Al Khaimah resort was designed to blend unassumingly into its striking desert backdrop, Barclay explained. “At Banyan Tree Al Wadi, the interface between the desert and the resort is intended to be as seamless as possible, providing guests with the experience of staying ‘in’ the desert,” he said.

“Consisting of 70 Al Rimal Deluxe pool villas and 31 Al Khaimah and Al Sahari Tented pool villas, the resort sits on 100 hectares of desert plains, of which 60% is dedicated to a nature reserve housing indigenous wildlife and flora.

“Designed to retain the natural feel, topography and vegetation of the desert, the pool villas are constructed on valley floors between existing dunes, thus maintaining a degree of privacy and consequently preserving the site naturally,” said Barclay.

Every Banyan Tree resort has its own distinct sense of character, and the Ras Al Khaimah property is no different. It is the first Banyan Tree with its own nature reserve, horse and camel stables, water home, bird hide, and falconry mews.

The emphasis is on creating symbiotic relationships between resorts and their physical surroundings, while embracing local influences and the natural quirks of the selected site. “If you look at our signature restaurant, Saffron, for example, which is a restaurant that can be found across all Banyan Tree properties, each Saffron is uniquely designed.

“Saffron in Banyan Tree Al Wadi has been designed overlooking the water-hole so that you have a front-row seat for animal viewing,” Barclay noted.

This is one of a number of ‘interest areas’, Barclay explained. “As the resort is spread out over one quarter of a 100-hectare private nature reserve, we tried to create interest points as guests move through the resort – such as the water-hole, which is a source of water for the animals, watchtowers on higher ground, and the falconry mews with viewing deck, to name a few,” he detailed.

Asian-Arabian

The resort, which has been dubbed ‘an oasis of indulgence’, has very consciously embraced Middle Eastern design influences. Customised geometric Arabesque motifs are reiterated in light fittings, fretwork, timber and glass-reinforced concrete panelling. “To enhance the sense of adventure, we used elements of typical regional architecture,” Barclay explained.

“For example, each villa is finished with polished wood, high ceilings, and elaborate Arabic touches of lattice woodwork, stylised motifs and intricate carvings,” he continued.