DUBAI-BASED JA Resorts & Hotels celebrated two prestigious wins at the recent World Travel Awards, in the international hospitality company’s ongoing tour-de-force as a leader in luxury family travel. Two of the group’s Dubai properties expanded further on their regional accolades, by winning top awards at the 2014 global finals.
JA Palm Tree Court, the luxury beach hotel in Dubai, was announced ‘World’s Leading Family Resort’, while JA Oasis Beach Tower in Dubai Marina clinched the award for ‘World’s Leading Apartment Hotel’. Both properties specialise in family travel on account of their spacious and flexible accommodation options, as well as access to children’s clubs, sports facilities and leisure attractions. Both properties also received TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice awards for family travel earlier this year. They currently occupy the 10th and 11th spots on TripAdvisor.com’s ranking of 485 hotels in Dubai.“It is, of course, tremendously rewarding to see the efforts we’ve committed to in terms of positive experiences for families, result in these global accolades,” says David Thomson, CEO of JA Resorts & Hotels. “That said, to see on a daily basis how our facilities and services enhance family holidays and provide more opportunities for unforgettable memories, is equally special.”JA MANAFARUBut, perhaps, what is most special about JA Resorts & Hotels right now, is their newly opened JA Manafaru property in the Maldives, the first hospitality investment in the Maldives by a UAE company.The opening represents JA Resorts & Hotels’ continued expansion into the Indian Ocean, and follows the launch of Enchanted Island Resort in the Seychelles. With over 33 years’ experience managing and operating resorts and hotels in the UAE, the company took ownership of the resort in the Maldives earlier this year, but injected a substantial investment to its refurbishment. JA Manafaru, located in the Northern Haa Alifu Atoll of the Maldives, presents couples and families a high-end holiday offering all year round. Located 75-minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport, the property boasts 84 rooms consisting of beach villas and water villas with their own private pool. Unique to JA Manafaru in the Maldives, guests passionate about food can visit one of the seven restaurants at the resort, each with unique dining experiences and a menu designed by award-winning chef Richard Cross. Three restaurants recently won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2014 for the extensive and varied wine selection. They were also nominated as outstanding dining venues with an exceptional wine and fine drinks menu variety. The resort offers guests something different every day, from beach front dining to sunset bars or a ‘Crusoe’ dining experience on the deserted nearby Island. There are a wide range of activities and facilities designed to keep the kids entertained and engaged, including arts and crafts, treasure hunts and guided snorkelling safaris, while the parents relax and have fun with a spa and beauty complex, water sports, and PADI dive centre.The resort has also introduced a dedicated seaplane that will depart twice daily from Male airport to reduce guests’ travel time. The journey to the island is mesmerising as the seaplane coasts above the archipelago so guests can soak up the scenery. NEW RESTAURANT ALERTThe latest dining experience by JA Resorts & Hotels is on The Deck at JA Ocean View Hotel in Jumeirah Beach Residebnce. Sehr Al Bahar is a stone’s throw away from the Dubai Marina. Meaning ‘Magic of the Sea’, Sehr Al Bahar offers guests a relaxing evening by the pool with panoramic views of the ocean close by. Guests visiting the restaurant will have the opportunity to feast on a lavish selection of mezzeh and grills, Arabic-inspired drinks and a selection of shisha. Guests can choose from the 42 dining tables or 60 lounge seating options and are welcomed with a lemon mint shooter complimented with crudities.