Qatar opens Banana Island resort

Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani inaugurated on Thursday the Banana Island Resort Doha.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by a number ministers, senior officials and other guests.
The Qatari premier toured the resort and was briefed on tourist facilities and services, accommodation units, playgrounds and recreation centers as well as marina basin and indoor botanical garden.
Built on 162,000 square meters in the Arabian Gulf, the Banana Island Resort Doha is the touristy favorite destination for Qatari and expat families, as well as tourists visiting Qatar from around the world.
The resort features 141 luxury guest rooms, suites and villas including eight two-bedroom over water villas and a trio of three-bedroom villas which offer 360 square meters of space and a personal pool.
The Bangkok-based luxury resort and spa operator Anantara will operate the resort which boasts 140 hotel rooms, 34 chalets, eight villas, and a dive center with a practice pool for beginners as well as a range of other water sports.
The resort also includes an entertainment center with a nine-hole putting golf course, eight pin bowling alley and VIP cinema theatre plus a wellness centre. Eight dining options offer a choice of Middle Eastern, Italian and international cuisines, the statement added.
In the Middle East, Anantara operates Qasr Al-Sarab Desert Resort, two resorts on Sir Bani Yas island and the Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa, Anantara in Abu Dhabi.
In 2013, it opened Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa, which is the company's first property in Dubai.