10.6.09 | Orlando, FL | The Orlando office of VOA Associates Incorporated has announced its commission to serve as design architect and interior designer for "The British Colonial Hotel" at the Mina Al Arab Resort in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The new, $150 million, five-star, luxury property is one of 11 resorts within the new Mina Al Arab Resort, an integrated lifestyle development spread along eight miles of a beachfront strip and group of islands in Ras Al-Khaimah, a popular tourist destination located within a 45 minute drive of Dubai.

VOA leads an international team of consultants in providing architecture, interior design, planning, engineering, landscape architecture, FF&E procurement and installation, and construction supervision services for the new resort. Construction will commence in 2010, with completion scheduled for 2011.

The British West Indies - themed beachfront resort is located directly on the Arabian Gulf Coast and will feature 373 rooms and 30 villas. "The natural beauty of this unique site frames the long vistas over the Persian Gulf and a protected lagoon," states Jonathan F. Douglas, AIA, VOA managing principal and principal-in-charge of the project. “In keeping with RAK's motto of "Living Closer to Nature," the resort will incorporate sustainability features and a distinctive design that integrates with its incomparable location. Our objective is to deliver a unique, creative destination resort that makes the most of the unspoiled beaches, protected wetlands and other natural features that compose the surrounding environment."

Douglas explains that the architecture of the four-story main hotel building is evocative of the British West Indies period style within a luxury tropical setting. Covered porches along the main entrance and towards the Arabian Gulf provide shade and an inviting place for guests to sit and relax. The exterior façade is detailed with colonnades and balconies and pitched roofs and dormers to create interest through layering heights and forms, while traditional forms and materials such as wood clad paneled columns, panelized ceilings, overhead fans and plank type stone resembling wood flooring establishes the design concept in every detail.

In addition to deluxe guest accommodations, the development program for the property includes a variety of dining choices, including a three-meal restaurant, luxury steak and fish restaurant, themed casual bar, and garden style restaurant, and outdoor amenities including adult and family pools, gardens, beach promenade and services, outdoor pool bar, tennis courts, and children's play areas. The resort also features a luxuriously appointed spa and spacious, well-appointed conference and meeting facilities. 

The Mina Al Arab resort is being developed by RAK Properties (PJSC).