ABU DHABI // Promoted by word of mouth and little local advertising, the first of Abu Dhabi's desert island hotels opened fully booked this month. The 64-room hotel is the centrepiece of Sir Bani Yas Island, a nature reserve and tourist destination that was the vision of Sheikh Zayed, the late founder of the nation.
Significantly smaller than many projects under way in the country, the hotel's owners believe it has the potential to play a part in conservation tourism in the Middle East. "The impact that this hotel will have with only 64 rooms is very small, but what it will do for the entire Middle East is give it a conservation project that exists nowhere else," said William Heinecke, the chief executive of Minor, which owns Anantara resorts, the company operating the Desert Islands Resort and Spa on the island.
"The press that will be generated from that small resort will be every bit as great as what's coming out of things like Atlantis, or these huge projects." Sir Bani Yas, about 170km west of the capital, was created by Sheikh Zayed the year he became president. The late ruler turned the 87sqkm island into a nature reserve and getaway. It was also used as a hunting ground. More than 30 years later, the island, rich with oryx, giraffe, gazelle and other antelope was granted to the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) to transform it into a holiday destination and nature reserve.
Lee Tabler, the TDIC's chief executive, said the island was handed over with the view of becoming an "environmentally friendly tourism destination". "Just prior to that, there had been occasional hunting trips on a very selective basis. It wasn't open to the public. It was primarily for friends of the Royal Family and the leadership of this country." All that existed on the island prior to the TDIC's involvement was a concrete building and 17,000 local and exotic animals. In a few months, the building was transformed into a small hotel.
"We inherited the main structure of the building and we tried to make it as environmentally friendly as we could in the circumstance," Mr Tabler said. The animal population is being reduced to 4,000 by exporting some to their natural habitats, or by culling. Within the next month, the TDIC will start designing a lodge that should be open by about 2010. About three tented resorts, each capable of housing up to 10 people, will open next year.
"Many people are curious about the Middle East. People who might otherwise have gone on safari to East Central Africa can visit the desert islands for a safari experience - perhaps even businessmen who want to bring their family. It's a shorter trip," said Mr Tabler. The hotel was not rethinking any of its plans because of the global financial crisis, he added. "We have a long-term strategy. We're not a short-term commercial developer. The current market conditions affect us very little."
The TDIC is funded through the Abu Dhabi Tourism Association, an arm of the Abu Dhabi Government. As such, its mandate is to develop destinations, rather than to make a profit. While the hotel may eventually become marginally profitable, the cost of running a nature reserve means Sir Bani Yas "will never make a profit", he said. However, the TDIC hopes the resort will eventually earn international renown and provide jobs for the residents of the rural communities such as Delma Island and Al Ruwais.
The TDIC has also bought two nine-seat air planes that will fly guests directly to the resort. Flights will begin on Oct 15. jgerson@thenational.ae
