RENOVATED, refurbished and revamped, the Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa is back in business and aims to become one of the leading family resorts in the region.
The luxury resort offers an idyllic escape set on acres of UAE’s picturesque East Coast in the coastal town of Khorfakkan, overlooking the Indian Ocean and with the backdrop of the majestic Hajjar Mountains. It is located 90 minutes from the Dubai and Sharjah International Airports.
The hotel held its re-opening in three stages with the soft opening held in May, 2013. General manager Ian Phillips says: “The property has undergone an extensive refurbishment. We have to re-establish ourselves in the market. We are evolving and building to create our own identity. We have also started to develop good relationships with destination management companies (DMC) and tour operators.
“While summer was difficult following our opening, October was one of our best months. During Eid, we set a record for our financial income with 100 per cent occupancy throughout the three days and had an average room rate of Dh1,000 ($272) per night. We were very pleased.”
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Phillips … ambitious targets for 2014 |
The resort features 177 spacious guestrooms and suites, five dining venues as well as two meeting rooms and a grand ballroom.
As part of the phase two of the renovations, the property unveiled the AI Dana grand ballroom in August 2013. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the ballroom offers facilities for business meetings, seminars and conferences as well as personal celebrations such as weddings, birthdays and graduation ceremonies. The venue can accommodate up to 1,000 people and features the latest audio visual equipment, a business centre with secretarial support.
The third and final phase will be complete with the opening of Oceanic Khorfakkan’s exclusive luxury villa accommodation. Phillips says: “Phase three will surprise a lot of people. The three villas will be amongst the grandest in the region. Each will comprise five keys, and two floors. The villas are designed to accommodate a range of guests, from single occupants to large families through interconnecting rooms.” The first villa will open this month, the second in February and the third in March.
“The resort’s key source has been the CIS market and has also received favourable interest from Germany. It has also been attracting a good response from the region’s traditional markets including the GCC.”
Phillips adds: “The GCC nationals usually stay with us for short breaks or during special holidays while we also receive expatriates who drop in for a few days, or even for a few hours. We look forward to attract guests from a wider field.”
The resort offers a range of leisure and recreational facilities including a temperature-controlled swimming pool, a children’s pool, walking and jogging trail, beach volley ball, tennis courts and a fully-equipped fitness centre including a roof top spa. “We are planning to invest on more spa treatments and therapies. Our recent beach treatment programme has become extremely popular and we are planning to make it a permanent service at the resort. We are also planning to double the number of therapists in order to meet the growing demand at the spa,” explains Phillips.
Guests at Oceanic Khorfakkan can enjoy numerous activities including trips to explore Khorfakkan and its souqs, mountains, palm groves, natural waterfalls, different wadis and the Al Bidyah Mosque in Fujairah as well as a variety of water sports including snorkeling, windsurfing, kayak, water skiing, rowing, sailing, catamarans, pedalo, banana rides, rowing, and wide selection of boat cruises including fishing, dhow cruises and also trips to explore nearby Musandam.
The resort’s new PADI Dive Centre offers diving courses, sea exploration for corals, turtles, barracudas, moray eels, reef shark and underwater filming.
The resort will also enhance its family recreational facilities when it opens the Children’s Club this year, which will feature an indoor arena where children can watch television, engage in soft plays, arts and crafts and relax in the summer months.
Phillips, who brings a wealth of experience to the hotel from over 15 years within the industry, says: “We are looking forward to a very positive 2014. We have set some very ambitious targets, and want to be the best family resort in Khorfakkan.”