Tablet10: Qasr Al Sarab

The latest issue of our Tablet10 magazine is here. Each week we’ll be spotlighting a different hotel from Volume 9. In this installment we’re headed for the desert outside of Abu Dhabi, to the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort.

Here the Anantara group, an outfit better known for its lush, semi-tropical villa resorts, has created a desert resort that’s not only impossibly luxurious but, particularly notable in the Emirates, rather less ostentatious than you’d expect.

To be absolutely fair, you wouldn’t exactly call the place humble, or even understated. But the grandeur of the architecture is very much in proportion with the grandeur of the setting — there’s no amount of marble and gilt that could possibly compete with the Lawrence-esque vistas of the Empty Quarter. The physical comforts are second to none, from the rooms, suites and villas to the pools, the spa and the remarkably well-equipped tennis center.

In this context, design could very easily take a back seat. Here it’s a strength, imbuing what could be a sterile new build with a healthy dose of antique atmosphere, and lending Qasr Al Sarab a measure of personality far beyond “nice place, great views.” In our interview, the designers got right to the heart of the matter:

What’s wrong with the average hotel today?

Sayeli Uysal Ayaydin: Designing a hotel with no reference to its surroundings, its culture, and its architecture is what is wrong with the way some hotels are designed today. We spent months researching the heritage, religion, and arts, paying special attention to how people lived in an ancient city. Intense study of structures in the neighboring cities’ historical districts as well as mosques, souks, and museums throughout the country resulted in an unprecedented level of accuracy and cultural continuity.

Marcelo Tholozan: Personally, when I visit a hotel, I like to feel a sense of place; I like to feel a reflection of the surroundings within the hotel. What is the point of waking up in a hotel and you’re not quite sure where you are? What country, what city? I think it’s important to integrate the landscape and culture into the very fabric of the hotel.

I don’t know if there is something wrong. What I can tell you is that globalization in general has given us many benefits; however, it has almost wiped out the magical charm of the traditions and customs of the different societies and cultures of this planet. The lack of personality and character is oftentimes deceiving in today’s globalized world, and hotels are one example where the global understanding of the words “modern” and “luxury” seems to always tend to a predetermined direction.

The old Roman architects believed in something called “genius loci,” or the “spirit of the place,” to inspire and guide their buildings although they applied their rules of proportions, etc. The spirit of the place added that flavor to a building, and that makes it part of the environment and its surroundings.

For the rest of this interview (and much more), send for a copy of the new Tablet10 magazine. Like this feature? Sign up for email alerts and you’ll be the first to know about new content.