The Banyan Tree Al Wadi and Banyan Tree RAK Beach, part of RAK National Hotels, have come under the management of the Ritz-Carlton Group following a recent agreement, a report said.

The deal was inked bwteeen RAK National Hotels, a subsidiary of RAK Hospitality Holding (RAKHH), Al Hamra Real Estate Development (AHRED)and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, said a report in Hotel News Middle East.

The two properties will continue to be operated by Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts until December 14, 2016, and will make the transition to Ritz-Carlton management for the two properties on December 15, 2016.

The Al Wadi desert property will continue to operate as the Al Wadi Desert, Ras Al Khaimah, a Ritz-Carlton partner hotel, till May 2017 whilst undergoing a complete transformation and from June 2017, the property will be rebranded as The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Wadi Desert.

The revamped hotel will comprise 101 private pool villas, four dining and entertainment venues, plus a Ritz-Carlton Rainforest and Spa, the report said.

The Al Hamra Village beach property will close down for an extensive refurbishment from mid December 2016 until May 2017. It will reopen in June 2017 as The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Hamra Beach, comprising 32 private pool villas perched on Al Hamra village’s beach, it said.

Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East & Africa at Marriott International, said: “We are pleased that we were selected as a trusted operator to manage these two strategic properties and we are excited to expand our relationship with the owners, AHRED and RAKHH in another spectacular destination in the UAE. Ras Al Khaimah is important for our growth and we are fortunate to have partners who share our vision. We look forward to offering exclusivity and luxury to our guests in Ras Al Khaimah and to helping the owners achieve their objectives.”