Le Meridien Al Aqah enhances leisure facilities with appointment of new Recreation Manager

Under the new manager, the hotel will see several innovations and further developments of its state-of-the-art fitness and spa facility, Penguin Club for children, professional diving centre run by Al Boom Marine and swimming pools.

Mr. Patrick Antaki, General Manager said, "Our decision to have Ms. Hayes on the team was based on her expertise on spas and therapies, fitness, sports and animation to mention a few. We have a lot of plans for the recreational facilities at the resort and with Clare's assistance we plan to scale new levels of entertainment and leisure for our guests to make each of their visits memorable."

The resort offers guests an extensive list of activities to relax, refresh and rejuvenate. It houses a fully equipped gymnasium, racquet sports, luxurious spa treatment area that offers an extensive range of international and traditional body and beauty treatments at the Cleopatra's Beauty Rooms and Ayurveda Centre and UAE's biggest swimming pool, all designed to soothe the mind, body and soul. Also part of the recreational facilities is the Penguin club an area specially designed for the needs of children comprises of secure playing areas, air-conditioned indoor rooms and a dedicated children's swimming pool.

"The recreation facilities at Le Meridien Al Aqah are extremely popular with our guests. The Penguin Club is perfectly designed to take care of children's needs with professional supervision giving moms and dads a break to unwind at the hotel's extensive relaxing facilities such as a soothing massage and pampering at the spas. Our aim is to make our guests feel completely relaxed and rejuvenated with the confidence that their health and safety needs are well taken care of. With close to 10 years of experience in the leisure field coupled with strong professional qualifications, Clare Hayes has an in-depth knowledge of fitness, first aid, lifeguard techniques and spa therapies and treatments, making her the ideal candidate to supervise the recreational facilities at the resort," he added.

As Recreation Manager, Ms Hayes will be responsible for all recreational activities including the beauty salon located in the health and fitness area that offers personalized beauty treatments for men and women. In addition, Ms. Hayes will be in charge of constantly upgrading the techniques and programmes of fitness at the fully equipped gymnasium that features international cardio and fitness equipment alongside supervising the overall functioning of the diving facility at the hotel. At the Penguin Club, the exclusive children's club, Hayes' primary focus will be to set higher standards of safety and education through the medium of games, ensuring a stress free vacation for guests who visit the resort with their children.

Commenting on her appointment as Recreation Manager, Ms Hayes said, "I am very excited about my new position at Le Meridien Al Aqah, a leisure destination which is highly regarded for its recreational facilities. Keeping its popularity in mind, I look forward to my challenging role of being able to further progress the existing facilities and provide guests the best services in the industry."

In addition to her hands on experience, Clare has written several published columns for health and fitness magazines during her stints with some of the most reputed health and fitness facilities in Dubai. Prior to moving to Le Meridien Al Aqah, Clare worked as Spa & Leisure Director at Royal Waters Health Spa where she looked into the overall functioning of the facility.

A property of the Emirates Group, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is located on a two kilometre sand beach, nestled between the Hajar Mountains and the Indian Ocean. The resort was recently awards the ISO 9001:2000 certification for its high standards of services offered. The paradise of the east coast offers guests a variety of international cuisines along with a state-of-the-art fitness and spa facility and a professional diving centre run by Al Boom Marine. During 2004, the hotel received two awards at the prestigious DEPA Middle East Hotel Awards and scooped two more at the prestigious MENA Travel Awards held in Dubai.