Deck chairs are arranged under the shelter of palms and umbrellas and here one can find a cosmopolitan mix of voices and characters. Children can arrange badminton games, teens can cool off after a tennis match and adults can ask waiters for frosty cocktails. The hotel's other wing features a freshwater pool partly surrounded by voluptuous gardens, trickling waterfalls and fish pond. White swans glide to lily pads, not disturbed by a trio of precocious sulphur-crested cockatoos roosting in the palm trees. A stroll in the opposite direction leads to perfectly manicured formal gardens resplendent with an avenue of date palms and a gentle scattering of topiaries, marble sculptures, blooming terra cotta pots and sparkling fountains.
Couples linger at benches to indulge in romantic moments.
Sandstone walkways connect to Japanese gardens with reflecting pools, Buddhist statues and a teahouse. The hotel's reception rooms are decorated with antique and handcrafted furniture, Asian artifacts, European tapestries, Persian rugs and exquisite objet d'art. Guests relax and enjoy the company of other vacationers in the library, billiard room, bar and parlors before entering La Fontaine, a posh restaurant with Waterford chandeliers and Louis XVI decor. Diners at the Asian restaurant are seated in black lacquer chairs and surrounded by shoji screens and Japanese artifacts. Guest rooms are furnished with teak, rattan and natural fabrics.