Sharia-compliant hotels are simply hotels that cater to the specific needs of Muslims. These hotels aid in the Islamic tourist's religious experience by regulating dress codes, food options, gender integration, alcohol availability, and by incorporating prayer rugs and arrows pointing to Mecca in every room. The purpose of these hotels is to accommodate Muslims as they travel by providing a place where they can stay without fear of straying from their religious path. These hotels have also tried to appeal to the non-Muslim by offering a unique cultural experience with a "quieter and cleaner ambiance". If I were to travel to the Middle East, where these hotels are most common, I would choose to stay in one. The experience they offer is so close to submersion into the Islamic culture, which would be extremely appealing to a traveler . These hotels aim at a Muslim demographic; however, a hotel cannot survive on such a limited income. The non-Muslims that would be interested in a hotel like this, would be those who have an interest in the Islamic lifestyle and that want to be involved in it directly, even to the point that they are driven out of their comfort zone to adapt to a different standard of living. Luckily, these are the types of people who travel to the Middle East by their own will. It would be amazing to live as a member of the Muslim community while remaining individual and somewhat separate from other people. The environment that a Sharia-compliant hotel offers is that of peace and serenity because it is associated with a religion that revolves around the concept of paradise. This is the image that every hotel in the world tries to project. The negativity that surrounds a Sharia-compliant hotel is related to the negativity that surrounds the entire Middle East. But because those who willingly travel to the region are interested in the Islamic culture, the Sharia-compliant hotels will be successful by providing a religious experience to Muslims and a culturally saturated experience to non-Muslims.
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| sharia-compliant hotel, UAE |
First of all, I really appreciate how you said the hotels will provide a "culturally saturated" experience to non-Muslims because in order to reach this level of enjoyment the hotel must be really good. It must be a place that people wanting to explore Islam will not mind spending extra money on. I cannot personally say that I would be as excited to go to place like this but if I were a bigger Islam enthusiast, and used to adhering to a religious strictness it would be the first place I would want to visit. But wait, I don't really have to be an Islam enthusiast to enjoy a place like this. They also cater to non-Muslim clientele wanting a taste of Islamic culture. At least they are developing that into their business. The business of Sharia-compliant hotels is definitely growing and people are seeing it as mandatory across the Middle East.
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