Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa
| Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa area | |
| Former names | Royal Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort |
| General information | |
| Status | Operational |
| Type | Resort |
| Architectural style | Spanish |
| Location | Marine Drive Road, Ukhia, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh |
| Coordinates | 21°12′56″N 92°02′56″E / 21.2156495°N 92.048894°E |
| Opening | 17 September 2015 |
| Owner | Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa Limited |
| Management | Aminul Haque Shamim |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 10 |
| Design and construction | |
| Awards and prizes |
|
| Designations | Five-star |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 493 |
| Website | |
| seapearlcoxsbazar | |
Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa is a seaside resort located in Ukhia Upazila of Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, near Inani Beach. A private beach is reserved for its guests.
History
In 2010, Aminul Haque Shamim, the owner of Sea Crown Hotel in Cox's Bazar, began constructing a resort near Inani Beach, about 20 km (12 mi) from the city, at a total cost of around ৳600 crore, including a loan of ৳200 crore. In July 2014, a contract was signed between the developer and the Louvre Hotel Group to operate the under-construction resort. On 11 February 2015, at a press briefing, it was announced that the resort would open within three months which was called as "the largest in South Asia".[1][2] On 17 September 2015, Amir Hossain Amu, the then Minister of Industries, inaugurated the resort in the presence of government officials and personalities.[3] On 29 August 2017, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) approved the resort to issue bonds, and in the same year, the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) purchased its bonds worth ৳325 crore.[4] In 2019, the resort's company was listed on both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE).[5] In 2020 and 2021, the resort's business suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In 2023, Sea Pearl Sundarbans Eco Resort acquired 40% of the company’s shares.[5] In the same year, the BSEC approved an agreement for investment firm GEM Global Yield LLC SCS to purchase shares worth ৳350 crore of the resort.[7] However, the firm later didn't complete the purchase as per the agreement.[8] According to the financial statements of 2022–2023, the resort earned more revenue from food sales than from room rentals. According to its company secretary, the authorities were practically implementing strategies to increase sales by offering special promotions for foods.[9] In 2024, a major downturn hit the hotel industry across Bangladesh. During that period, the resort incurred losses in July–September compared to profits in the same period of the previous year.[10] This loss trend continued through December of the same year, resulting in a total loss of ৳16 crore.[11] In 2025, the resort was upgraded from "Z" to "B" category on the stock exchanges.[12]
Features
This five-star resort offers a direct view of the sea.[13] The resort is built in Spanish architectural style.[14] It also features a private beach.[15] Located near Himchari, the 6.1 ha (15 acres) resort covers an area of 30 bighas of land. With 493 rooms, it includes five restaurants, three swimming pools, a fitness centre, a 3D video game corner, a lobby juice bar, an open-air stage, and a café. It also has a 930 m2 (10,000 sq ft) auditorium, two seminar halls, and a ballroom.[16] The resort offers tennis and badminton courts, a 3D movie theatre, billiards, a gymnasium, and a spa, along with facilities for parasailing, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, and speedboat rides. Rooms are categorised into Superior, Panoramic Sea View Studio Suite, Royal Family Suite, and Luxury Honeymoon Suite, among others.[17] The resort also includes the first ever constructed water park in Cox's Bazar District, built in 3.6 ha (9 acres) area.[18]
Controversies
In 2019, the resort's company submitted a prospectus to the BSEC, based on which its IPO was approved. According to Jago News, a review of the prospectus revealed several misleading and incorrect pieces of information.[19] According to a report published in 2022, the Louvre Hotel Group terminated its franchise agreement with the resort after customers became dissatisfied with its promised services, although several of the resort's documents continued to use its former name.[20] After being listed on the stock market, its share prices began to rise abnormally in 2022. An investigation by Jugantor revealed that artificial crises, price-sensitive information, and rumors were used to manipulate the share prices.[21] A 2023 investigation report by the DSE revealed that the resort's Managing Director Shamim, along with related individuals, were involved in manipulation. They withheld most of the profits without selling shares during the review period, while placement shareholders repeatedly traded shares among themselves to artificially inflate the price.[22] Individuals holding significant positions in the resort were reportedly associated with the Awami League (AL). A local journalist from Cox’s Bazar claimed that Sheikh Rehana, sister of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, built the resort in the names of AL leaders and named after British politician Tulip Siddiq, Rehana's daughter. However, the resort authorities denied the claim, stating that the rumor spread because the word "Tulip" was part of its former name.[23]
Awards
In 2022, the resort received The World Luxury Hotel Awards in the categories of Best Beachside Luxury Hotel, Best Luxury Spa Award, and Best General Manager Award.[14] In 2024, it won the Bangladesh Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Award in the Best Beach Hotel category.[24]
References
- ^ "A luxury resort opens in Cox's Bazar". The Daily Star. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
- ^ Das Gupta, Romen; Irshad, Shahed Ali (17 September 2015). "ইনানীর বুকে নতুন ঠিকানা 'হোটেল সি পার্ল'" [New destination 'Hotel Sea Pearl' at Inani]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ "ইনানীতে পাঁচ তারকা হোটেল সী পার্লের যাত্রা শুরু" [Five-star hotel Sea Pearl inaugurated at Inani]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 18 September 2015. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015.
- ^ Rahat, Mehedi Hasan (14 January 2021). "রয়েল টিউলিপে বিনিয়োগ করে বিপাকে আইসিবি" [ICB faces trouble after investing in Royal Tulip]. Bonik Barta (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ a b "সি পার্লের মালিকানায় এলো সি পার্ল সুন্দরবন ইকো রিসোর্ট" [Sea Pearl Sundarbans Eco Resort acquires shares of Sea Pearl]. Dhaka Post (in Bengali). 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ "ইউনিক হোটেল ও সি পার্লের ব্যবসায় ধস" [Business slump at Unique Hotel and Sea Pearl]. Dhakatimes24.com (in Bengali). 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021.
- ^ Masud, Altaf (21 October 2023). "সি পার্লের ৩৫০ কোটি টাকার শেয়ার কিনবে বিদেশি প্রতিষ্ঠান" [Foreign company to buy shares worth 350 crore taka of Sea Pearl]. Desh Rupantor (in Bengali).
- ^ Habib, Ahsan (15 September 2024). "সি পার্লের শেয়ারে সিটি ব্যাংকের ৮৫ কোটি টাকার প্রশ্নবিদ্ধ বিনিয়োগ" [Questionable Tk 85 crore investment by City Bank in Sea Pearl shares]. The Daily Star (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 September 2024.
- ^ Habib, Ahsan (20 December 2023). "বিলাসবহুল হোটেলগুলোর মূল আয় রুম ভাড়া থেকে নয়" [Luxury hotels’ main income not from room rent]. The Daily Star (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 20 December 2023.
- ^ Mahajan, Sujay (25 November 2024). "ঢাকা, চট্টগ্রাম ও কক্সবাজারের পাঁচ হোটেলের ব্যবসা কমেছে ১৪৪ কোটি টাকার" [Business of five hotels in Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar declines by Tk 144 crore]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 26 November 2024.
- ^ "ছয় মাসে সাড়ে ১৬ কোটি টাকা লোকসান সি পার্ল রিসোর্টের" [Sea Pearl Resort incurs Tk 16.5 crore loss in six months]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 31 January 2025. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025.
- ^ "'বি' ক্যাটাগরিতে উন্নীত সি পার্ল বিচ রিসোর্ট" [Sea Pearl Beach Resort upgraded to ‘B’ category]. RisingBD.com (in Bengali). 3 June 2025. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025.
- ^ Akter, Nawrin (9 January 2024). "কক্সবাজারের এই ৪ হোটেল থেকে দেখা যায় সমুদ্র" [Four hotels in Cox’s Bazar with a sea view]. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b Islam, Md. Nazrul (24 December 2022). "বিশ্বের সেরা বিচ সাইড লাক্সারি রিসোর্টের স্বীকৃতি পেল রয়েল টিউলিপ" [Royal Tulip recognized as the world's best beachside luxury resort]. Bahumatrik.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ Alam, Syeda Subah (12 November 2023). "কক্সবাজারের চমৎকার ৯ হোটেল ও রিসোর্ট" [Nine magnificent hotels and resorts in Cox’s Bazar]. The Daily Star (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 November 2023.
- ^ "সমুদ্র বিলাসে রয়েল টিউলিপ" [Luxury by the sea: Royal Tulip]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 30 May 2016. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017.
- ^ Tushar, Towhidul Islam (25 April 2016). "সমুদ্র বিলাসে রাজকীয়তা 'হোটেল রয়েল টিউলিপ'" [Royal luxury at sea: Hotel Royal Tulip]. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ "ছুটিতে ঘুরে আসুন কক্সবাজার সী পার্ল ওয়াটার পার্কে" [Spend your holiday at Cox's Bazar Sea Pearl Water Park]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 14 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ Shipon, Saeed (21 May 2019). "সি পার্ল বিচ রিসোর্টের প্রসপেক্টাসে 'ভুতুড়ে' তথ্য" [Ghostly information in Sea Pearl Beach Resort’s prospectus]. Jago News (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 21 May 2019.
- ^ Siraj, Serajul Islam (17 January 2022). "রয়েল টিউলিপের সার্ভিস 'জাস্ট ফালতু'" [Royal Tulip's service is 'just bogus']. Barta24 (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ Hossain, Monir (20 August 2023). "রয়েল টিউলিপের শেয়ারে ভয়াবহ কারসাজি" [Severe manipulation in Royal Tulip’s shares]. Jugantor (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ Islam, Rafiqul (29 September 2024). "সি পার্লের কয়েকশ কোটি টাকার শেয়ার কারসাজি: ভর্ৎসনাতেই ক্ষান্ত ছিল বিএসইসি!" [Hundreds of crores in Sea Pearl share manipulation: BSEC settled with mere reprimand!]. The Business Standard (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 7 October 2024.
- ^ Kamrul, Ahsan (6 August 2025). "এনসিপির জন্য আলোচিত সী পার্ল রিসোর্টই সাবেক রয়্যাল টিউলিপ" [Sea Pearl Resort discussed for NCP was formerly Royal Tulip]. Channel i (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.
- ^ "কক্সবাজারে সেরা সমুদ্র সৈকত হোটেল পুরস্কার পেল সি পার্ল" [Sea Pearl wins Best Beach Hotel Award in Cox’s Bazar]. Bonik Barta (in Bengali). 8 October 2024. Archived from the original on 17 October 2025.