Time frame: It’s all going swimmingly

Built on what was originally a public park, Ain Al Faida – the flowing source – became one of the country’s first resort hotels when it opened in the mid-1970s.

Under the shadow of Jebel Hafeet, the hotel made full use of the area’s abundant water supply and natural springs, as shown here in this photo of the swimming pool, published by our sister paper Al Ittihad, probably not long after it opened.

The new hotel, in a suburb of Al Ain, was close to such attractions as Al Jahili Fort, the zoo and the Green Mubazzarah park and hot springs. It featured lush grounds with fountains and even a canal complete with pedal boats for guests to enjoy.

Following many years of gentle but inexorable decline, the hotel was acquired by the One to One Group, reopening after a ­complete refurbishment in 2012 that ­restored the 57 villas and the water attractions – including the boats.

And so, after four decades, the One to One Ain Al Faida continues to make a splash.

* James Langton