LUXE LIKE IT
Oman is focused on clearing the path for luxury tourism. It does not want to become the second Dubai, the Kardashian of the Arab world, whose charms are mostly manufactured and recent. Instead, it emphasizes attractions that are unique and authentic. It does not even attempt newfangled luxury – for anyone who has camped out in the dunes with the Bedouins, with silk wool carpets underfoot and the scent of frankincense in the air, has already been initiated into high luxury. But this is not stopping luxury hotel developers and operators from entering a market widely seen as brimming with possibilities. The Chedi Muscat has 38 ultra-luxurious Chedi Suites scattered around its lush seaside compound. Other accommodations include 158 entry-level Serai Rooms, and 52 deluxe rooms in the Chedi Wing. Meanwhile, Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa - Al Husn, a three-hotel resort, provides 180 rooms and suites, and Ritz-Carlton’s Al Bustan Palace hotel another 250. The latest player to join the luxury accommodations circle is Kempinski Hotel Muscat with 310 guest rooms, including 40 suites and two presidential suites. Next to the hotel is the Kempinski Residences with 77 serviced apartments, a PGA-standard 18-hole golf course, and the 400-berth Al Mouj Marina. Mandarin Hotel Group has announced it will run a new resort in Muscat with 150 guestrooms and suites, and a residential tower with 155 apartments. The property will be launched in 2021.