OMRAN’S JW Marriott hotel to open in early 2019

Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN) has reported on the progress of its plans to open the second hotel within the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) precinct at Madinat Al Irfan. Set to be completed by the end of this year in parallel with the Convention Centre, the five-star JW Marriott will open its doors in early 2019 and will play an integral role in attracting business and leisure travellers as well as boosting the Sultanate’s MICE offering.

Situated in the eastern area of Madinat Al Irfan, the new metropolitan development in the heart of Muscat, the 305-room property will be the first JW Marriott hotel to open in Oman. With over 1,200m2 of flexible function space directly connected to the OCEC, multilingual and experienced event planners, two grand ballrooms, six meeting and boardrooms, tailored menus and bespoke wedding services, travellers will find that their every need will be catered to.

The new hotel will also feature five restaurants and lounges as well as over 700m2 of health and leisure facilities for guests to enjoy, including a 24 hour state-of-the-art fitness centre, sublime spa that features sauna facilities, a juice bar and three outdoor swimming pools.

Salah al Ghazali, Head of Development Partnerships & Investment Relations at OMRAN, said, “This highly anticipated project not only supports the tourism sector by providing a wider variety of extra rooms and premium lifestyle facilities, but it will also be essential to the overall fabric of the city and Madinat Al Irfan components, especially the OCEC Development.”

He added, “OMRAN is presently working at a rapid momentum to deliver the hotel following large interest from the private sector for investment. This is following the success of Crowne Plaza Muscat, the first hotel that opened in OCEC, in which 49 per cent of the property stake was acquired by local pension funds.”

Madinat Al Irfan is the Sultanate’s largest urban development project and is set to contribute to Oman Vision 2040. The eastern area currently being developed by OMRAN is located just minutes from the newly opened Muscat International Airport.

It is a multi-use district adjoining the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, a world-class venue for international conferences, trade shows and concerts.

The JW Marriott will be the second hotel to open in the OCEC precinct, Muscat’s new business hub