InterContinental Muscat to be demolished

InterContinental Muscat is set to be demolished and replaced with three new hotels from rival operator Starwood.

As part of a four-year redevelopment plan in partnership with Omran — the government arm responsible for delivering and managing major tourism projects — a 250-room W Hotel will be built in the grounds of the current site, while the existing hotel continues to operate.

Starwood vice president acquisitions and development for Africa and the Middle East Neil George told Hotelier: “The first hotel to open will be the W which will showcase leading edge design and atmosphere and is set to be the hippest and coolest hotel in the country”.

After the launch of the W, the InterContinental Muscat will be knocked down to make way for a 350-room Westin and a 100-key extended-stay Element property.

“With the Westin, we will offer a world-class business hotel with an emphasis on well-being during travel and this will set a new benchmark in terms of room design and programmes and amenities to ease the stress caused by travel — meanwhile, the Element is our ‘green lab’ designed around environmentally-sound and sustainable principles to provide a superior extended-stay experience,” said George.

The schedule has been designed after consultation with Omran, which wished to avert disruption to the market by taking out rooms and then flooding it with 700 new keys at one time.