Management at Zighy Bay are looking to tap into the yoga market by offering specialised retreats at the resort. Management at Zighy Bay are looking to tap into the yoga market by offering specialised retreats at the resort.

“We’re trying to make sure we maintain the balance of a fun family romantic resort with a wellness element linked to the spa and food and beverage,” says Philipson.

More space will be made for Zighy Bay’s visiting practitioners by moving the gym out of the spa building and into a new area next door, while retreats run by the visiting experts aim to bring in new guests.

“We are looking at organising a yoga retreat in March of this year, and these are people who have their own client bases already, as well as some of our own and are basically promoting a five-day yoga or pilates retreat. And we will try and get some visiting chefs to come over as well,” explains Philipson.

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The souk at the entrance to Zighy Bay has also finally been fully opened and includes The Gallery retail area and the LIFE activities department, while the Organic Garden will offer daily luncheons and enable guests to select their own herbs to match the local catch of the day.

The people factor
It is not only the hotel hardware that needs refreshing after the first three years; it’s also the software.

Zighy Bay’s location makes recruitment tough, with staff normally looking at two- or four-year placements, meaning many have moved on since the opening.

“Recruitment and turnover is the biggest challenge and we’re trying to encourage as many Omanis as possible to come across, because it’s part of our philosophy that normally the first priority is [to have] locals working [at the resort],” says Vas. “Obviously, one issue is that we are far away from mainland Oman but we are still not giving up, we are trying to join hands with the National Hospitality Institute of Oman and recruiting some candidates from there.”

Currently, about 25% of the 350 staff is Omani — a lower percentage that in previous years — but Vas says the team is doing its best to motivate them.

“We do a five-day week and everyone gets two days off, but for Omanis they do 15 days straight and get six days off, even though it upsets the schedule and the operation, but we encourage that because they can go home and spend longer time with their families. We have a resident English teacher to develop their English skills and encourage them to go for driving lessons,” says Vas.

He says recruitment is difficult “across the board really, food and beverage can be the hardest”.

“The setting is great for guests but for staff it’s hard. On the good side they have great accommodation, their own host area, gym, restaurant, tuck shop, daily transportation to Dubai and back any day,” Vas adds.

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