Speaking at a press conference at ATM 2015, the hotel group announced that they’ve signed an agreement with Al Madina Hotels & Resorts to build two new properties in Oman, both opening in 2017.
The partnership will see Millennium & Copthorne’s Agarwood brand opening the first property in its brand portfolio in the Middle East. Agarwood is the wood from which oud -- the popular scent for homes and perfumes in the region – is extracted.
The property will have 286 rooms which comprises a hotel, villas and apartments. Agarwood is an eco-friendly concept with bespoke design for the region in which it’s based.
The resort will include an all-day specialty restaurant serving fresh produce, a wellness spa, business centre, kids’ club, retail outlets and ballroom.
Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, President & CEO, Millennium & Copthorne MEA said: “We didn’t want another hotel from another location just copied and put in Salalah. We wanted to capture Salalah and its spirit with our hotel. Agarwood, with its relation to oud and eco-friendly focus, is the perfect brand for Salalah.”
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Alzaabi went on to say that a lot of the properties in Salalah can be quite boring or outdated, or simply don’t blend with the environment. He said that while the resort will be like something you’d expect to find in Bali or Thailand, the design and ambience will be perfectly blended to Salalah’s environment. He also revealed that the Agarwood brand was created specifically for the Gulf region.
Eng. Abdul Rahman Barham, CEO, Al Madina Real Estate comments, “We are excited to be pioneers with the launch of the Agarwood brand in the region and we believe it is a concept that will perfectly complement the natural beauty of Salalah. We are also pleased to further strengthen our ties with Millennium & Copthorne with both developments and combine unique locations with complementary unique offerings.”
The second property, from Millennium & Copthorne’s Studio M budget brand, will be opening in the Al Hail district along the Sultan Qaboos Highway in Muscat.
The 302 property will encompass the Studio M brand’s focus on the Millennial market, with minimalist design and contemporary features and functionality.
As well as Oman, Millennium & Copthorne plans to extend the Studio M footprint across a number of key urban locations across the GCC.
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