Marriott to open four new hotels in Oman

Marriott International is planning on opening four new hotels in Oman in the next five years, a senior official said on Thursday.

Marriott International currently operates three properties in the Sultanate, with more than 700 rooms, The Times of Oman reported.

These three are the newly opened Sheraton Oman Hotel, the Al Bustan Palace—a Ritz Carlton Hotel and the Salalah Marriott Resort in Salalah.

During the next five years, it plans to double its portfolio in the country with four properties and 1,095 rooms in the pipeline, the daily added.

These will be the Aloft Muscat with 175 rooms, the W Hotel Muscat with 250 rooms, Westin Muscat with 350 rooms and the JW Marriott Muscat Convention Centre with 320 rooms.

Marriott International president and managing director, Middle East and Africa Alex Kyriakidis said: “Marriott International remains committed to setting new hospitality benchmarks in Oman and being a part of the country’s development. With a strong presence in the Sultanate across three hotels, we are also on track to double our portfolio in the country with four new properties and over 1,000 rooms set to open in the next five years.”

 Kyriakidis further said he is proud to be in Oman. “Tourism is one of the key five sectors identified in the Sultanate’s Vision 2020 to encourage economic growth, expand the services sector and build up the private sector. More than ever before, Oman is eager to welcome international investors and the broader global community,” he said.

He added that Oman’s tourism industry has grown steadily over the past five years, with inbound tourism averaging an increase of 9% per year since 2010, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). “Last year, Oman received a record 2.6 million tourists, government figures showed,” the Times of Oman reported.

Last week, Maitha Al Mahrouqi, the undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism, said Oman is looking at a minimum annual growth of 8 to 12% in tourism.

“The biggest airport will open; the convention centre was opened recently and we hosted the first exhibition. Then there are a few five-star hotels, which are in the pipeline and will also open next year,” she said.