UAE, Sunday 02 November 2014: The Oman Tourism Day in association with the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference at the Bustan Palace Hotel in Oman on 29 October heard that Oman has a superb tourism product in the form of more than 3,000 kilometres of pristine coastline, rugged mountains and a rich history.
Opening of a resort requires special skills, knowledge, experience, wisdom, patience and perseverance. While appointing any senior position for a proposed resort, it is normal to ask a person with pre-opening experience as it is considered to be a unique experience. It is easier to operate an existing resort while opening a new resort requires lot of efforts in terms of planning, organizing, creating a team, establishing and implementation of systems, policies and procedures and making the resort up and running successfully. It involves coordination and team effort.
Reporting directly to regional general manager David Todd, he commenced in his new role in July.
Al Jabal Al Akhdar (The Green Mountain) is one of the unknown Hill stations of the world. Jabal Akhdar is situated about 150 Kms from Muscat City, capital of Sultanate of Oman and is part of the Al Hajar Mountain Ranges. It is located at 2,300 meters above the sea level having an excellent climate throughout the year. From March until September when middle-east experiences blazing summer, Jabal Akhdar is cool and pleasant making it a heavenly escape from the heat.
François Galoisy ESSEC (IMHI 1985) has been promoted General Manager for the Radisson Blu Hotel at Sohar in the Sultanate of Oman. François is preparing the opening of the latest Radissonblu in the region. Prior to that François was the General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Media City and previously General Manager for the Park Inn by Radisson in Muscat. Prior to join Radisson, François has an extensive experience in F&B with leading hospitality groups like Swissôtel, One & Only, Shangri-La and Méridien.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas is delighted to announce that Six Senses Spas has been selected to manage the impressive 32,000 square foot (3,000 square meter) spa at Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat, Oman set to open February 2015. Reflective of traditional Omani design, the spa will beautifully complement the hotel and feature domed ceilings, elegant arched walkways and columns, falaj (water channels) reflecting pools and natural stone walls and floors.
Claudio Melli has been appointed general manager of the newly launched Salalah Rotana Resort. He has extensive experience across the USA, Middle East, Europe and Asia, Melli brings with him more than 20 years of hospitality experience, having worked across brands such as IHG, Starwood, Raffles and Hilton among others.
Rotana, the leading hotel management company in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe has announced,the opening of Salalah Rotana Resort, the first five- star property in Salalah Beach and the largest in the city by room size and the largest free-standing hotel in Oman. The hotel's 400 rooms & suites are set in between an elaborate network of manmade waterways that connect all waterfront hotels and residential areas in Muriya's Salalah Beach Resort to the Indian Ocean.
Six Senses Zighy Bay has appointed Hanny Wahyuni as manager of public relations where she will oversee the public relations strategies of the award-winning resort. Hanny brings more than 10 years of extensive hospitality experience to her new role having previously worked at several international distinguished luxury brands around the world. An Indonesian nationality, Hanny earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communication from Sahid University of Jakarta. She describes herself as passionate, loyal and committed to providing the finest guest experience a hotel can deliver.
GHM has installed Markus Iseli as general manager of the acclaimed Chedi Muscat on the Gulf of Oman. Iseli most recently managed the pre-opening and soft-opening of the Palazzo Parigi, a Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) member in Milan, Italy.
Richard Lee’s inter-company transfer as Executive Chef places him at his third Six Senses property; following three years as Opening Executive Chef and Brand Champion at Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam, and two years as Opening Executive Chef at Evason Ma’in in Jordan. Prior to joining Six Senses in 2008, Richard worked with Hilton Hotels throughout the UK, and has led professionally in the kitchen since 1997. Richard has wasted no time in his new position, already finalizing the senior members of the resort’s culinary team for 2014.
Lizzzie Baxter joins as Executive Assistant Manager in Rooms alongside EAM Isaline Goy. Also an inter-company transfer, Lizzie brings forth her experience from Evason Ma’in as Revenue Manager for two years and Six Senses Con Dao, as Executive Assistant Manager for three years, which includes the resort’s opening. Prior to international exposure in 2008, Lizzie worked out of her home country in the UK from 1996, in room and revenue management for some prominent hotels.
Paul Jordaan has an extensive background in boutique luxury brands throughout Africa, Asia, Great Britain and North America. He relocated from a Regional General Manager position with Aman Resorts in India and Sri Lanka. Bringing with him a strong foundation of food and beverage management, Paul has been an Executive Manager since 2007 as Hotel Manager at Point Grace on Turks and Caicos, B.V.I.
Jumeirah Group, the global hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has signed a management agreement with Saraya Bandar Jissah SAOH to operate a luxury resort in Muscat, Oman. The resort is currently under development and is expected to open in 2017.When complete the resort will consist of two hotel components, one consisting of 206 rooms and the other of 106 rooms, located in the picturesque cove of Bandar Jissah, near Qantab, nestled between the Hajjar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman. The resort lies 15 minutes south of the city centre and 40 minutes from Seeb International Airport.The overall development will include a 1,200 m2Talise spa, a dive centre, a wide range of sports and leisure facilities, a selection of restaurants, bars and cafes and a kids club. The resort will also include conference and banquet facilities to cater for Oman's growing attraction as a destination for conferences, meetings and large scale events. The resort forms part of a larger development that includes high-end residential townhouses and villas, taking advantage of some of the most beautiful, unspoilt coastline in the Middle East.Hamood Sultan Alhosni, Chief Executive Officer of Saraya Bandar Jissah SAOH, said: "This luxury resort will be a major contribution to the high-end hotel market. Given the reputation that Jumeirah has in the region, we are confident that, when complete, the property will attract discerning travellers who are familiar with the level of luxury that Jumeirah offers throughout its current portfolio of hotels."Gerald Lawless, President and CEO ofJumeirah Group, said: "We are delighted to have been selected by Saraya Bandar Jissah to operate this resort in one of the most beautiful parts of Oman. As we continue to expand the JUMEIRAH™ brand across the Middle East, we bring our exceptional quality of service to loyal guests in new markets, helping them to discover the very best in luxury hospitality and the beauty of emerging destinations like the Omani coastline."Jumeirah Group currently operates 22 luxury hotels and serviced apartments, including 11 in the Gulf region, six in Europe and five in Asia. A further 15 hotels are now under development.
Oman's Travel and Tourism GDP is forecasted to increase at an annual growth rate of 6-8% from 2013 to 2017 signifying the rapid anticipated development of tourism which will be underpinned by the government's commitment to the industry. Oman continues to develop as a tourist destination by investing in large scale projects- primarily in Muscat- which contribute to building the "Oman Brand." The majority of economy hotels in Oman are either locally branded or unbranded, many of which are not purpose built and of a limited size. Due to the fragmented nature of the market, hotel apartments and guest houses tend to compete with the economy hotel market, as there is a lack of differentiation between the two products from a consumer standpoint. The announced forthcoming supply of hotels across Oman only consist of 4-star and 5-star properties which will serve to widen the existing gap in the market for branded economy hotels. The strength of an international brand is visible in the local market in which internationally branded 3-star hotels often generate higher average rates than unbranded 4-star hotels. Based on the Colliers thorough investigation and econometric analysis for the period 2013-2017, the Muscat market could potentially absorb an additional 985 economy hotel rooms over and above forthcoming supply.
Samer started his hotel career in 1991 with the InterContinental Hotel Group in Geneva, Switzerland and Amman, Jordan. In 1995, Samer was appointed at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Jordan at the Minister's private office. In 1996, Samer joined the Petra Movenpick Resort opening team as Assistant F&B Manager and promoted to F&B Manager in 1997. In 1998, Samer moved to the Movenpick Dead Sea Resort and in 1999, moved back with IHG in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Olaya Holiday Inn opening. Samer was then transferred to Oman in 2001 as the F&B Manager over two hotels; the Holiday Inn Madinah & Muscat. In 2002, Samer moved back to KSA in the position of F&B Manager at Dar Al-Iman InterContinental Hotel in Madinah and in 2004, was assigned as Director of F&B at the Dar Al-Taqwa InterContinental Hotel also in Madinah followed by a move in 2006 to Jeddah InterContinental Hotel. Samer moved to Makkah, KSA in 2008 as Executive Assistant Manager at Dar Al-Tawhid InterContinental Hotel the 600 room's hotel that hosted the Saudi Royal Family and several official delegations visiting the Holy City. In 2011, Samer joined Saad Group in Al-Khobar, KSA as General Manager of their hospitality division. The Salalah Marriott Resort is his first Marriott assignment and the entire team is delighted that Samer has joined Marriott in Salalah; with his strong operations background, complex hotel experience and knowledge of the Middle East markets, Samer will be a driving force in taking the Salalah Marriott Resort to the next level and leading the team to great success.
Boutique Asian hotelier, Alila Hotels & Resorts will expand into Oman in early 2014 with the opening of Alila JabalAkhdar, the first luxury resort development in the stunning mountainous JabalAkhdar region of Oman.
Demeiter Vaubell, has joined the pre-opening team at Alila Jabal Akhdar as Director of Sales & Marketing. Meanwhile, Taufik Rachman, Regional Director of Sales, oversees cluster sales & marketing operations for Alila resorts in Indonesia and Ankur Rastogi, Regional Director of Sales will manage sales and marketing operations for Alila properties in India.
Jork Bosselaar has been appointed as pre-opening General Manager at Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman. Already an established member of the Alila family, Bosselaar first joined Alila Hotels and Resorts in 2006 as General Manager of Alila Manggis before moving to Alila Ubud in 2008. With a fantastic track record, Bosselaar is the perfect choice to introduce the Alila brand into the Middle East when the resort opens in early 2014.
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is continuing to reinforce its presence in Oman with the opening of Crowne Plaza Duqm today. The new hotel will join IHG's three existing Crowne Plaza hotels in Oman's major cities – Muscat, Sohar and Salalah - as well as InterContinental Muscat. The beachfront hotel is located near the rapidly expanding port and dry dock at Duqm. With the launch of activity at Duqm Commercial Port earlier this month and the expected opening of Duqm International Airport in 2014, the hotel is set to capture the growing corporate travel market.