BEST Western has expanded its presence in the Middle East with the launch of a Muscat property.
The hotel was earlier
a member of Howard Johnson group, and after upgrading, has converted to Best Western, catering to both business and leisure travellers.
Anand Gupta, CEO, Best Western South Asia said, “We are proud to add this magnificent property to the Best Western family. Today we have 30 Best Western hotels in UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. We are focusing on covering the entire region and have set a target to have at least 15 Best Western hotels in Riyadh, Jeddah, Sharjah, Fujairah, Colombo, Kathmandu and so on. This will rank Best Western among the largest mid-market hotel brands in South Asia and the Middle East.” The group has more than 4,000 hotels in 83 countries.
Suleiman Al Yahyai, managing director of the hotel, added that the brand would support the hotel with international exposure, competitive pricing and consistent improvement in quality and service. Operations manager Mazen Shisha described the hotel as an elegant three-star boutique property, built like a ship. “We are promoting Omani culture and the country’s connection to sea life,” he said. The hotel features 32 guest rooms and suites, an Arabic restaurant, snack bar, business and fitness centre. Keeping in line with the ship concept, the rooms are referred to as ‘cabins’. Overlooking Shatti Al Qurum Beach residential and embassy area, the hotel is close to the heart of capital city Muscat.
The hotel is already working on starting a Moroccan restaurant with limited seating that should be operational by Christmas/New Year. The management is also contemplating opening another hotel in Muscat itself as well as weighing opportunities to open up in Masandam, Sur and/or Nizwa in Oman.