ANZEIGE
Ritz-Carlton has expanded its portfolio in the Middle East with the announcement that it is taking over the management of one of the most iconic hotels in the region, the Al Bustan Palace in Muscat, Oman.
In signing the deal with Oman's Ministry of Tourism, Ritz-Carlton said it will begin managing the 250-room hotel from July 1. The hotel, which will be the chain's seventh in the region, has been operated by Intercontinental for the past eight years.
Al Bustan Palace will be Ritz-Carlton's first hotel in Oman and seventh overall in the region. "Oman has always been an attractive market for us in terms of leisure and also regional business," said Pascal Duchauffour, Ritz-Carlton's area vice president for Europe, Middle East & Africa. "We've always wanted to be in Oman, and we found this opportunity to be exceptional. To take an iconic hotel such as the Al Bustan...is a great acquisition for Ritz-Carlton."
Noted for its 38m-high domed atrium lobby, Al Bustan Palace underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment two years ago. The hotel was built in 1985 to host a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.
Ritz-Carlton says all current employees of the hotel will be retained under the new management. To help ensure a smooth transition of operations and service, about 70-80 senior staff from Ritz-Carlton will soon arrive in Muscat to introduce the company's value system and culture to the hotel's current employees, he told AMEInfo.com.
"After that we have some plans to look at the physical product of the hotel and the food and beverage offering, but the first step will be focussing on the employees and the service level of the hotel," he noted.
Duchauffour says the performance of Oman's hotel market has been 'stable' during the unrest in the region and it has strong growth prospects thanks to the government's plans to develop more airlift into the country. "We think Oman can accommodate another Ritz-Carlton," he said. "We are definitely looking at other opportunities [in the country]."
Ritz-Carlton has also been active in other parts of the Middle East in recent months as it seeks to expand its foothold in the region. In April, it signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi National Hotels to operate a waterfront hotel later this year in the UAE capital. The hotel was originally slated to be a JW Marriott but was changed to a Ritz-Carlton because it has 'so much to offer in terms of its facilities and we felt it would fit very well with our brand', he said.
In January the chain opened its second property in Dubai, at the Dubai International Financial Centre. The long-delayed hotel has been 'extremely well received,' Duchauffour said.
The chain's other hotel in the emirate, located next to Jumeirah Beach Residences, is undergoing a complete renovation that will add 150 rooms to the property. The work is proceeding as scheduled and the hotel is on track to re-open at the end of next year, he said.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Ritz-Carlton is also renovating its hotel in Cairo and will open a new hotel in Riyadh later this year as it looks to expand in the region. "We have been able to position the brand as per our aim, which was to be present in every key capital in the Middle East," Duchauffour said. "Looking ahead, we would like to be in Lebanon - this has always been an attractive destination - and we are also looking at a few other possibilities in the region."
Quelle: Ritz-Carlton to manage iconic hotel in Oman | Gulf Tourism and Aviation | AMEinfo.com
Und ich habe mich schon gewundert warum die IHG Website seit Monaten null Verfügbarkeit für den Schuppen anzeigt...
In signing the deal with Oman's Ministry of Tourism, Ritz-Carlton said it will begin managing the 250-room hotel from July 1. The hotel, which will be the chain's seventh in the region, has been operated by Intercontinental for the past eight years.
Al Bustan Palace will be Ritz-Carlton's first hotel in Oman and seventh overall in the region. "Oman has always been an attractive market for us in terms of leisure and also regional business," said Pascal Duchauffour, Ritz-Carlton's area vice president for Europe, Middle East & Africa. "We've always wanted to be in Oman, and we found this opportunity to be exceptional. To take an iconic hotel such as the Al Bustan...is a great acquisition for Ritz-Carlton."
Noted for its 38m-high domed atrium lobby, Al Bustan Palace underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment two years ago. The hotel was built in 1985 to host a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.
Ritz-Carlton says all current employees of the hotel will be retained under the new management. To help ensure a smooth transition of operations and service, about 70-80 senior staff from Ritz-Carlton will soon arrive in Muscat to introduce the company's value system and culture to the hotel's current employees, he told AMEInfo.com.
"After that we have some plans to look at the physical product of the hotel and the food and beverage offering, but the first step will be focussing on the employees and the service level of the hotel," he noted.
Duchauffour says the performance of Oman's hotel market has been 'stable' during the unrest in the region and it has strong growth prospects thanks to the government's plans to develop more airlift into the country. "We think Oman can accommodate another Ritz-Carlton," he said. "We are definitely looking at other opportunities [in the country]."
Ritz-Carlton has also been active in other parts of the Middle East in recent months as it seeks to expand its foothold in the region. In April, it signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi National Hotels to operate a waterfront hotel later this year in the UAE capital. The hotel was originally slated to be a JW Marriott but was changed to a Ritz-Carlton because it has 'so much to offer in terms of its facilities and we felt it would fit very well with our brand', he said.
In January the chain opened its second property in Dubai, at the Dubai International Financial Centre. The long-delayed hotel has been 'extremely well received,' Duchauffour said.
The chain's other hotel in the emirate, located next to Jumeirah Beach Residences, is undergoing a complete renovation that will add 150 rooms to the property. The work is proceeding as scheduled and the hotel is on track to re-open at the end of next year, he said.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Ritz-Carlton is also renovating its hotel in Cairo and will open a new hotel in Riyadh later this year as it looks to expand in the region. "We have been able to position the brand as per our aim, which was to be present in every key capital in the Middle East," Duchauffour said. "Looking ahead, we would like to be in Lebanon - this has always been an attractive destination - and we are also looking at a few other possibilities in the region."
Quelle: Ritz-Carlton to manage iconic hotel in Oman | Gulf Tourism and Aviation | AMEinfo.com
Und ich habe mich schon gewundert warum die IHG Website seit Monaten null Verfügbarkeit für den Schuppen anzeigt...
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