There is only one Palace in Oman. It is the Al Bustan of Muscat, the capital of the sultanate. After 18 months of renovation work, it has just opened its doors to the public again. And it was Rami Farhat, the Sales & Marketing Director of the establishment, who received yesterday morning at Ladurée on the Champs Elysées (accompanied by Rania Khodr, Director of the Tourist Office and Rocio Jolivet, Director France of Oman Air), who gave an update on the place’s new features with La Quotidienne.
« The hotel, which has been completely restored, is now being unveiled to the public. Room reservations have already resumed. With regulars eager to rediscover the place and curious people as well, » he explains with a smile.
Thus, the facades long hidden behind the tarpaulins and scaffolding are now open to travellers to show them the hotel’s 250 rooms (251 if we also include the floor reserved for Sultan Qaboos and his close guard!), the wonderful gardens and the many outbuildings.
The Al Bustan Palace, a member of the Ritz-Carlton chain, offers a unique stay in a palace that showcases Omani art and hospitality, facing the Al Hajar mountains and overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Located on a private waterfront 1 km long, the longest in Muscat, Al Bustan Palace also has 17 spacious treatment rooms, with the Six Senses spa offering a variety of spa treatments as well as a space reserved for women with a private beach.
A big plus for the Sultanate of Oman
The success of the destination Oman is well known. The French are the third most numerous visitors in 2017 with 50,000 of our nationals (behind the Germans – 70,000 and the English with 80,000 pax).
A destination that is also the delight of French tour operators such as Directour, Beachcomber tours, Voyageurs du monde or Kuoni sometimes with stays (and clubs including Kappa and Lookea TUI) and/or often with tours.
Because from Muscat to Salalah, there is no shortage of tourist attractions in Oman, including almost deserted beaches, citadels and forts, a thousand-year-old culture and traditions, wadi with their ancestral irrigation channels, aflaj, mountain villages and preserved fauna such as turtle nesting sites, as well as many sporting activities (trekking, climbing, mountain biking, scuba diving, kite-surfing, sailing).
Logés à belle enseignes
In addition to the Al Bustan of the Ritz-Carlton, the sultanate, which currently has 20,000 of them, will have 25,000 rooms by 2020, more than 50% of which will be classified from 3 to 5 stars.
« The lack of rooms should be partly resolved with the departure of the Germans who have just bought the Kairaba Mirbat hotel and thus relieve the current situation in Salalah » says Rania Kohdr.
In any case, the radiant smile of Elodie Grandvalet, travel consultant at Succès Voyages, winner of the morning’s draw, says a lot about the power of attraction of this wonderful Sultanate: « Winning 2 nights at Al Bustan with the flight to Oman Air, what a joy!!
We want to believe her, here.
PR