InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced that it has signed an agreement with Oman Tourism Development Co (Omran ) to open a new Crowne Plaza hotel in Muscat.
The 296-room hotel will be the second Crowne Plaza hotel in the capital and the fourth in Oman. The new-build property will feature meeting and event facilities with a function center that will include a ballroom with terrace, a boardroom and three meeting rooms.
According to a press release, the property is part of Omran 's Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) development which is due for completion in 2016. Situated minutes away from the Muscat International Airport, the mixed-use, purpose-built precinct will feature a state-of-the-art exhibition centre with 22,000sq m of exhibition space.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, H E Nasser bin Khamis al Jashmi, chairman of Omran , said, "Today marks a pivotal milestone in the development of the much anticipated OCEC as we sign with the first hotel operator a deal to handle one of a series of planned hotels to complement this mega project. We are taking another step forward to establish the sultanate as a favoured destination for the regional and global meetings and exhibitions industry."
Pascal Gauvin, CEO, India, Middle East and Africa for IHG, said, “Omran's convention and exhibition center is set to put Muscat on the MICE industry map. We are delighted to continue to be a part of the capital's exciting expansion plans."
Today's signing marks IHG's eighth property in Oman, with four properties already operating in the cities of Muscat, Salalah and Sohar. There are four more properties in IHG's pipeline for these cities, as well as Duqm.
Muscat Daily
26 March
