The Oman Convention Centre and the upcoming extended International Airport will be the key drivers in shaping the future of hospitality sector, says Katrin Herz, General Manager of Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel
The year 2016 is predicted to be a tougher year with the continued decline in oil prices. What is your outlook for 2016?
The ministry of tourism of Oman is doing a fantastic work in reaching out to our main source markets. A greater International visibility for our destination means that we are reaching a larger audience and potentially attracting new segments of travellers. We continue to adapt our services and products to these new travellers.
The Oman Convention Centre (currently planned for opening in 2016) will contribute greatly to driving business to our city. We anticipate the centre will attract a number of global congresses and events, and Muscat will be an even greater potential location for business events.
According to you, how is Oman’s hospitality sector going to shape up in 2016?
Our destination is growing, with newcomers in the luxury industry including some of the top luxury hotel brands. This is undoubtedly a sign that we are evolving in a healthy market.
We are also expecting some top global events in 2016, such as the America’s Cup, which are going to further reinforce our destination on the world map.
New destinations within the country are growing such as Salalah, and infrastructures are following. We are expecting the extension of our new International Airport in Muscat, an additional feeder for market growth.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, the new Convention Centre, along with the extension of some great malls in the city and our upcoming extended International Airport will be key drivers in shaping the future of our destination.
Culturally, Muscat is shining and showcases rich, authentic traditions, that our travellers are eager to discover. The National Museum is one of the most expected openings next year, and our Royal Opera House showcases a superb, world-class programme every year.
How was Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s performance in the year 2015?
We are seeing a continued interest from Germany, UK and other European countries where travellers are looking for warm and sunny winter getaways. With year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, Oman is a perfect destination to explore.
India has been growing steadily to become one of our main markets for weddings, while USA is still a new market for MICE but there is potential we are looking to explore and develop further.
Can you share a few highlights of the year for the Hotel?
The most recent and exciting update is the opening of our new Six Senses Spa, the second of the brand in the Sultanate and the first offering a private ladies club with private beach. Being able to offer our guests a true luxury wellbeing experience as part of their journey is a fantastic step for us, and we have been expecting and preparing it for a long time.
At Al Bustan Palace, we strive to offer guests an authentic sense of place and share our local culture with them. We recently created a guest-focused experience called “Flavours of Oman”, integrating these elements in a journey that include excursions to the nearby scenic mountains and inspiring treatments created with local spices and essential oils at our Six Senses Spa to complement their stay.
Some news on the culinary side: our students from the Al Bustan Culinary Academy have completed their second year as part of their programme, supervised by Executive chef Joergen Sodemann. They have sharpened their skills in the kitchen; we organised a very successful culinary competition with guest chef Issa Al Lamki and our students before Ramadan which they were extremely proud of; and some of them have travelled recently to our sister property in Abu Dhabi to assist the culinary team on-site in a 3-weeks task force project. A great achievement for them this year.
We have welcomed two important figures in our culinary team, with chef Anoob overlooking Al Khiran Terrace and chef Lau, our new Chef at China Mood, who joined us from Hong-Kong. After two years of construction work supervised by Executive chef Joergen Sodemann, we opened a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen that will contribute in maintaining world class quality standards in our cuisine, but also bring some new innovation opportunities. Chef Sodemann was also nominated this year in the Hoteliers Middle East Awards, among the Best Executive Chefs in the region.
Last but not least, Al Bustan Palace celebrated 30 years this fall, and a series of events took place in synergy with Oman National Day. We are extremely proud to showcase an authentic Omani palace experience, with an authenticity untouched in the last 30 years. We work closely with our ladies & gentlemen every day to carry on with our unique service culture and create lifetime memories for our guests.
What were the main challenges? And what were the factors that helped the Hotel do well?
Economy has an important impact on our business, as it is directly related to our guests’ purchasing power.
However, increasingly, travellers are looking for authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences, they want to meet the bedouins in the desert, or hear the stories from the merchant at the souk, they want to be immersed in the Omani lifestyle. There are not so many destinations who can offer this type of experiences anymore, but Oman is this type of gem destinations.
Launching new programmes and features such as our new Ritz Kids programme and beachfront Friday Brunch with sundown sessions on the beach helps us remain relevant for leisure guests and families on the weekend, and reinforces our positioning locally.