MUSCAT -- Muriya, Oman's leading tourism development company, has announced the soft opening of the Salalah Rotana Resort, its second hotel in Salalah Beach and the largest in the city by room size and the largest free-standing hotel in Oman. The hotel's 400 rooms are set in between an elaborate network of manmade waterways that connect all waterfront hotels and residential areas in Muriya's Salalah Beach to the Arabian Sea. Speaking at the opening, Samih Sawiris, Chairman of Muriya and CEO of Orascom Development, said, "We are delighted to launch the Salalah Rotana Resort as part of Muriya's Salalah Beach destination. Salalah Rotana Resort is a ground-breaking project in Oman.
Utilising the experience gained by Orascom when developing the pioneering El Gouna resort in Egypt, Muriya has integrated the natural landscape into the design of the hotel to combine traditional architectural aesthetics with Venetian waterways to create a desert oasis. We extend our sincerest gratitude to the government of Oman for their confidence and continued support throughout this project. The partnership between Orascom and Omran has allowed Muriya to deliver a landmark resort in Salalah as an example of the commitment of all parties. The resort is peerless in the Sultanate of Oman as the largest hotel in the country and will serve the growing demand for high-quality accommodation in Salalah as tourism continues to grow in the city."
Sawiris praised the joint venture partnership between Orascom and Omran that has allowed Muriya to deliver the project, as an example by the commitment of all parties to provide a landmark resort in Salalah. Hamza Selim, CEO of Muriya, said, "Salalah Rotana Resort will make a major contribution to the community by providing additional employment opportunities for Omani nationals and strengthening the local supply chain in support of the country's developing tourism industry. Salalah is the only tropical destination in the Gulf and the annual Khareef season brings the region's lush landscape and spectacular waterfalls to life. Salalah Rotana Resort has incorporated the natural environment by filling the waterways with 105,000m2 of seawater that is safe for swimming and refreshed every four days using natural tidal patterns.
The opening of Salalah Rotana Resort is a milestone for Muriya and the hotel will develop to become part of an integrated town which will make a major contribution to the number of quality hospitality assets in the Sultanate's portfolio and put Salalah on the map as a global tourism destination." The resort has been carved from desert rock as the hotel rises out of the water, making it part of the landscape. In-room furnishings including beds, tables and sofas have been integrated into the main walls while Arabesque geometric designs and stone archways, constructed using traditional techniques, resemble an atrium and provide areas of contemplation. Natural light covers every corridor in the hotel as bright furniture provides the contrast against matt-finished walls, changing colour and texture as the shadows move and a new area of the hotel is bathed in sunlight throughout the day.
High ceilings and a central, internally-lit handmade red clay dome complement the wooden finishing and decorative mashrabiya latticework windows. Omer Kaddouri, President & CEO of Rotana said, "We are excited to begin a new journey today at the first hotel to be operated by Rotana in Oman. This stunning property is the 50th hotel to be operated by Rotana and represents the half-way mark in the award-winning hospitality group's plans for 100 hotels by 2020. Salalah Rotana Resort is the Sultanate's newest and largest hotel".
© Oman Daily Observer 2014
