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AccorHotels, the world’s leading travel & lifestyle group, has today announced the signing of a management agreement with the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN), a leading hotel developer owner mandated to develop the Sultanate’s tourism industry, to open the first ibis Styles in Oman.
The 280-room economy ibis Styles Muscat will be strategically located within the new state-of-the-art Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) master development in Madinat al Irfan. Ibis Styles Muscat will be the first internationally branded economy hotel in the OCEC master development, strengthening AccorHotels’ presence in the Sultanate of Oman. The hotel aims to open in 2020.
Developed by OMRAN, OCEC is Oman’s largest and only dedicated meeting, conference, incentive and exhibition destination with advanced design and state of the art convention infrastructure. OCEC, opened over a year ago and forms part of phase one of the Madinat Al-Irfan, a project aimed at establishing a new urban centre within Muscat. OMRAN developments within the OCEC precinct are designed and built in accordance to sustainability principles meeting LEED standards in-line with AccorHotels’ Planet 21 program.
Following the signing, Olivier Granet, Chief Executive Officer of AccorHotels Middle East and Africa (MEA), said: “As one of our most dynamic economy brands within our global portfolio, I am excited to announce that ibis Styles Muscat will be the first of its kind in Oman. What makes this so remarkable and relevant is that ibis Styles Muscat will be a perfect complement to the new state-of-the-art Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC), with its value positioning, eclectic design and genuine hospitality, which will appeal to a wide range of clientele and will further widen the MICE market in this destination. He further added: “Our new partnership with OMRAN will also allow us to further explore growth opportunities and to contribute towards the development of the travel and tourism sector in the country.”
Peter Walichnowski, CEO of OMRAN, said: “This partnership with AccorHotels to introduce ibis Styles to the Sultanate of Oman remains in line with our wider strategy to grow and fully develop the tourism and travel sector in the country. The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is positioning Muscat as a leading business tourism destination in the Middle East, opening the doors to travelers who have not had Muscat on their destination list before. This will contribute to Oman’s overall economic growth through increased visitor spend and new job opportunities. We will work with AccorHotels in applying OMRAN’s Local Development Initiatives focused on enhancing in country value throughout the development and operations of the hotel. As a brand, ibis Styles has been successful as an innovative, lifestyle driven mid-market hotel concept, targeting a demand segment that has a lot of unexplored potential in Muscat. We are confident that the brand will be well received by international and domestic, business and leisure-driven guests alike.”
Ibis Styles Muscat will be strategically located adjacent to the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, a 5-minute drive away from new Muscat International Airport, providing proximity and connectivity to the city’s key leisure and business districts.
The hotel will comprise of 280 standard rooms with design and amenities that reflect the spirit of ibis Styles. Guests will be able to enjoy a signature ibis Styles all-inclusive breakfast package at the all-day dining restaurant while savoring snacks and refreshments at the Sports bar. Guests looking to focus on wellness will have access to gym and swimming pool facilities.
Ibis Styles Muscat OCEC joins AccorHotels’ award-winning ibis brand portfolio, along with ibis and ibis budget. Ibis Styles properties are individually designed and driven by a unique story, reflecting the brand’s eclectic spirit to provide guests with a unique, modern and upbeat atmosphere. ibis Styles properties offer excellent value with the highest level of comfort through an all-inclusive package incorporating breakfast and internet access. Across the Middle East and Africa, there are currently 15 ibis Styles hotels in operation and in the pipeline with recent openings including the ibis Styles Manama Diplomatic Area in Bahrain and the ibis Styles Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
AccorHotels has eight hotels under operation and in the pipeline in the Sultanate of Oman. The committed network (operational and pipeline) in the Middle East and Africa is over 300 hotels, representing 80,000 rooms across 30 countries in the region.
ABOUT ACCORHOTELS
AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,300 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator, AccorHotels operates in 100 countries. Its portfolio includes internationally renowned luxury brands such as Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO/, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman and Swissôtel, the mid-range boutique hotel brands 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio, and very popular budget brands such as JO&JOE, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget, as well as the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1. AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services.
With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 250,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome. Guests enjoy access to one of the world’s most rewarding hotel loyalty programs – Le Club AccorHotels.
AccorHotels is active in its local communities and committed to sustainable development and solidarity through PLANET 21, a comprehensive program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.
Accor SA is publicly listed with shares trading on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and traded in the United States on the OTC market (Ticker: ACRFY) in the United States.
ABOUT OMRAN
Oman Tourism Development Company SAOC (Omran) drives the investment, growth and development of the rapidly growing tourism sector in the Sultanate of Oman. The company is the master developer of major tourism, heritage, urban and mixed-use projects, delivering some of nation’s most visionary and iconic destinations. As the leading executive government arm for tourism development, Omran has a proven track record of delivering tourism and related projects to a world-class standard, due to our core philosophy of sustainability, transparency and partnering with renowned regional and international investors. Importantly, by working in close collaboration with the local communities, as well as the public and private sector, sustainability is built into every project. The company’s portfolio of projects, asset management expertise and investment experience embraces the unique aspects of Oman’s culture and heritage, while safeguarding the natural beauty of the country for the future generations.
