AccorHotels, a leading international hotel operator, has signed a management agreement with the master developer Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) to open the first ibis Styles in the sultanate.

The 280-room economy ibis Styles Muscat will be strategically located within the new state-of-the-art Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) master development in Madinat al Irfan.

Set to open in 2020, ibis Styles Muscat will be the first internationally branded economy hotel in the OCEC master development, strengthening AccorHotels’ presence in Oman.

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.

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 and 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 Oman remains in line with our wider strategy to grow and fully develop the tourism and travel sector in the country. The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre is positioning Muscat as a leading business tourism destination in the Middle East, opening the doors to travellers 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,” he said.

Ibis Styles Muscat will be strategically located adjacent to the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, a five-minute drive away from new Muscat International Airport, providing proximity and connectivity to the city’s key leisure and business districts.

The hotel will feature 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 savouring 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. 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 properties 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. - TradeArabia News Service