and the design interprets the country in
a creative way. We’ve taken the social,
natural and historical aspects of the
location for inspiration and then turned
them on their head, shaking up what you
think you know about Oman. It is at the
crossroads of these three elements that
we are able to create a complete 360°
experience for our guests.
For example, the first thing you’ll
notice when you come to W Muscat is
a 10 metre-tall, 9-tonne Frankincense
Tree sculpture, representing the
welcoming hospitality of Oman. Close
by is our signature W sign, which
is inspired by the local mashrabiya
pattern, in combination with backlight
neon colours, creating a WOWstatement upon arrival. In the Living
Room you’ll find a cascading, golden
chandelier, which was created to
reflect the rugged landscape of the
surrounding Al Hajar Mountains. The
design of our grill house, CHAR, is
reminiscent of an Omani dhow, with
rich wooden planks and a low-rise
ceiling that give the impression of
being inside the cabin. Even our WET
Deck, with floor to ceiling mirrors, is
inspired by Bimmah Sinkhole. There
are literally countless other creative
homages to Oman to be found in every
space of W Muscat.What are your future plans?
We’re ready to challenge the typical
relaxed, chilled-out nature of Muscat.
We want to reimagine and reinvent
this traditional capital in a refreshingly
unexpected way. W Muscat is looking
forward to the upcoming opening of
Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar our
breathtaking rooftop cocktail lounge,
which is going to light up Muscat’s
nightlife, as well as Ba Ban, our eclectic
1930s Shanghai-inspired restaurant.
We will also be engaging with some
top local talents and powering some
incredible programs in the months
to come – some of our international
favorites and some surprises.How is Oman’s hospitality industry
shaping up? Can you talk about the
prospects and the challenges in the
industry?
Tourism in Oman has seen tremendous
growth in the last 40 years as part of its
diversification strategy. The hospitality
industry of Oman is expected to be
worth US$1 billion by 2022 and the
number of international tourists is
expected to reach 3.4 million. The
Sultanate has been hiking up its
tourism drive in the European and
GCC markets as well as opening up
tourist visas. This will give the entire
hospitality industry some great
momentum. At W Muscat we’re very
excited about what is yet to come and
are on a mission to create distinctive
experiences and bring Whatever/
Whenever service culture to life.