City Seasons Muscat reflects on first year of operation

Feb. 26, 2012 - PRLog -- Oman, February 2012   -   A year ago this month the City Seasons Hotel Muscat opened its doors during what was a period of unrest in the country. Today it looks back at what has been a challenging but successful year for the hotel.
“Oman is a very peaceful country so it was unfortunate that we were ready to open when we did during this difficult period” said Manu Madan general manager of the City Seasons Hotel Muscat “The summer was tough for the hospitality industry, however we saw business levels return to normal from October, which is normally high season for us, and we ended the year with an average occupancy of 50%”  
The challenge for the hotel during this period was to position itself in the local and GCC market and to attract UK leisure travellers who are a key source market for Oman. The marketing strategy was to focus on activities such as GDS advertising and pay per click campaigns to generate business.
Madan commented that “During our first year of operation the corporate segment has been very strong for us and business levels now are very much in line with other hotels in the city”
However he reveals that it hasn’t been easy.
“The soft opening phase of a hotel’s entry into the market is always a difficult one as there is inevitably snagging work still going on throughout the property” said Madan “There have been minor unfinished jobs in some of the rooms and public areas that have needed to be finished but these are all now completed and the hotel is fully operational”
Looking forward, the hotel will be supporting the Ministry of Tourism in most of their overseas trade fairs and road shows to promote Muscat as the capital of Arab tourism for 2012.
The hotel is the fifth addition to the City Seasons Groups portfolio and the first to open in Oman.  This new luxury business hotel stands elegantly in the Diplomatic area, with 269 spacious rooms and suites, a fine blend of Arabian contemporary hospitality and modern facilities.


Notes for the Editor

About City Seasons Hotel Muscat
Located in the Diplomatic area of Muscat the City Seasons Hotel Muscat has 269 spacious rooms and suites. It boasts a convention centre that is second to none; offering four meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a large ballroom for up to 350 as well as convenient vast underground parking. The hotel has also included a health club with roof top swimming pool with Sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi with separate facilities for ladies and gentlemen while three diverse restaurants ensure that local diners as well as in-house guests have a choice of dining options.
For hotel enquiries please contact: +968 2439 4800
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Elaine Nettleton
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CTT Consulting    
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Email: elaine@cttconsultingme.com
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