Oman is investing heavily in the tourism sector, with a strong focus on the luxury market. There’s a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the works, and Anantara is opening a beach resort resembling an ancient Omani castle in 2013. The latest hotel chains to announce projects in the Sultanate: Kempinski and Fairmont. The two international brands will open properties in a vast development called The Wave, situated on six kilometers of sandy beach in Muscat. The Wave will comprise a 300-berth marina with a waterfront promenade, a yacht club, and an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman that will be Oman’s first PGA Links course. Inside this complex will be two luxury hotels.
Slated for 2015, the Kempinski will be the first new five-star hotel in Oman's capital in 20 years. The Fairmont will debut two years later. Designed by Woods Bagot, the Kempinski Hotel, The Wave Muscat will have more than 300 guest rooms and 68 serviced apartments, a gym and spa, two swimming pools, multiple food and beverage outlets, landscaped gardens and an enormous ballroom with a capacity of 1,000 guests. For more information, visit www.thewavemuscat.com.