October 29, 2008

AFRICA & MIDEAST | OMAN

Oman for the Ages

By Nicole Cotroneo

Time to turn up the old-world Arabian charm.

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In the days of King Solomon, frankincense made Oman fabulously wealthy. Now, like its booming neighbors, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this historic stretch of the Arabian peninsula is looking to tourism. Oman’s most ambitious resort project may be The Blue City, a future cluster of hotels, stadia, and souks designed by the ubiquitous Norman Foster. But already underway is The Wave, a $2 billion community featuring hotels by Kempinski and Fairmont, a 300-berth marina and a waterside Greg Norman golf course (Oman’s first links-style course).

Ten minutes outside the capital of Muscat, The Wave laps up to the edge of the international airport — itself now being overhauled to boost capacity from five to 48 million passengers. But that’s not to say Oman is looking to mimic Dubai’s extreme makeover. Guided by a ruler keen on cultural preservation, Muscat is refreshingly devoid of any glitzy skyscrapers. Instead, a handful of luxury resorts have pitched up along the city’s beachy environs. In 2007, Shangri-La opened a sprawling 124-acre compound with three hotels (including one fashioned after an Arabian palace), and the largest spa in Oman. Yet it’s the super-chic Chedi (sister to Miami’s Setai), open in 2003, that sets the gold standard with an exclusive (and tightly secured) oceanside infinity pool and water garden.

To keep up with the new kids, Muscat’s 23-year-old Al Bustan Palace, recently checked in for a sweeping renovation. The 220-acre resort reopens November 1 with a clutch of new guestrooms allowing private terrace access to the property’s lagoon pools. In addition to a roster of watersports by the hotel’s private beach (sailing, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking), the remodeled tennis club now has its own sauna and steam rooms. But consider those relaxation chambers just a taste of things to come: in March, Al Bustan will also be home to a Six Senses spa.