Tourism

Lust for life

Hotels & entertainment

As tourism booms and the influx of expatriates resumes, hotels in Oman are coming up with bold ideas to cater to the entertainment needs of both locals and foreigners, especially those seeking a getaway from day-to-day life.

For the majority of people in Oman, the land of pristine beaches, gorgeous canyons, and breathtaking desert oasis, nightlife is about an evening of tranquil, a picnic close to the coast, diverse cultural and musical events, and streets filled with frankincense, shisha, and barbeque. But expats in Oman make up close to 50% of the total population, which alone explains the country’s complex relationship with alcohol, which is quite similar to other GCC countries.

Being a traditional Muslim country, the purchase, consumption, and marketing of alcoholic beverages is generally forbidden, but the government has made certain exceptions to accommodate tourists and expats. The good news is that with the tourism sector booming and more expats flocking to the country every year, nightlife in Oman has been evolving in recent years. Take the capital city of Muscat, which has far more licensed places selling and serving alcohol than anywhere else in Oman.
By far, the best and safest place to drink in Oman is hotels because the government has made alcohol more expensive in other places to discourage public drunkenness. Furthermore, more and more hotels are bringing special events and live performances on certain days to the mix. And no hotel is doing it better than W Muscat, which opened its doors in August 2019.
Set against the backdrop of the rugged Al Hajar Mountains, W Muscat is located in the upbeat Shatti Al Qurum Beach area, next to Royal Opera House Muscat. The hotel’s location is in fact ideal to bring the W brand’s signature take on playful luxury and DETOX.RETOX.REPEAT philosophy to the serene waterfront of Oman.
In an interview with TBY, W Muscat General Manager Gerald Chevasson noted that “as a hotel that seeks to fuel a lust for life, W Muscat further fitted the local market by bringing a bold and original element to luxury hotels in the Sultanate, attracting a diverse and vibrant clientele base. We follow a lifestyle philosophy—centered around fashion, design, music, and food—that we find reverberates with many aspects of the fun-loving local culture.”