With its first hotel opening in the Middle East just around the  corner, Centara Hotels & Resorts, renowned Thai hospitality operator of the “Centara” brand, gives an overview about the tranquil waterside city of Muscat and a preview to its first property in GCC Centara Muscat Hotel Oman.

With 152 comfortable rooms and an exceptional location, the new four-star Centara Muscat Hotel Oman is a modern city hotel featuring well-rounded facilities; three restaurants serving Thai, Middle Eastern and International dishes, a dedicated Thai spa – Centara’s signature SPA Cenvaree, a rooftop pool and terrace with views overlooking the Gulf of Oman, meeting facilities, premium lounge and complimentary wi-fi. The new Muscat hotel is suitable for both business and leisure travellers.

Anthony Wright, general manager of Centara Muscat Hotel Oman, spoke of the hotel’s latest development, “Centara Muscat Hotel Oman will open its doors in early May as the first Centara hotel to operate in the Middle East. Since the beginning of this year, we started rolling out the communications about the opening of this new, exciting property and have secured bookings from our agents and sales offices worldwide. We now continue to take bookings via all channels and offer the public rates starting at RO39++ ($100++) per night for weekdays and at RO29++ ($75++) per night for weekends.”

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator, with a total of 67 deluxe and first-class properties; 44 across major domestic tourist destinations, as well as 23 hotels and resorts located in prominent international destinations, including Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Rich in history and at a major crossroads of ancient trade routes, Muscat is one of the most bustling cultural centres in the Middle East. The city contains masses of exotic and geologically stunning attractions to be explored, from deserts and lush green valleys to rugged coastlines and beaches, along with plenty of adventure activities such as water sports and diving, city sightseeing to forts and palaces, traditional Middle Eastern souks, plus a chance to experience warm Arabian hospitality.

As opposed to its more famous neighbouring cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which beat with the pulse of the future, Muscat, the capital city of Oman with just over 1.5 million population, remains laid back and hums along at ease in its mix of grand historical past and forward-looking present. Under the rules governed by Sultan Qaboos, a visionary and benevolent monarch who has been responsible for Oman’s exceptional religious tolerance, the Sultanate has decreed that new buildings cannot be more than seven stories and everything must be in traditional whitewashed style and nestled into the craggy mountain lines, making the city landscape unique and charmingly inspirational for travellers to explore.