Hotels and resorts in Oman woo tourists with exclusive offers

Muscat: With Sunday, July 24 having been officially declared a holiday to mark the Renaissance Day, hotels and resorts in the Sultanate are all set to receive more guests this weekend.
The concept of a staycation has become popular in Oman whenever there is an extended weekend or consecutive holidays.
According to the spokesmen of many hotels and resorts, 80 per cent of their revenue comes from the staycation packages designed for such weekends.
By announcing exclusive offers and a number of fun activities one can take part in, hotels and resorts offer a tempting and irresistible experience for the public.
The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa is offering a special room rate for Omanis and local residents.
“The room rates are per room per night, inclusive of taxes and breakfast for two adults. Two children below 12 years can stay, eat and play for free,” Ingrid Hotanijaya, a communications executive told the Times of Oman. “Rates in Al Waha start from OMR70, Al Bandar is from OMR85 and Al Husn is from OMR110,” she added.
“Staycations are mini-vacations that should be taken often. These offerings enable people to rejuvenate without travelling much,” Vijay Handa, cluster general manager, the Ras-Al-Jinz Turtle Reserve, which is part of the Ras-Al-Hadd Sanctuary, said.
The Ras-Al-Jinz Turtle Reserve Centre is experiencing a rush as the nesting season for turtles has also started.
Despite travelling for more than 300 kilometres, a large number of people return to Muscat without seeing turtles as they don’t book in advance with the Turtle Reserve Management Company, which is being run by the Ministry of Tourism. “We advise people to book early as we are experiencing a huge rush this season,” Handa pointed out.
Short holidays
“There are a lot of things to explore in the Sultanate and these kind of short holidays helps us do that,” Jacob Thomas, an Indian expat said.
“We are planning to visit Jebel Akhdar and to camp there for a couple of days to enjoy the cool weather during this holiday,” Lijo Abraham, an Indian expat, who is making the trip with his family, said. “Long weekends and extended holidays are an advantage after a long work week, so will get more time to spend with our family and friends,” Xavier Varghese said.