InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced that it has signed an agreement with the Oman Tourism Development Company SAOC (Omran) to open Crowne Plaza Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, Muscat.

The 296-room hotel will be the second Crowne Plaza hotel in the Capital and the fourth Crowne Plaza hotel in Oman. The new-build property will feature extensive meeting and event facilities with a separate function centre that will include a glamorous ballroom with terrace, a boardroom and three large meeting rooms.

The hotel will also benefit from five food and beverage outlets, including a rooftop restaurant where guests will be able to take in picturesque Muscat views. Extensive leisure and fitness facilities add to the hotel’s appeal: private outdoor relaxation zones with female and male Jacuzzi pools, 150 square metre fitness zone, two pools and a children’s playground.

The new property is a part of Omran’s Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) development which is due for completion in 2016. Just 10 minutes from Muscat International Airport, the mixed-use, purpose-built precinct will feature a state-of-the-art exhibition centre with 22,000m² of exhibition space. The OCEC overlooks a Wadi (a natural waterway) and extensive parklands, and will also include a shopping centre and grade-A business park, making it an ideal travel destination for both the business and leisure traveller.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, H.E. Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, Chairman of Omran said, “Today marks a pivotal milestone in the development of the much anticipated OCEC as we sign with the first hotel operator to handle one of a series of planned hotels to complement this mega project. By formalizing this agreement with our preferred and trusted partner IHG to operate the 5-star facility, we are taking another step forward to establish the Sultanate as a favoured destination for the regional and global meetings and exhibitions industry.”

He added, “Based on our existing relations with IHG, we are confident that they will continue to realise our mission of delivering memorable hospitality assets that have a positive direct and indirect social and economic impact on local communities.”

Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East and Africa for IHG, said: “Omran’s Convention and Exhibition Centre is set to put Muscat on the MICE industry map. The alignment of the Crowne Plaza brand to the project makes perfect business sense for us - and for our guests, who will be able to utilise OCEC’s world class facilities at their doorstep. We are delighted to continue to be a part of the Capital’s exciting expansion plans.”

Today’s signing marks IHG’s 8th property in the Sultanate of Oman, with four properties already operating in the cities of Muscat, Salalah and Sohar. There are four more properties in IHG’s pipeline for these cities, as well as Duqm.