MUSCAT, DEC 21 - As part of promoting tourism outside the capital Muscat, Oman Tourism has announced several hotel projects that have been completed or nearing completion in Masirah, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali and Suhar. Masirah gets a three-star hotel with 48 rooms with facilities such as a meeting room, business centre, restaurant and swimming pool. This project is expected in mid-2020. Jaalan Bani Bu Ali gets a 36-room hotel, which also has six villas, a cafe, a swimming pool and a gym. It is likely to happen soon. Al Joud hotel apartments will also come up in Masirah offering spacious rooms. A three-star Hotel Manzil has been opened in Suhar offering 78 rooms.
It may be noted that in 2018, the total number of hotels reached 412, including 23 five-star hotels,19 four-star hotels, 29 three-star hotels, 54 two-star hotels and 287 units classified as other, including one-star hotels, unclassified hotels, guesthouses and hotel apartments. Since 2014, the number of five-star hotels increased from 12 to 23, while the number of four-star hotels dropped from 23 to 19, the number of three-star hotels grew from 28 to 29 and the number of two-star hotels dropped from 58 to 54, while other accommodations increased from 165 to 287.
Of the 412 hotels in the Sultanate, 155 are in Muscat, 52 in South Al Sharqiyah, 41 in Al Dakhiliyah, 34 in Dhofar, 30 in North Al Batinah, 28 in Al Buraimi, 27 in North Al Sharqiyah, 13 in Al Wusta, 9 in Musandam and 7 in Al Dhahirah. Muscat accounted for 56.1 per cent of the total guests. Omanis topped the list of guests with 38.2 per cent, followed by Europeans with 25.8 per cent and Asian with 17.1 per cent
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