Ritz-Carlton to debut luxury resort brand

Ritz-Carlton president and CEO Herve Humler has revealed plans to take the company’s luxury resort brand Reserve to Muscat, Oman. “I have a project for the Reserve in Muscat, Oman and the Reserve is very special, an out of place, out of reach destination, targeting that very thin market,” Humler told Hotelier Middle East during a recent trip to Doha. “Every time you charge £1,000 or more for room rate, here you are dealing with one percent of the market and the more exclusive location you find, the more that market love it and they want to be away from everything,” he said. The Muscat Reserve hotel will be inspired by traditional Arabic design and culture. “In Oman we are doing a reproduction of an Arabian fort,” said Humler. “They want to make sure it is authentic, that is where we are bringing the old Arabian amenities, which can be the falconry,” he added. There are further Reserve projects underway south of Tangier in Morocco, in Puerto Rico, St Lucia and in Mexico, Humler told Hotelier. One hotel is currently operating under the Reserve brand; Phulay Bay in Krabi, Thailand.