The Ritz affiliation means nothing, and as is my experience with Ritz-Carltons, they're just tarted-up Marriotts that are attitudinally up themselves... and the renovation itself is quite lackluster. Some of the rooms were renovated with a wooden scheme that is quite nice if anonymous, but the most recent renovations that were initially beautiful were dumbed down at the last minute and now look like a plain Marriott. Disappointing. Come for tea but stay elsewhere - one shouldn't be marooned out here where there's nothing else but a small residential community anyway.

Vaccinated non-Omani residents of Oman can enter Dhofar with proof of at least one dose of the four vaccines mentioned above, and they said that tourists can enter if they have both doses of those vaccines... but all borders and airports are still closed to tourists. They really need help with their government-level communications, because it's been driving hotels, residents and guests crazy with its horrible wording and lack of sense.

The current round of lockdowns ends on July 31st, but they might be extended. There are rumors that there will be a soft reopening in August, but I don't realistically see tourists being allowed back here until September at the earliest, and unless Oman does away with the quarantine requirement - which it doesn't appear to be with the recent news insisting that all arriving non-Omanis MUST quarantine in hotels for a week - then all bets are off, and I wouldn't plan on coming here for a while yet. Dhofar will be losing yet another khareef season, which was always a boon to their economy.

Sorry to disappoint you. I'll keep this thread updated with news as it comes out.

khabah