Originally Posted by
khabah
I was told by a member of staff that the hotel had drawn up some renovation plans in 2019 with plans to kick off in 2020, but obviously COVID derailed those plans. This is the first I've heard about a rebranding up to a Park Hyatt, which I find impossible unless they tear this hotel down to the studs. The bones of the building are solid, the rooms are spacious and there's a lot they can do if they utilize the spaces properly, but I don't see it happening.
I met a few members of the family that own the hotel, and between my experiences and the same anecdotes you hear from a number of different sources, it's a story you've heard in many other situations: the patriarch was business-savvy and smart, and he's the one who built the hotel and invested in it to make it one of the best in the city. He eventually got older, sick and passed away, and the sons and daughters who inherited the business are too busy living in their luxury villas across the city, spending time outside Oman, arguing over who gets what in the business and not taking decisions to develop the property.
Based on one of the conversations I'd had with a general manager in one of the Hyatt-branded properties in the region who'd stayed at GH MCT and spoke to the GM here about the hotel being "old and sad", he said the GH GM got very defensive about the hotel's status and hunkered down on the fact that they're well-established and respected and that speaks for itself. If that's the attitude at the top...
It'll obviously take a LOT of time, work and effort to transform this hotel from chintzy and outdated to modern and up-to-date, and frankly I don't see it happening in any way short of a total gut renovation. I would like to see Hyatt step in and push the owners to renovate, or investigate rebranding another hotel in the city under one of their brands [the IC is a legacy property that could easily be a very good HR, but the IC brand has too much sentimentality in the local market; the CP in Qurum renovated their lobby and pool area, but the rooms are untouched and this could be another candidate for renovation into a better, more premium brand that takes advantage of the property's superb location and facilities... especially now that there's a second CP at the OCEC].
khabah
I'm not surprised about what you report regarding the GM.. I have 2 emails from him that are "collector" (in a very bad way)... Very bad attitude and mindset if you ask me.
I agree that I think it's time for hyatt to audit this property and at least make it a 8k property (not 15k wich is ridiculous) + ask for renovation (but as you mentioned, it's a huge work in this case and means hotel closure because outside of the walls everything is dated and never been well maintained - lack of investment is visible and it's sad).
W is for sale but sounds they have invested too much for the market and can't find anyone willing to spend the requested amount but the W would make a great PH if you ask me. IC and CP are nice properties, especially the CP imho but I they are iconic properties and never heard about any rebranding but who knows.
What is sad is that the GH is kind of unique and his location / territory are just amazing. The whole concept is great and has some history / legacy but as you said, we don't talk about some painting to make it back in the game.