Unveiling Oman | Mandarin Oriental, Muscat

| Mandarin Oriental, Muscat. Explore the world's second-youngest Mandarin Oriental—Muscat MO (opened on the same day as London Mayfair, but became the second youngest due to the time difference). Adjacent to the Gulf of Oman, the hotel's striped architecture sits on the coastline, its white Arabian facade comfortably blending into the surrounding private residential area, just across the road from the embassy district. Omani embroidery patterns are also incorporated into the hotel rooms, with smooth color transitions. The sofas are in the hotel's theme color, a highly saturated orange representing the inland mountains of Oman, clashing with the blue-green symbolizing the ocean, creating a serene and tranquil environment brimming with vitality. As a hallmark of Mandarin Oriental hotels, each property's unique designer fan reflects the brand's integration with local culture. The fan ribs of the Mandarin Oriental, Muscat fan feature 11 gold studs, symbolizing the 11 governorates within the Sultanate of Oman. The hotel lobby adopts a cross-shaped circulation, extending longitudinally from the main entrance to the pool, directly towards the beach; the transverse circulation connects the Mandarin Cake Shop/Essenza Bar and the spa/guest room area. Above the pool at the intersection of the two circulations hangs a pan-Arab colored light fixture, forming the Sawa Lounge, intended to be the living room of Muscat. However, by the second day of opening, this area was already overcrowded, requiring navigating through a maze of coffee and conversations. Currently, two and a half restaurants are open: Rawya, a Euro-Asian restaurant for breakfast/lunch; Essenza, an Italian restaurant for dinner; and an outdoor pool bar. The entire Essenza restaurant team hails from Italy, with the bar on the ground floor and the restaurant on the lower ground floor. Descending the stairs reveals fresh fruits and vegetables and a variety of cheese platters. Appetizers are prepared by the staff directly using ingredients from this area. The dishes are authentic, and the smiles of the Italian waiters are even more radiant than the Mediterranean sun. However, the Mandarin Oriental, Muscat's opening preparations were still insufficient. Despite several postponements, some rooms are still under renovation, some restaurants and the executive lounge are not yet operational, and staff coordination needs further improvement.