High-end hospitality

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Parisian firm to design boutique hotel in Oman

Paris-based AW2 has been selected by Omran, the Omani government’s tourism development and investment arm, to design a high-end hotel in Oman’s Jebel Al Akhdar region.

“We’ve been appointed as the architect and interior designer for the Jebel Al Akhdar project in Oman. It will be a very high-end, boutique, 60-suite hotel up in the mountains,” founder, AW2, Reda Amalou revealed.

This is the second project in Oman for the company, which has also been appointed as the architect on The Malkai in Barka, a resort encompassing 107 villas, 60 suites and a Gary Player golf course. Elsewhere in the region, AW2 is working on the Nurai resort in Abu Dhabi.

“Here, we are creating a contemporary interpretation of an Islamic or Arabic type interior,” Amalou explained.

“We are also currently designing a small boutique hotel, or host house, in Morocco. It will have 17 suites, some with private pools, and is located in Marrakech. This is a very contemporary type of project, with a sculptured garden, and paintings and ceramics by contemporary artists.”

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The architecture, urban planning and interior design company has worked in 18 countries around the world and operates a second office in Vietnam. It made its name in the luxury hotel segment, most famously with the award-winning Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, which is managed by GHM.

“We are currently working on other GHM properties around the world, as well as with Six Senses and Alila Hotels & Resorts.”
 
Contemporary lines are characteristic of the firm’s work, as is a sense of belonging, Amalou explained. “We always try to give our projects a sense of place.

They are built for the place they are planned for and they have that sense of history. We tend to spend a lot of time researching the places we are designing in,” he said.

From its traditional architecture, villages and forts, to its striking landscapes and dramatic mountains, Oman presents plenty such influences to draw upon.

“The strength and depth of Omani history is a great thing to draw upon, as are the mountains, desert and sea,” Amalou noted.
 

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