A weekend break with the InterContinental Group
I have just returned from a quick trip to Paris. What has that to do with Oman? Bear with me.
We stayed at an Express Holiday Inn sited on the ring road, convenient to the Metro, bus routes and many cafes and restaurants. Because it was Paris, and there was lots to see and to do, we had no cause to opt for luxurious lodgings in which to lounge. The Express provided for all basic accommodation needs, was comfortable and clean. We weren't looking for a health spa, a beach, or a swimming pool, although Reception hosted a small bar.
Holiday Inn belongs to the InterContinental Hotels Group, at the lower end of the scale of prestige and cost (comfortable yet informal). The Crowne Plaza Hotels represent the middle of the scale (contemporary and stylish) whilst the InterContinental Hotels, of which Oman has two, cater for those with the wealth and expectations of five star service (a luxurious experience). Even so, our Express Holiday Inn met three star requirements, even if it is reckoned as the 'value-conscious choice'.
The brochure in our room, from which I took those descriptions, outlined Weekend Breaks which could be taken throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I was curious as to how you could take a weekend break in the Middle East, flying from Europe, so I turned to the relevant page.
The Zawawi Mosque in Al Khuwair was featured as the main background illustration, but with no attribution, and an inset map showed the 30 or so locations in the Middle East where you could find an InterContinental hotel. There's also a list of things to see and to do.
In Jordan, you could visit Petra. In Saudi Arabia, you could visit souks and markets, although, would you seriously consider Saudi Arabia as a weekend destination? The UAE has its Gold Souk, fine beaches and camel racing. But what could you do on a weekend in Oman? The brochure suggested the Oman National Museum.
I was a bit puzzled by this, since I wasn't aware of the Oman National Museum. Back at my desk in UK, I found the museum page on the Ministry of Information website. There's the Omani Museum in Medinat Al Alam (Information City), and the National Museum somewhere in Ruwi. Opening hours are restricted to the mornings.
Would I really want to come all the way to Muscat for a weekend, to visit two small museums? What about the Grand Mosque in Al Ghubrah, or Muttrah Souq, which you could conceivably visit on a stopover in UAE?
The person who put together the attractive looking brochure using the concept of the Weekend Break, had really been given the task of advertising the InterContinental Group. It might have been nice if he or she had done more thorough research on the destinations to produce a more realistic interpretation of the 'Short Break'. Then again, was that really his or her fault? Did anybody more senior and more knowledgeable in the InterContinental Group take the time to review the proofs?
Perhaps people reading the brochure in Express Holiday Inns aren't expected to have wider travel horizons. And that's the chance the brochure editor(s) took.
We stayed at an Express Holiday Inn sited on the ring road, convenient to the Metro, bus routes and many cafes and restaurants. Because it was Paris, and there was lots to see and to do, we had no cause to opt for luxurious lodgings in which to lounge. The Express provided for all basic accommodation needs, was comfortable and clean. We weren't looking for a health spa, a beach, or a swimming pool, although Reception hosted a small bar.
Holiday Inn belongs to the InterContinental Hotels Group, at the lower end of the scale of prestige and cost (comfortable yet informal). The Crowne Plaza Hotels represent the middle of the scale (contemporary and stylish) whilst the InterContinental Hotels, of which Oman has two, cater for those with the wealth and expectations of five star service (a luxurious experience). Even so, our Express Holiday Inn met three star requirements, even if it is reckoned as the 'value-conscious choice'.
The brochure in our room, from which I took those descriptions, outlined Weekend Breaks which could be taken throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I was curious as to how you could take a weekend break in the Middle East, flying from Europe, so I turned to the relevant page.
The Zawawi Mosque in Al Khuwair was featured as the main background illustration, but with no attribution, and an inset map showed the 30 or so locations in the Middle East where you could find an InterContinental hotel. There's also a list of things to see and to do.
In Jordan, you could visit Petra. In Saudi Arabia, you could visit souks and markets, although, would you seriously consider Saudi Arabia as a weekend destination? The UAE has its Gold Souk, fine beaches and camel racing. But what could you do on a weekend in Oman? The brochure suggested the Oman National Museum.
I was a bit puzzled by this, since I wasn't aware of the Oman National Museum. Back at my desk in UK, I found the museum page on the Ministry of Information website. There's the Omani Museum in Medinat Al Alam (Information City), and the National Museum somewhere in Ruwi. Opening hours are restricted to the mornings.
Would I really want to come all the way to Muscat for a weekend, to visit two small museums? What about the Grand Mosque in Al Ghubrah, or Muttrah Souq, which you could conceivably visit on a stopover in UAE?
The person who put together the attractive looking brochure using the concept of the Weekend Break, had really been given the task of advertising the InterContinental Group. It might have been nice if he or she had done more thorough research on the destinations to produce a more realistic interpretation of the 'Short Break'. Then again, was that really his or her fault? Did anybody more senior and more knowledgeable in the InterContinental Group take the time to review the proofs?
Perhaps people reading the brochure in Express Holiday Inns aren't expected to have wider travel horizons. And that's the chance the brochure editor(s) took.
