“My years as a military commando gunner are certainly useful – I have no problem making quick decisions,” says Darren Darwin, general manager of the 115-key Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, set 7,000 feet above sea level in the rugged Hajar Mountains, Sultanate of Oman.
Born in Northern England, he went straight from school to follow in the footsteps of his British army father. He completed a six-year commission, after which he planned a police career. “I was accepted into the elite Hendon police training college but I had a couple of months’ gap so my mother, who was running a pub, said come and help, and I loved it,” he recalled. That led to a change of plan, which ultimately saw him open Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar.
“His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, ruler of Oman, wanted a top luxury resort to attract quality tourists to a spot that Charles and Diana had visited, by helicopter, in 1986. Oman’s Ministry of Defence Pension Fund commissioned the French-Moroccan company Atelier POD to design it, and Bill Heinecke’s Minor Group then won the management bid,” he explained.
Darwin, chosen partly because he had worked in Oman many years before, at a Ramada down in the capital city Muscat, arrived here in April 2015. Housing for management and staff was complete. The resort, five miles away, was not. “I had 18 months, up to our eventual opening October 1st, 2016, to work on perfection – which came from my army life. I found the world’s easiest shower controls, with simple push-button for on and off, and worked with our local gardeners to make sure that every one of our 3,000 olive trees, pomegranates, roses and other flowers had individual water supplies.”
Much of his pre-opening time was spent immersing himself in the locale. Although Akhdar means green in Arabic, this entire area is basically a barren mountain range, with scattered villages. “I am really proud that, of my total 270-strong team, from 34 nations, about 25% are from the locale – nearly all these are former military personnel as this is all still Ministry of Defence territory.”
Curated visits to some of these villages are led by local employees, who may invite you into their homes. “We have well over 40 activities, from archery through to indoor or outdoor rock climbing, and yoga at Diana’s Point, a cantilevered glass-walled viewing deck that looks down some 4,000 feet below, named after that 1986 royal visit,” the GM enthused.
There are pre-teens and teens clubs, which attract many Omani families up the winding road from Muscat, a two-hour drive. The hotel is also a popular weekend getaway from Dubai, 4.5 hours by road or an hour’s flight away. “We have something for everyone and we had two – successful – marriage proposals here in the first two months,” he smiled. He is counting on average occupancy of 55% for the first year, at starting rate of US$400, ranging up to US$2,000 at peak times, for those who want villas with infinity pools (all meals extra). His goal is to have Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar seen as on a par with Burj Al Arab in Dubai, or Sandy Lane, Barbados, or Raffles Singapore.
The challenge of the hotel’s success, however, includes his working unbelievably long hours. “This morning I was suddenly called by a top Middle Eastern royal, just before he checked out. He wants to take 1,000 pomegranate fruit back home with him so I have sent people scouring the vicinity,” he revealed. Pomegranates feature as the signature scrub in the hotel’s spa, where guests are welcomed with rose tea, from the garden’s Damascene roses. “I am really enthusiastic about our wellness programs and I foresee visitors coming here for detox or weight loss. By contrast, we already offer a choice of Omani or Thai cooking lessons,” he said with a grin.
Dine in the signature dinner-only restaurant and your Omani grill, fish or meat, will be accompanied by a salt menu with 14 choices, including pink salt infused with calcium and magnesium. You may well worry about putting on weight here, with a breakfast buffet that includes ten different croissants and a dozen bread types, all made in-house, but you will never, in this mountainous, barren land, worry about security. “After getting my MBA from Glion, in Switzerland, I worked in Eastern Europe and in St Petersburg, Russia, where I met my wife. Honestly, being here is a breath of fresh air,” said this former soldier.