Creating Hospitality in an Inhospitable Place
Photo Credit: Qasr al Sarab is a resort seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but only two hours south of Abu Dhabi. flickr / Hewy
Skift Take
Creating a hospitality experience at scale in the middle of one of the world's largest deserts is quite the challenge. But from the isolation springs problem-solving, tight and cohesive teams, and having to make do and get creative.
On Experience
Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing here.
One of my last columns addressed the burgeoning hospitality scene in Oman. I spent the night in the Empty Quarter and the simple meal and hospitality shown to me by a guide was one of the most potent travel experiences I’ve had in recent memory. It led me to think about the challenges of creating hospitable environments in somewhat austere conditions, but at a different scale.
One of the world’s most remote properties is Qasr al Sarab, a resort seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but only two hours south of Abu Dhabi. It couldn’t be more different regarding surroundings. While Abu Dhabi and Dubai are rapidly developing global hubs funded by oil wealth, this property is set in the Rub'Al Khali, the largest uninterrupted sand desert in the world. The resort is entirely isolated, and after a long drive off of the main road, comprised of nothing but oil infrastructure and austere conditions, it appears as an oasis set amidst pink dunes and
