Hotel to include full-service spa
OKLAHOMA CITY – In a little over one month, the highly-anticipated Omni Oklahoma City Hotel will open to the public, with more than 600 rooms and 29 suites, which will have dramatic views of the 70-acre Scissortail Park and the unique Oklahoma City skyline.
Once it opens, the Omni is expected to be a major draw to downtown Oklahoma City. The hotel will adhere to strict cleaning guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure guests’ and associates’ wellbeing.
To the delight of those who like to be pampered, the Omni will also feature a full-service spa – the Mokara Spa, according to Omni Oklahoma City Hotel General Manager Steve Keenan.
“A spa day or staycation at Oklahoma City’s newest premier hotel is a great way to start the new year,” Keenan said. “We are starting to see more bookings ahead of our opening next month, so we are thrilled to offer gift cards as an option for those looking for a local present for anyone on their holiday gift list.”
While a tour of the spa was not possible due to protocols concerning COVID-19, the spa is expected to open Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, the same day the Omni OKC is scheduled to open.
As described by Taylor Ketchum, vice president of Oklahoma City-based Jones PR, Mokara Spa will feature a “tranquil relaxation lounge and head-to-toe treatments” as well as “a revitalizing sauna and pampering nail service.”
“Mokara Spa will be the perfect place for small groups, like wedding or bachelorette parties, to unwind together in its private room, which will be available for dining within the spa,” Ketchum said.
Mokara Spa will offer a vast array of unique treatments inspired by natural surroundings to create the perfect experience for an overall sense of vitality and wellbeing that is so essential to maintaining self-care. The full menu of services will be available soon, but a few highlights include:
• OKC Gemstone Facial. Revitalize, brighten and heal the skin with the transformative powers of natural facial gemstones. Malachite, pink tourmaline, citrine and natural botanicals infuse the skin to create a one-of-a-kind spa treatment. Emerge not only with beautiful skin, but a feeling of balance, total calm and in a peaceful state of mind.
• Mokara Inner Glow Ritual. Your ritual journey will begin with a refreshing head-to-toe exfoliation. An aromatic melted shea butter is then liberally applied as your expert spa therapist envelops you in a hydrating cocoon. While relaxing, you will experience a nourishing hot oil scalp treatment with a personalized aromatherapy selection. To complete the journey, additional shea butter is expertly massaged into the skin, leaving the entire body hydrated and positively glowing.
• Omni Blueberry Bliss Slimming Treatment. The super hydrating power of soy is combined with the antioxidant-fighting properties of blueberries to create a body slimming treatment. An organic soy sugar scrub with alpha-hydroxy-acids smooths and refines the skin, while also providing ultimate hydration and increased circulation. A blueberry-rich soy slimming body masque infuses the skin with a blend of free radical fighting ingredients and non-GMO soy, rich in isoflavones and healing vitamin B. This instantly firming and hydrating body wrap stimulates circulation to continue to refine and strengthen the appearance of your skin’s structure and overall elasticity. A must-have for special occasions.
Keenan, meanwhile, is a Tulsa native who headed Omni Corpus Christi in Texas for more than five years before returning to his home state to lead the Omni OKC, connected to the new MAP
Center, which is replacing the old Cox Convention Center. The Cox Convention Center is transforming into the Prairie Surf movie studio.
The new Convention Center, city leaders say, will help Oklahoma City “stay competitive in the lucrative convention industry for years to come” while bringing conventions here, bringing millions of dollars of business and tax revenue to Oklahoma City while creating local jobs.
And with the new Omni, convention attendees will have a comfortable and inviting hotel to stay in as well.
Due to concerns over COVID-19, the press was not allowed into the actual hotel. However, a “model” hotel room – a room with two queen beds and another with a single king-sized bed – was shown to this reporter by both Keenan and Ketchum.
Keenan pointed out the browns and golds in the carpet and wall designs that are to reflect Oklahoma’s landscape. Also, azure blue is utilized to highlight the deep blue Oklahoma skies.
There are two suites on each floor between floors 4 through 16. And on an upper floor, there are rooms fit for basketball kings. Literally. With door frames that are seven-feet high the rooms allow headspace for visiting basketball players who would be in town playing against the Thunder.
Amenities on the Omni property include seven bars and restaurants. Included are the Basin Bar, Catbird Seat roof-top bar, Double Double burger bar; Bob’s Steak & Chop House; OKC Tap House; Seltzer’s cafeteria; and Park Grounds coffeehouse.
As for an executive chef, on this particular day – snowy and cold – Keenan said they were interviewing an executive chef candidate.
“We’ve had a lot of calls and a lot of reservations,” Keenan said.
In the King room, there is a couch, a bar cart and more, all with an interior design reflecting Oklahoma’s landscape.
Keenan said drawing conventions into Oklahoma City is a primary goal of the Omni, alongside the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
Keenan said that in the new convention hall space there will be 78,000 square feet on a single floor, which will make it easier for people to get in and out.
Granted, 2020 has been a difficult year for Dallas-based Omni Hotels and its 60 properties. And while 2021 is also going to have plenty of challenges, Keenan and Ketchum both said the outlook going further into the future is looking bright for Omni and its positive impact on Oklahoma City.
“We want Oklahomans to be excited about this, in their own backyard,” Ketchum said.
Omni Oklahoma City Hotel is located at 100 W. Oklahoma City Boulevard. To contact the hotel go to www.omnihotels.com/hotels/oklahomacity