violetm

Hi,

We are planning seven days in Muscat in September. We want a luxury hotel with lazy days by the pool/beach, relaxing, eating good food and shopping and soaking up the culture.

We really fancy The Chedi, and while most people rate it highly I have found a few negative comments, mainly about the beach not being great and the hotel being a bit far out of Muscat.

Can anyone comment on this please? Is it too far out to go to the Souk in the evenings? How would we get around, are taxis an option or very expensive? Or would you recommend a more central hotel?

Any advice gratefully received.

whizforty

Hi

We were in Muscat 7 years ago. Things may have changed by now. Take a look at The Bustan Palace Intercontinental....great place to chill out and a lovely beach, another one that you could check out is the Grand Hyatt.

Its quite safe to travel around . You could use the hotel taxies as well.
Wherever you stay, the Omanis are very warm and humble people.

Try and do some off road trips .

Whizforty

whizforty

Hi

forgot to mention that it is still very hot and humid in September.
Whizforty

gaynor

We visited Oman at the end of May/beginning of June and stayed at the Al Bustan Palace as Whizforty suggests. We had a fabulous time: the beach was good, the setting excellent and the food superb! Although fairly close to the small town of Muscat and the souk at Mutrah, Al Bustan is quite a distance from As Seeb international airport - the Chedi is much closer to the airport. We hired a 4x4 and did quite a bit of off-road driving, but a 4x4 is not essential. We did a boat trip from the hotel (snokelling+dolphins) which was excellent - we had the boat to ourselves and the captain let us decide how long we spent and where we went. We chose the Al Bustan over the Chedi because we enjoy snorkelling and had read the bad reports about the beach at the Chedi - although the beach was very pleasant the snorkelling was nothing special. The hotel, however, was very special and, if we were to go back, we would return to the Al Bustan. Hope this helps.

Gaynor

violetm

Thanks for all your replies, they are really helpful.

We're really torn as we've got our hearts set on The Chedi, and have decided we can live with the beach as it has nice pools.

What I'm really struggling to find out is The Chedi location, how far from the Souk and town etc, how we could get about and what it would cost. Any info on this please?

We did fancy the Shangri-la but thought that was even more out of the way than the Chedi, but maybe it's easier to get about from?

While I am sure they are lovely hotels, the more traditional style such as the Grand Hyatt and Intercontinental just aren't doing it for us. Also, we would prefer a more "child-free" zone.

Many thanks.

whizforty

Hi
Chedi is located in Al Khuwair and is about 10 mins from the Seeb International Airport. It is Located on the beach in North Ghubra. It is approx 5 km -7 Km from the main shopping area i.e Qurum and about 10 km to 15 Km from old Muscat & the corniche ports. The Souk is in old Muscat.

Taxis are available and I believe now they have call cabs (you'll need to get their no.) as well.I am not too sure about the costs.

You'll need just one or two evenings at the souk.Its not very big. You can arrange that with your hotel.Theres plenty to do outside of Muscat. Please try and do some 'wadi bashing' or off road excursions.

Shangrila is in Muttrah or old Muscat city. Its closer to the souk. This must be a very nrw hotel and I'm not too sure of its location.

Hope this helps.

molker

The Shangri La is located perhaps 10 kilometers south of the AlBustan.
It is not in the town of Muscat.

In my opinion the AlBustan has lost much of its former appeal.
Yes, still a nice beach but food quality is no longer as good as previously found. They rest on their former reputation. The pool area can be very crowded with kids. Not good for adults trying to relax. (The Chedi has a pool for adults only.)
Service can be very poor.
While Omani staff does their best- some middle and senior mannagement( ex-pat) should attend " Charm School" their manner and attitude is very arrogant.
For the price paid, one would expect more.

Note that the Chedi is constructing a new restaurant.They say it will be complete by September. Best to check with the hotel.
The Chedi , while not in a perfect location is more convenient to town, shopping and sights than the AlBustan or ShangriLa,