5 Best Hotels in Oman

With soaring ceilings, gilded columns, and giant stained-glass windows, this Arabian-style luxury hotel sets a particularly opulent tone in the grand lobby. Rooms are quite spare by comparison, with a rather neutral palate and just a few Arabesque flourishes, including rounded windows, tasteful stained-glass accents, and marquetry on some of the furnishings. During the winter, a rooftop restaurant with great views of the sea is open on the weekends, while the rest of the year there are several indoor dining options, including a fine italian restaurant and an international buffet, as well as three lively bars. The property is a popular and especially convenient location for those visiting to meet with government officials, as it is in the ministries district and close to all the embassies.

You may not be awash in luxuries here, but you'll find everything that's expected from the Hilton brand in a location that capitalizes on the area's formidable natural beauty. Common and dining areas are airy, bright, and welcoming. Rooms are sizable and clean, many with floor-to-ceiling windows and ocean views from private terraces. The palm-lined outdoor pool and tennis courts are well maintained and overlook a wide stretch of sandy beach (although there is an industrial complex in view), and dining can be had indoors, on the terrace, or beachside.

An hour east of the Salalah airport and city center, this sprawling resort functions best as a quiet, self-contained getaway spot, with the advantage of being near tourist destinations. The hotel's large central pool is the focal point, intended to make up for the lack of beach access—except for scuba diving, which can be easily arranged from the diver's lodge within the resort. Rooms are streamlined, contemporary and very clean, with private balconies and views of the pool or mountains. A spiffy spa and good dining choices within the hotel are a big plus.