The Chedi Muscat is one of the most luxurious hotels in the capital of Oman. It is not surprising that it is part of The Leading Hotels of the World. A hotel must prove to be luxurious and “have remarkable unusual attributes” in order to be part of this elite group. Being admitted means that you have high standards of accommodations, service, cuisine, facilities and employees. Therefore I was very excited to be staying at this hotel during my visit to Muscat.

The city of Muscat has very good roads. We rented a car and arrived from the airport to the hotel in less than 15 minutes. Parking is free as in all the places you visit in the city. One, who is used to paying for parking, is happy to realize that there are countries that have not yet adopted that terrible policy. From The Chedi Muscat you can visit places like the Grand Mosque of Sultan Qaboos and the Gran Mezquita del Sultán Qaboos. You can also go to the historical part of Muscat that is 20 minutes away.

This hotel was opened in 2003 being the first modern hotel in Oman. Today there are many hotels in Muscat. They have only remodeled the spa and the gym in all the time they have been open.

The architecture is inspired by the Arab style, with white buildings nestled among a collection of gardens and bodies of water.

Warm welcome

The check-in process at The Chedi Muscat is done in an awning in the style of the bedouins.

Upon arrival they gave us fresh towels to freshen up and a drink. Then we fill out a form where they ask what newspaper we want to read. At that time they gave us the very good news that they had upgraded us to a suite.

The hotel is spread over eight hectares facing the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman. Therefore, they had to transport us to our suite in a golf cart.

A lovely suite

The Chedi Muscat has 158 rooms; of these 60 are standard, 60 are deluxe and 38 are suites. The suites are larger with 62 square meters. The living room has a sofa that borders three of the four walls of the room; the last one has a desk. There are details everywhere. On the sofa was a tray with liqueurs and snacks such as dried peach and pistachios. On the desk was a welcome letter and a small box with a gift khanjar. For those who do not know, khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman and is worn on the belt. The uniforms of the men in the lobby include it.

If you have a suite the contents of the mini bar are complimentary, including beer, water, sodas (which I do not drink) and iced tea. Whatever you choose, you can drink it on your private terrace overlooking a pool surrounded by fountains and gardens.

The main room has a king bed with an elegant silver painted lamp that hangs from the ceiling. The bathroom is huge with tub and shower. It has separate sinks and closet for him and her. This hotel is designed mostly for couples not families.

The best thing about staying in the suite is being able to go to the club lounge. It offers tea and drinks all day. In the evenings they host a happy hour with gourmet options of snacks that include meat tartare, samosas, and salmon.

The weather is nice so most people choose to sit at tables located on the terrace. Do not expect interaction with the other guests as they are all in their own worlds. Other benefits of the suite are free transfer to the airport, laundry and daily newspaper.

Amenities of The Chedi Muscat

Chedi is a hotel chain based in Singapore but they do not have a hotel in that country. Their hotels are in the Arab Emirates, Indonesia, India, Switzerland, India and Montenegro. Soon they will be opening another hotel in China. They are all luxury boutiques.

You can find three pools at The Chedi Muscat; two are for adults and one for families. The most notable pool is called “long pool”. It is the longest in the entire Middle East with 103 meters, twice the length of an Olympic pool.

The spa only uses brands of organic origin that are displayed so that customers can choose. The treatments are based on the principles of aromatherapy, herbalism and Ayurveda. They offer beauty salon services such as manicures and pedicures, as well as facials and massages in 13 treatment rooms.

The most impressive part of the spa is undoubtedly the living room at the end of the hallway. It has a window in the Arabic style that looks towards the sea and a central fountain for relaxation. This is the place where they serve you tea or water with fruits while you wait or after your treatment.

They have eight restaurants and lounges including the main one that opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant on the beach is seafood. Each pool has its restaurant: Sarai is international food; Chedi serves lunch and the long pool has Japanese and Asian food. Once a week they do an outdoor BBQ in Chedi. There are two lounges, one is for smoking shisha and the other serves arabic food once a week.

The outdoor facilities only open from October to April, which is high season. Summer is from May to September and temperatures in Oman rise to 120 °F (49 °C). On your next visit to Muscat, enjoy a stay at The Chedi Muscat.