A short-haul getaway with all the little luxuries… 

When you spend your time in the UAE hopping between five star resorts, be it for brunches, lunches, ladies’ nights or dinners, you become accustomed to a certain style of grandeur. So when travelling, particularly around the region, it’s sometimes hard for hotels to measure up. But in the sleepy serenity of Oman, the hospitality industry is waking up to the opportunity of attracting tourists from neighbouring UAE, and a string of high-profile resorts from brands like St Regis, Nikki Beach, and Mandarin Oriental are set to put the capital of Muscat on the map. Leading the way of this new movement is Mandarin Oriental, Muscat, which debuted in June.

Check-in as we check it out…

Location

Twenty minutes from the airport, Mandarin Oriental Muscat stands proudly on the shorefront in Shatti Al Qurum. The boxy, whitewashed hotel facade is clean and modern, standing out against the warmer, more traditional local architecture, but it doesn’t feel out of place. The craggy mountains provide a scenic backdrop to the front of the resort, while the golden beach and Arabian Sea await at the back – each offering an immersion into Oman’s alluring natural beauty. A short walk away, Oman’s premier entertainment destination, its grand Royal Opera House, is a vision of architectural Arabian splendour.

Look and feel

Aesthetically, it’s a show-stopper, with the boutique collection of 103 rooms and 47 suites all given the magic touch of French interior designer Xavier Cartron. Inside, understated luxury leads the aesthetic, with warm hues and upscale accents adding a touch of Mandarin Oriental’s signature glamour. Outside, captivating sea and mountain vistas capture the essence of Oman’s natural beauty.

Food and drink

The resort’s beating heart, Sawa Lounge, appears to be one of Muscat’s premier meeting points. Whatever time of day you come, but particularly in the evening, the natural hued chairs are almost all taken, filled with local residents chatting animatedly, the rich smell of coffee wafting through the lobby to give it an added homely feel.

Breakfast at Rawya, located poolside on the lower ground floor, is best enjoyed on the alfresco terrace, where tables sit below woven bubble lanterns blowing in the breeze. There’s a small continental buffet with pastries, fresh fruits and traditional local flavours, but the a la carte offering is far more impressive. Fresh, local eggs, their yolks golden, arrive perfectly runny on our Benedict, while the French toast is deliciously crunchy on the outside and spongy in the middle, topped with a handful of juicy berries and sprinkling of icing sugar.

Dinner at Essenza is a lovely experience. While the upstairs bar has a more modern feel with its dim lighting and sleek, industrial seating arrange around the central bar, downstairs in the restaurant you’re transported to a cosy Tuscan farmhouse. Think exposed brickwork, wooden furnishings in a washed-out shade of moss green, and open kitchens where chefs are hard at work making delicate pastas. When the spaghetti alle Vongole we order isn’t available, chef offers to prepare something off-menu, bringing us a generous bowl of spaghetti with huge local prawns, in a rich sauce with fragrant truffle that we smell even before we see it. A creamy panacotta is a must-try for dessert, topped with crunchy toasted almonds and a drizzle of sweet agave.

Although not open on our visit, were told the hotel is weeks away from opening Sí Breeze, which will complete the foodie line-up. an alfresco terrace that gazes out to sea, the restaurant will specialise in tapas and seafood.

Rooms

If space is a measure of luxury, then Mandarin Oriental Muscat is the grandest of dames in Oman. Our 110 square metre sea view suite is elegant and sophisticated, adorned in soothing neutral tones and peppered with trees and plants. The living area expands out onto a lovely sea-facing terrace, where we enjoy a picturesque sunset as we get ready for dinner. The bedroom is also spacious, with ambient lighting able to be adjusted to suit the mood, a super-sized TV, and the kind of crisp white sheets that envelope you in a solid nine-hour sleep. A walk-in wardrobe, complete with Dyson hairdryer and a steamer, adds to the wow-factor, as does the big white ceramic sunken tub in the bathroom, where Natural Bisse amenities await. Resort-branded flip-flops and a beach bag are lovely extra touches that come in handy when we forget our own. 

Facilities

The resort pool, shimmering turquoise is shared with a handful of guests and the local birds that splash in the shallows. Calm melodic music is a gentle background level, eclipsed by the calming sound of the lapping waves just beyond the resort walls. Guests recline on plush loungers in sun-bleached blue, each neatly laid out with a fluffy towel with the navy Mandarin fan smartly sewn in. Staff are attentive, bringing around water in cooler bags and sticks of fresh fruit, and there’s detox water and sun cream stations nearby for guests to use freely.

A pampering spa, which exudes the same contemporary and modern feel as the rest of the resort, has a fragrant aura, befitting of a spa designed in collaboration with the renowned Omani fragrance brand, Amouage. As such, little bottles of Amouage fragrance are neatly arranged in the reception, where guests can peruse the scents while completing their consultation forms. There are separate facilities for men and women, as well as shared relaxation areas and a meditation terrace, and a couples’ suite. During a relaxing massage, which uses a zesty grapefruit and mandarin oil infused with the unmistakable notes of frankincense, our knots are kneaded out with the perfect amount of pressure, and it’s hard not to doze off during our treatment.

Service

Service is intuitive and genuine, from our transfer driver who regales stories of his 30 years in the royal orchestra, to the pool bar team who pass by frequently replenishing water, and recommend their favourite things to do. There’s an overarching feeling that all the staff – Omani and expats – are keen to ensure you fall in love with Muscat the way they have, and it’s easy to do so.

Rates

A one-night stay in an entry level Superior Room is priced from Dhs1,679.

Verdict

This is Mandarin Oriental luxury personified, and laced with Omani hospitality, two worlds collide to make an all-box-ticking stay.

Mandarin Oriental, Muscat, Shatti Al-Qurum. Tel: (968) 2103 8888. mandarinoriental.com