Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Muscat (Oman - February 2011)

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Muscat
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Photo Courtesy of IHG.com

We had planned a long layover in Muscat so that we could see the city and decided to stay at the Crowne Plaza Muscat.  Overall, the hotel is very nice with good service, comfortable rooms, and a nice view as it is situated right next to the water.  The only downside is the location, in that is somewhat far from the main city center – it is about a 20 minute walk or a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the city center to the hotel.  The hotel is situated on a hill overlooking the sea.  The location is a bit odd as you drive away from the business area and enter into more of a residential area, and that is where the hotel is located.  The hotel is one side of the hill facing the sea while on the other side, and across the street, are houses; so it is bit of an odd location.

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel itself is laid out very nicely.  As you enter, on the left hand side is the check-in desk and on the right hand side is a lounge area.  Straight ahead are windows which open directly to the water, providing a nice view and letting in nice sunlight.  Beyond the lounge area are stairs which lead downstairs to the restaurant and pool area.  A full, and expansive, breakfast buffet was included and the dining room opens up to the pool area so you can sit and eat breakfast while looking out onto the pool and water.   The breakfast buffet was very nice, with lots of options, and provided a nice start to the day.  The pool was very nice, but it seemed a bit small given the size of the hotel.  There was also a private beach available, but I did not have a chance to experience it.

Photo Courtesy of IHG.com

Check-in was quick and overall the service at the hotel was very good.  I had been communicated via email with the GM prior to my arrival (I had to rearrange travel) and they were very accommodating and very nice – so overall good service.  The lobby is the main floor and the guestrooms start from the lobby area and go higher.  The bottom floors, heading towards the water, are reserved for dining, meeting, and pool area.  Our room was located on the main floor so we entered through the double doors next to the check-in desk and went to our room.

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The room itself was nice and comfortable.  As you entered, on left hand side was the bathroom and on the right was the closet and shelves.  The bathroom was nice and spacious and decent for the hotel.  As you walked further into the room, on the left hand side were two double beds and on the right hand side was the TV, a chest with drawers, and a desk.  Straight ahead was a window that overlooked the water – the vistas from the hotel was very nice and glad the design was made to show that.  The windows also allowed natural light to come into the room.  The beds were very comfortable and provided a nice rest.

Overall, the only negative was the location in that the hotel was not near the city center.  The positives of the hotel included good customer service, nice views of the water and the service was also good.