Hotel Crowne Plaza Muscat

On the seaside, high in the Qurum district, 8 miles away from Muscat's city centre and 9 miles away from the airport. Allow 20 minutes for the transfer.

Located on the chalk cliffs along the elegant Qurum neighborhood, the Crowne Plaza enjoys one of the most spectacular views of the beach in Mascate. Very appreciated in the evening with the tables drawn up on lawns. Be aware that to go to the beach, you must go down a rather steep wooden staircase.

The Crowne Plaza lobby is that of an urban hotel but its leisure facilities give it a welcome "resort" look. Belonging to the first generation of hotels in Oman, the establishment dates from 1981 and was renovated in 1997. Its lagoon pool overlooking the sea is lovely but many regret that the solarium is covered with synthetic turf. Fortunately, lawns shaded by palm trees stretch a little further. They end with a garden terrace which enjoys one of the most beautiful views on the public beach of Muscat. Sun lovers can install their deckchairs here during the day, and fanatics of sunset will choose their table for dinner there. As for amenities, a few deckchairs are placed not to hamper the space but the equipment is of quality and towels are not forgotten.

The 200 rooms of the Crowne Plaza have a contemporay style but most of them are devoid of a balcony. This makes their orientation, seaside or cityside (equally divided) somewhat unimportant. They are spacious (376 square feet), well soundproofed, and have adequate amenities: individual air conditioning, direct dial telephone, satellite television, minibar, kit for tea/coffee (free access) and safe. In the bathroom, there is a bathtub, a hair dryer, bathrobes, and some hospitality products. A bottle of water is kindly provided free of charge in the room every day.

The main restaurant displays meals buffet-style. It extends through a terrace under a pergola that overlooks the pool. Some will find the air-conditioned room a little too cold to their liking. The buffets offer mainly international dishes such as fish and meat with sauce, pasta, steamed vegetables and sauteed potatoes but there are also Middle Eastern specialities: tabbouleh, humus, kebab, and rice with dried fruits. On the first floor, an à la carte restaurant (with a terrace) in a neoclassical setting serves Italian or Iranian recipes. The service is fine but we wish the food were more delicious.

The beach that the Crowne Plaza overlooks is public. Very spacious, it stretches over 6 miles and is 328 feet wide. Nevertheless, it does not have any amenities. It is reached by way of a wooden staircase installed along the cliff. On the side, there are large chalk boulders that the waves have cut at the bottom, so that they look like giant mushrooms at low tide. The beach is perfect for jogging and also well suited to swimming. Do not to be put off by the shallow water - you have to go quite far out to start swimming.