To be more specific in my critique:

– The hot tubs on either side of the pool were so cold as to be unusable. The one inside was slightly warmer but still not at all what westerners would consider normal temp for a hot tub

– The water temp in our room varied wildly and took a good 5-10 mins to stabilize for a shower.

– The “hike” activity was a pretty pathetic ~20 min walk to a small dam/mud pit

– The service was fine but lacking. I tried to change money (as one does at a 5* hotel) and was told no

– The haze I mentioned above.

On the plus side, they definitely introduced cold cuts and salmon!

I still think it’s a great hotel. Just not a great $1,000 hotel. My review is probably framed by:

1.) I’m from the American southwest, and am used to looking at beautiful canyons and mountains

2.) I was in a sour mood regarding the mandatory transfer that I deemed a scam (by the police, not the hotel)

Hope that helps people. I know it sounds negative but I do think it was quite nice and a solid 7.5 or 8 out of 10 for us.

Daniel

I would have felt it to be a very solid $200-300 boutique hotel, but does not justify its ~$1k pricetag, in my opinion.

To be fair, we were annoyed that the police disqualified our SUV at the gate and we had to pay $200 to be driven up perfectly fine paved roads.

The haze also dampened our experience by muting the view.

I am in no way saying this is a bad hotel, but if you go in with Aman-like expectations, you may be disappointed. Just a slight counterpoint to this rave review.

Daniel

Thank you – very helpful indeed! Still debating about 2, 3, or 4 nights (and thus skipping Muscat entirely), but I guess I’ll hold out for your reviews of those properties to get a better idea!

Hi Dan, you need at least 2 nights in Alila to experience the resort and its spectacular surroundings and views (it takes 2,5 hours to get to the resort). If you are not very adventurous, then 2 nights is sufficient, unless you want to do a lot of excursions of course (Nizwa, surrounding villages, hiking), then I recommend 4 nights. I stayed at both the Chedi and Ritz-Carlton as well (I will publish my reviews soon). The Chedi is an ultraluxe and sleek beach resort (with 3 pools, 2 of them being adults only) but did not feel very Omani and its surroundings are disappointing (no mountains in sight and the private beach is not very attractive). The Ritz is a massive resort (without plenty of families and no adults only corners) and does not have the refinement of the Chedi, but its lobby is incredibly impressive and the setting is gorgeous (best beach in the Muscat area, surrounded by very nice mountains). Hope this information helps!

Wow, so cool to know you read my blog! Thanks! I’m in awe of your traveling and followers — not to mention your ability to blog prolifically while having what sounds like a multi-faceted and very busy career. 🙂 Thank you for your thoughtful comment.

Thx your comment. It’s a brilliant hotel indeed (one of my all time favorites). We visited the local village and rose garden on the way back to Muscat as we preferred to stay at the hotel and enjoy its facilities during our visit. Btw, I love your inspiring blogposts!