At the end of our trip to Oman, we decided to spend one night at The Chedi Muscat. The 158-room hotel, which opened in 2003, is generally regarded as Muscat’s best resort. While not a points property, several readers recommended this hotel, and others expressed interest in reading a review.
Continue reading: Review: The Chedi Muscat, Oman
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
It has been a pleasure to see your trip reports again. Thank you for the fun reads and beautiful photos.
The pools look amazing. No doubt, but is it really the best place to stay in Muscat? I truly don't get your star system. Bad service, underwhelming f&b experiences, bland and sparsely furnished rooms, yet 4 stars.
We stayed at the Chedi four years ago during a Muslim holiday, so the resort was fairly full with non-religous expats from Dubai and other regional countries who treated the holiday like we do Presidents' Day here...a three day weekend for a quick getaway.
Food and service were outstanding back then and the standard room with the two sinks and closet wasn't giant, but was generously tricked out. We got lost all the time as everything looks the same, but that was part of the fun.
We were surprised that four gay men who got more tipsy by the hour were totally well tolerated by other guests and by staff, even when they called the servers "Habibi", etc.
And our expectations were not nearly as high since the room was about $300 per night back then. One of my favorite hotel experiences EVER.
It's been a while since I've been to Muscat, but I MUCH prefer the Shangri-La over The Chedi.
I stayed in this hotel almost 15 years ago. Amazing that after all these years it still looks so fresh and chic. Really a sign of high quality design.
I thought the same thing. Room looked like a $30 room in se Asia. The other resort in Oman looked better that got 3 stars.
So much food ! Virtuoso gives $100 food credit and free breakfast. Then club room has free drinks, snacks and minibar. Free lunch. Free breakfast with the resort. Must have been some doubling down lolllll
Also free lunch or dinner 🙂
All in all love the reviews!!! Glad to have them back.
My wife and I stayed at Shangri-La Al Husn during January 2020, the service was absolutely terrible. The British couples in their 60s were treated like royalty, whilst the Australian couple in their 30s were treated like garbage. Having spent most of my resort holidays in Asia and Hawaii.... Oman pales in comparison
How does this warrant four stars then? An awful room and service for $700+ per night???
Really sad to hear about your poor service experience at The Chedi, Lucky! Funnily, The Chedi was actually conceived (by the same founder) as a larger and cheaper alternative for Aman Resorts, but with the same level of service. Evidently and unfortunately, that wasn't the case during your stay.
The interiors at Chedi Muscat were actually designed by Jaya Ibrahim, who also did the interiors for the 3 original Amans in China, along with The Setai in Miami and the Four Seasons in Hoi An.
Great in-depth review. But I think 4 stars is way to high of a rating. It is the top hotel in the city and with expensive rates, good service is expected, based of your review the service seemed shocking and the rooms seemed pretty average too, yeah its nice they got some pools and gardens but I think this deserves a rating of 3-3.5 stars max.
Disappointing hotel by the looks of it. $750 / night for unremarkable rooms and a crowd at the breakfast buffet, no thank you.
I have been there twice with exactly the same experience. Then stopped visiting The Chedi and now I am happy with Shangri La Al Husn.
I visited for dinner in 2019 and the service was really ordinary. I walked about thinking the food was "fine" - which was disappointing. I had planned on staying there when I went back to Muscat but did not bother.
Great review.
I’m a frequent visitor to muscat and have stayed at all the top-end hotels. The Chedi is NOT the best hotel in Muscat by far and I think others reading your review will have realised that too. The gardens and pools at The Chedi are as they should be, nothing else, but that is where it stops.
The BEST hotel in Muscat is the Ritz-Carlton Al Bustan Palace - shame you didn’t check it out.
Was Ford not with you for this hotel stay?
Also, was there an a la carte menu for breakfast, or just the buffet? And even if you didn't have dinner there, you usually list what is on offer in terms of F&B options.
That room was terrible for +700 dollars a night!!!! I would have had a flippin' meltdown at the front desk over it!
Great review, was always curious about this hotel! I guess now we know that we shouldn't stay at this property.
i can actually offer a useful perspective here, as i stayed here, with my family, for 7 nights. This was in 2019, so pre-covid.
we were in a non-club room very similar to your first, in a more standalone building with the direct access to outside
i can confirm we definitely got a welcome drink when we arrived
the breakfast was brilliant and they even prepared specific alternatives without allergens for us
I found no issues with the service. i personally find proactive service annoying, cause ill just sak if i want something.
in all, i would very happily return to the chedi, and would recommend people visit
I would choose Shangri-La or Ritz in Muscat. I really enjoyed staying there and you can get decent prices in off peak season. Nothing near $700 per night and rooms and service is very good.
Actually, my Steigenberger stay in Marsa Alam sounds fantastic comparing to Chedi.
Wondering what kind of live music during breakfast.Maybe a picture of the musician(s) will be nice.
I wouldn't pay half that, by a longshot. I know you felt the grounds were beautiful, but I find it quite boring, the beach marginal, and the rooms stupendously bad. The gym looks bizarre as well. The pools are fine but I find the character completely lacking.
Thank you for continuing the fab trip reports, Ben! Much appreciated.
The front desk service may have been understaffed, true. It may also have been passive-agressive treatment of gentlemen who live under the rainbow.
Woah. What's mind blowing to me is how the hotel grounds, lobby, pool etc can be so stunning and the rooms so hideous and bland. It's like the outside is a Four Seasons and the inside is some random 3 stars hotel in Cancun. I can only imagine how excited I would have been getting at the hotel, and gutted getting in the room. And paying $700+ for that... holy cow.
I am also confused at the 4 stars rating, especially in light of the 3 stars review for the W that overall had a much more positive tone, better service, and honestly better rooms even if they were cheesy.
Interesting to see so many strong negative reactions about the design in the comments. I recall marvelling at the craftmanship and attention to detail within the minimalism. For example, the impeccable attention to light design, how the handmade terrazzo flooring that stretch across hallways has been laid as single, uninterrupted surface, incredible. On the other hand we found Al Bustan and the Shangri La nice but forgettable. To each his own, I guess! (Also, we paid less than $400 for the club experience.)
Simply can't fathom how this gets 4 stars and the W just 3. Adjusted for cost this is like a 2 star while W could easily be 5. The pools are cool for sure but the rooms look beyond depressing and I can't imagine paying more than $100/night for those.
I've really enjoyed all the detailed reports from your trip Lucky. I am curious about something that I've noticed on most all of your trip reports when there's a problem/issue:
From the Alila Jabal Akhdar:
"At Rose Lounge you literally had to beg to be served; there was only one person working the entire restaurant and pool, as I'd frequently have to go inside to the bar to ask a server to come out."
From this report:
"I think it’s important to express if you’re not happy with something (rather than complaining after the fact), so I asked the front desk associate if they had any other rooms available that had a bit more privacy. At this point I also realized that the associate mentioned nothing at check-in about the space available upgrade that’s supposed to be offered through Virtuoso."
I've noticed that it's always you who has to deal with any problems/issues. In particular, shouldn't Ford have dealt with the room issue since he's the one who booked through Virtuoso? Does Ford not ever deal with any of the issues that pop up? Why does it always seem to be you? As part of a gay couple myself, anytime we have an issue in a restaurant or hotel or anything like that, we try and share in the chore of bringing up the issue to get resolved. We don't think it's fair for only one to always be the "bad guy". Again, just curious.
For a hotel that was fully booked and busy I only saw two people in all the pictures. Quite a challenge - was it early in the morning or in the heat of the day.
You must have taken pictures in the lounge before it opened as there was only one canape take (were you peckish)?
Interesting. The al Bustan would have been my choice though I have only been inside for a drink.
I prefer Al Bustan Palace over The Chedi, everyday of the year. Everything is better at Al Bustan Palace which makes it the best hotel at Muscat for me.
Thanks for the report, but sorry that does not warrant 4 stars. That room was a joke, and I am amazed you paid that much for it. I think I would have left :). As others have said, this is not the 1 hotel in Muscat. Al Bustan Palace, Ritz Carlton is, a different league all together. I was lucky to stay there during an Oman Air stop over promotion.
Al Bustan Ritz Carlton is the best option - our go-to choice in gorgeous Oman every time.
Someone has misled you….!!
How understaffed can a luxury hotel this calibre be, really, to not have anyone welcoming their guests at the door? Or to not have a table at their lobby lounge cleared for an hour? Even a 15-minute check-in without a welcome drink or cold towel feels too long (based on your arrival pictures, the lobby looks pretty empty). I know a lot of hotels faced staffing issues during COVID-19 in Oman, but since restrictions were relaxed back in September, there have been huge recruitment drives and staffing levels everywhere have almost returned to pre-COVID (as you would've noticed when you travelled around Oman).
Based on your review, The Chedi seems to indeed have among the most gorgeous hotel grounds in Muscat, but aside from that, nothing else justifies the hefty price tag you paid (or indeed, your overall rating).
Or as you said, you may have just been unlucky?
I was there for a few nights pre-pandemic and I made exactly the same experience. So being under staffed here has nothing to do with the pandemic.
Over $700 a night at a beach resort property and the room has no outdoor space? No thanks. Pass.
Stayed here too in December 2017 and thought the same as you. Exceptionnel grounds, but the room was hardly worth the price and the service was pretty terrible. We even got some rude snobby staff. That was actually the first and only time we felt out of place in a hotel just because of that attitude.
As much as the grounds are beautiful it still is clise to my worst spend on a luxury hotel.
Wow, a lot to be desired, indeed. If I had to scrape up that much money, I'd expect way more...but that's just me. Ben, I so enjoy hoteling and flying vicariously through you. When I'm able to travel again (hopefully soon) I have everything marked from the places you've reviewed. It's a priceless gift since making memories with my family have no price tag. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your fabulous insight and attention to every detail! - your fan, Meg.
I am appalled and frankly shocked you gave this place 4 stars and called it "no doubt the best place to stay in Muscat".
Service was bad, room was bland and awful, prices were insanely high for what you get, food was fine, mediocre beach....How tf can you consider this the "best place" to stay in Muscat???? Genuinely shocked.
I agree with literally almost everyone in the comments, this place seems like $100/night at most and a 3 star hotel.
Next time try the Al Bustan Palace or Shangri La Al Husn.
All in all, love reading trip reports again Ben. No one does them like you!
Ok, so I’m staying at this hotel right now and have been here for a few nights with a few more to go. I’ve got to say, from reading your review before we arrived I had concerns. However, I think what you experienced was a combination of bad luck and problems that have mostly been rectified.
The service in all departments has been pretty top notch, with staff either meeting or exceeding expectations, along with regularly seeing the guest relations managers around asking for feedback.
When we arrived there were two staff members at the front, one opening each door of our limousine transfer.
Our check in was in the lobby where we had a lovely welcome drink along with a refreshing towelette whilst the check in was being sorted.
I messed up my booking and booked a cheaper rate rather than one with extras. When I asked about the extras I thought I’d booked, the reception lady said they had the discounted rate showing on their system. I checked my records which showed that she was correct, I’d booked the discounted rate. I apologised and said that’s not an issue and we’d pay for the extras. However, she went back and chatted to her manager then came back and said they would give me the extras (hundreds of dollars in value) on the house! This to me is amazing service, I mess up and they fix my mistakes at significant cost to themselves!
The room - we had a club level deluxe terrace room. I’d read many reviews and noted many people complaining about the lack of outdoor space in the rooms. The terrace makes a huge difference, especially on the club level where you back on to a private garden and you aren’t overlooked by any other rooms. Saying this, the interior layout is the same as your first deluxe room. This room is not one that impresses on first sight as it is quite small, however the design and layout is impressive with every inch of the space being used to near perfection. This impeccable design combined with the high ceilings makes this room feel a lot larger than its physical dimensions. However, I’ve got say 2015, the one you were first offered, is possibly the worst club level deluxe room in the hotel for the reason you stated. There have been a number of times I’ve been sitting in the club lounge courtyard and found myself accidentally staring right in to this room. There is absolutely no privacy in this room unless you have the blinds completely closed, especially between 3pm and 8pm when people will be sitting directly outside. I believe a number of the rooms around the club lounge have been decommissioned and repurposed as spa rooms and I suspect that this one will need to be too. That second room you were offered appears to have been an after thought and blatantly wasn’t designed by the same designer as the rest of the resort. I mean why is the TV unit not directly facing the bed and that seating area and wardrobe are just oddly floating next to empty walls. This room has not been created by a professional interior designer unlike the other rooms at this hotel. Finally regarding the room, they are starting to show their age, especially with regards to the electronics, like old switches and an entertainment system that can’t be screencast or bluetoothed to and no built in access to streaming services. Also the aircon control is old and basic, but this is one thing I’m actually happy hasn’t been upgraded! It has one knob to set the temperature and one switch to control than fan speed and it functions perfectly (unlike some of the new systems that have a million different settings and controls, which you need to be a rocket scientist to operate!)
Now on to the club lounge, from your review I was expecting swarms of people and a buffet that was picked bare after five mins of opening. Bear in mind that as I write this it is New Year’s Eve and the hotel is at absolute capacity. What I’ve experienced is a lovely space, with a really nice selection of finger food and where I’ve never bumped in to more than one other guest at the buffet. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a personalised cocktail to be delivered to my table and there has always been plenty of seats available. Yes, the alcohol isn’t high end, but this is Oman and I imagine expensive wine and spirits being factored in to the club rates might seem a tad unfair when the majority of the country doesn’t drink alcohol. Saying this, the staff that man this lounge have been perfect, managing to make pretty much any cocktail I’ve requested (all without charge).
Finally, I want to mention my experience of the service overall. I believe it’s quite probable (from reading this review and others) that there may have been some post Covid issues with the service. I can confirm that these issues have 100% been rectified. Every member of staff that we have interacted with has been up there with those at the best 5 star hotels in the world. This includes front desk, concierges, chauffeurs, bar staff, restaurant staff, spa and health club staff, housekeeping and the club lounge staff. We’ve had multiple times where staff have walked around this large resort to locate us just so that they could personally give us a message or a response to a query. They are always super friendly and have time to chat about our preferences and experience.
I do appreciate you writing this review for people like me who were trying to research as much as possible before arrival. I also have no idea what I personally would have done had I been offered the two rooms that you were offered (if it was just one night I’d probably have done the same as you - put up with it and then left pretty negative reviews for others to see, if it was more nights I’d have been looking for elsewhere to stay or asking for some significant compensation). However, the rest of the issues you’ve highlighted now seem to have been resolved and we’re absolutely loving our stay here!