Review: The Chedi Muscat, Oman

"Set on a 21-acre seaside estate and opened in 2003, this award-winning luxury resort—voted Oman's Leading Luxury Resort in 2024—feels palatial with white arches and domes and a lobby inspired by a Bedouin tent, while its symmetrical layout reflects Asian design principles by Jean-Michel Gathy and Zen gardens by Karl Princic with mini aflaj irrigation. The property has 162 rooms and suites (from 355-square-foot sea-view rooms to 830-square-foot Club Suites) with minimalist Asian-Omani interiors, plush king beds and open-plan bathrooms; the top-tier Club Suites offer expansive bathrooms, outdoor terraces, deep soaking tubs and sweeping Hajar Mountain and pool views. The 338-foot Long Pool is the standout amenity—an infinity pool ideal for sunbathing and photos—alongside two other pools, plentiful poolside cabanas and a 1,257-foot private beach staffed with attendants. Wellness is a major draw: a more than 8,600-square-foot spa with eight treatment suites offers Balinese and Ayurvedic massages, facials and cupping with fragrant oil blends, while the fitness center includes Technogym equipment, Power Plate machines, a Kinesis wall, a Pilates corner, fitness classes and two floodlit tennis courts; three championship golf courses are a 15-minute drive. Dining spans eight restaurants and lounges, from a flagship restaurant serving contemporary Middle Eastern, Asian and Indian dishes to a Beach Restaurant focused on local seafood and several poolside cabanas with Japanese, international and Mediterranean menus. Practical details include convenient airport transfers (about seven miles/10 minutes from Muscat International Airport), sustainable measures such as LED lighting and recycled irrigation water with evening garden watering, accessibility features like ramps, lifts and mobility-suitable Deluxe rooms near reception, participation in loyalty and AMEX Fine Hotels + Resorts programs, and nightly rates starting around 150 OMR (≈ $390 USD)." - Nicole Brewer