While in Oman a few weeks ago, I was able to try the newly reopened Sheraton Oman. It must be recognized that the supply of “superior” hotels in Oman is relatively limited and that, moreover, the few hotels that embody it are beginning to show the weight of years and that, consequently, the opening of a new property, to the standards of the moment, can only be of interest to the traveler.
It must be said that this reopening was expected. The city’s highest hotel (14 floors) had been closed for 10 years and it took more than two years of intensive work to refurbish it and reopen it a month ago. All this to say how great the expectation was.
A few days before my arrival, the hotel staff contacted me by email to see if I wanted them to organize my transfer upon my arrival at the airport. Since my flight arrived at midnight I decided to make my life easier and choose this option. The driver of the hotel was waiting for me at the exit with an Audi Q7.
I was expecting a lower-end vehicle. For a Sheraton it’s not bad at all.
A smooth check-in
I arrived at the hotel, located in the heart of the city after a 30-minute drive. The second big surprise after the vehicle is the majesty of the lobby. Behind the relatively classic facade of a building from the mid-80s lies a decor worthy of the finest properties.
The huge marble lobby with its impressive ceiling height is the best example.
The check-in only takes me a few minutes. As usual in Starwood hotels the ceremony is well executed. They thank you for being a member of the loyalty program, list the advantages you enjoy, and introduce you to the hotel’s services, all with the utmost politeness and by calling you by your name.
It is late and time to go to my room.
Club room: a perfectly executed classic
My room will be a “Club” room which is no more and no less than a “Deluxe” room on a reserved floor, with access to a private lounge where I can eat and relax during the day.
A handwritten note, in French, from the general manager and some chocolates were waiting for me.
The room has standard dimensions for this category. It is decorated with taste, sobriety (not always obvious in these regions) and exudes (logically) the fact it’s new. The furniture, the bedding, the bathrobes… everything seems to be just out of the box and it’s really nice.
The work space is a comfortable size which is always very important to me.
The bathroom is a good size with a “normal” size bathtub, by which I mean able to accommodate an occupant of more than 1m85 without having to bend his knees. One might have expected a separate shower and bathtub, but let’s not be more royalist than the king: this room is very pleasant and successful.
And nothing takes a little video to confirm it.
You can feel that the bedding is new, the bathrobes too. A real treat.
The Sheraton Oman : a true “bleisure” hotel
To be honest and given my experience with the Sheraton brand, I expected to find a downtown business hotel. In other words, sober, efficient, without frills. A place where one passes without lingering, at least not for pleasure.
It was therefore with surprise that I discovered the personality of this hotel. If the word “bleisure”, a contraction of “business” and “leisure”, is one of the trendy concepts in the tourism industry, this Sheraton embodies it perfectly (as much as it embodies the ongoing dusting off of a historic brand that has been somewhat neglected for the past 20 years).
A walk around the outdoor pool is enough to confirm it.
Attention to detail, the “beds” for lying in the water are also hydro-massaging.
In addition, there is a superb indoor pool. The water of the latter is more than comfortable and is heated.
It is a part of the hotel’s excellent spa. Next to it, there aretwo superb jacuzzis.
As everywhere, marble is omnipresent…but the place can easily be slippery, hence the presence of anti-slip mats. A very appreciable detail.
Further on there is a sauna and a hammam.
The showers are impressive to say the least with different forms of jets possible and even light therapy.
I let you admire the locker room and more globally the beauty of this place where the marble dominates with class and sobriety.
And by the way, a recommendation for the massages, which are very affordable. I recommend the Balinese..
As for the gym, it is not to be missed. Aesthetically warm and well-equipped, this gym is one of the most pleasant and largest I’ve seen in a hotel, though not as large as the one at the W Barcelona. For the rest it’s a no-fail.
The Sheraton Oman is therefore a hotel where one can come for both business and leisure which makes it quite unique in Muscat.
Special attention to catering
I would also like to give credit to the catering.
Arrived after midnight I turned to the room-service of the hotel and ordered a mix grill.
Having only taken a glass of wine I was pleasantly surprised to see that the waiter had brought the bottle for me to taste before serving it. Rare in room service.
And in the middle of the meal, room service called me to see if everything was okay and if I wanted anything else.
The hotel currently has two restaurants. Several others are expected to open in the coming year.
The first, Asado, is an upscale steakhouse.
Don’t let the name fool you. Besides the grilled meats, there are genuine dishes that are carefully prepared and impeccably presented.
I also really appreciated the wine list presented in a rare and smart way. Indeed, it includes different types of criteria of choice which make it possible to look for a wine by its type of vine but also by its impact in the mouth.
The second, Courtyard, offers both buffet and a la carte meals in a very airy and pleasant setting.
It also serves a hearty breakfast buffet in the morning.
Having tried both, I can confirm the attention paid to the quality of the dishes and their presentation as well as the excellent service.
An excellent club lounge
Finally, a word about the Club Lounge to which I had access. The quality of the services of these lounges is rather random according to the property so it is with curiosity that I went to the Sheraton Oman.
The Sheraton Oman club is very warm and cozy.
The breakfast buffet menu is very complete and the dishes good. Of course we are far from the exhaustiveness of the restaurant’s buffet but it allows you to have a very hearty breakfast in a private room a few meters from your room.
At aperitif time, a selection of alcohols and snacks is offered. Delicious.
I will end with a visit to the common areas to appreciate the comfort and class of the property.
A smooth check-out with a gift
The check-out was done without any problem in a few minutes. I had originally been given a late check-out time of 4pm but since I had booked a spa treatment in the afternoon, they extended my check-out time by an hour so that I could make the most of the hotel’s facilities.
The Sheraton Oman ? Much more than a Sheraton
My conclusion will be quite simple. When I arrived in Muscat to stay at the Sheraton Oman I expected to find a good business hotel, comfortable, efficient but without the “Wow” effect.
Instead I found a very comfortable 5 star hotel, pleasant, with style and personality, a real and not ostentatious luxury, a hotel as effective for a business stay as for a leisure, tourist stay, in a country otherwise of great beauty. So much so that I wondered if they had the wrong sign and I had stayed at a Westin.
It seems indeed that the management has done everything possible for the reopening of the property, which has been postponed so many times. The cuisine, the service, the reception, everyone seems to play an impeccably learned score, without any misstep. Nothing has been left to chance in the hotel design and the recruitment of the team.
Considering the poverty and the outdatedness of the upscale offer in general and business in particular in the Omani capital, I have nothing else to say but that the Sheraton Oman is an obvious choice for a future stay there.
All the photos are available here.
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