Stuart Forster outlines what travellers can expect at the Al Bustan Palace hotel in Muscat, Oman.
Disclosure: Some of the links and banners below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
It’s not often that I murmur a ‘wow’ upon arriving at a hotel. I’m not the most demonstrative of travellers but the grandeur of the Al Bustan Palace’s 38-metre high central hall raised even my eyebrows..
Natural light slants into the atrium, adding to the illumination thrown by a 19-tonne chandelier. Designed in Austria and produced in the Czech Republic, the huge centrepiece is over 18 metres long and 8.5 metres in circumference. To secure the chandelier, the hotel’s central dome was re-engineered by design architects Heitz, Parsons and Sadek, as part of the hotel’s 22-month renovation in 2007 and 2008.
Arches and arabesque carvings
A crystal fountain stands below the chandelier, providing the calming sound of water cascading into its octagonal base; it represents a jewellery box.
On arriving at the Al Bustan Palace, I was overwhelmed by design features such as pointed arches, arabesque wood carvings plus mother of pearl and gold leaf inlays on the octagonal walls. So much so that I didn’t give the 3.5-metre fountain the attention it deserved.
This luxury hotel has 200 rooms and 52 suites over eight floors. The lobby, incidentally, is on the fourth floor. The hotel, however, has nine floors.
Not even the hotel manager has a key to the upper floor. It is reserved exclusively for the use of Oman’s sultan. It’s said that the cleaners, who maintain the ninth-floor suite, come directly from the royal palace.
Staying at the Presidential Suite
The best that most people can hope for is a night in the vast Presidential Suite on the eighth floor. The suite comprises a sitting room, dining area, a library, office, service kitchen plus two master bedrooms. Its balcony has views over the Gulf of Oman’s blue water. The 46th Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney, is among the politicians and dignitaries who have stayed here.
The hotel was originally opened in 1985 to host visits by foreign heads of state at that year’s Gulf Cooperation Council Summit and celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of Sultan Qaboos bin Sa‘id al Busaidi’s accession to power.
The Jewel of the Sultanate
Locals are proud of the hotel’s grand reputation, describing it as “the Jewel of the Sultanate”.
The interiors convey a sense of Middle Eastern tradition while oozing contemporary luxury. In 2006, a major refurbishment was started, lasting as long as the initial construction of J&A Philippou’s design back in the 1980s. Remarkably, initial building work required a 35-metre-high mountain to be flattened.
Various classes of rooms are available. The interiors of the executive suites are similar in design to the deluxe rooms, yet the former are almost twice the size and host separate living rooms. The colours vary from earthy through olive greens to soft gold. Even at the lower end of the scale, guests have access to a butler and private balcony. Additionally, 12 types of pillows are offered, ranging from anti-ageing to hypoallergenic.
Al Bustan Palace
You can dine at six different restaurants within the Al Bustan Place hotel. China Mood is regarded as one of the best Asian restaurants in Oman while the Al Khiran Terrace Restaurant provides opportunities to enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine overlooking the sea.
Guests have access to a kilometre-long stretch of private beach. It’s centred around a 50-metre-long infinity pool surrounded by a landscaped area. More than 70,000 plants including shade-giving palm trees.
The hotel has four tennis courts and also offers water sports such as kayaking, sailing, snorkelling and windsurfing to guests.
The Majan Ballroom houses an antique organ, owned by the Sultan, which only he or a member of the Royal Omani Symphony Orchestra is permitted to play. Orchestral performances are held in the hotel’s Oman Auditorium.
The Al Bustan Palace hotel is, in every sense, palatial.
Al Bustan Palace
The map below shows the location of the Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel:
Accommodation in Muscat
Use the website below to search for hotels in Muscat, Oman:
Books about Oman
Looking for reading material with local relevance ahead of visiting Oman? The following books are available from Amazon:
Bradt Travel Guides’ Oman.
Culture Smart! Oman: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture.
Sultan in Oman by Jan Morris.
Further information
View the Al Bustan Palace hotel website to see rates and learn more about the hotel.
See the Visit Oman website for information about the sultanate’s attractions.
If you enjoyed this post, please why not sign up for the free Go Eat Do newsletter. It’s a hassle-free way of getting links to posts once a month.
‘Like’ the Go Eat Do Facebook page to see more photos and content.
Geoff Moore
January 13, 2014 at 16:45Have very fond memories of Oman and wish I had time to visit this hotel which looks amazing .
By the look of it you could fit my whole house the the central hall and still have space around it.
The country is certainly an alternative choice for a Middle East holiday and high in my list for a return.
Stuart
January 14, 2014 at 19:58It is well worth a look and the terrace restaurant, overlooking the sea, is a lovely spot for a snack, drink or dinner.