How it was staying at Muscat’s newest luxury hotel:

While Oman is not the place to go right now for obvious reasons, for sure it is at some point in the time to come. For our fifth stay in Muscat – just before the events in question – , my husband and I opted for the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Muscat. This is one of the two latest luxury hotels making its debut in Oman’s capital. We made this choice for several reasons. First, we did not want to return to the lodging we selected the past three stays (reason in next section). Second, on our hotel research, the new Mandarin Oriental Muscat excelled in multiple aspects. One was its location in Shatti Al Qurum, a popular beach strip with trendy restaurants and cafés. Another was its architectural design, taking local conditions into account. Last, we were impressed by the beautiful and spacious guest rooms, which did not cost the earth either. So, we did not hesitate long and made a booking here. And it did not disappoint! Find out in the following how it was staying at the new Mandarin Oriental Muscat.

Before coming to my  findings about Muscat’s latest luxury hotel, a few lines about Oman, my travel adventures here so far and some brief words about Muscat’s luxury hotel scene.

Oman as a travel destination 

In a nutshell, Oman has not only lots of natural beauty and cultural heritage, but is also a safe and welcoming travel destination. It has a bit of everything: pristine coasts, golden deserts, rugged mountains as well as cultural assets like vibrant souks and historic forts.

You should visit this Middle east country from October to March, otherwise it is too hot. While many travelers limit themselves to a stay in Muscat, the capital, other regions are worthwhile exploring too. Plan for a mountain stay too in case your trip is in October/November or March/April.

And rent a 4×4 vehicle for this purpose. Roads are good, but Omanis are not necessarily great drivers (tailgating and much more) – sorry for the harsh assessment!

In terms of activities in Oman, my husband and I have already ticked off quite a few attractions from our to-do list. So, I checked out the hiking options in the run-up to the trip, as we like to walk/hike. I succeeded in finding some trails in Muscat and nearby that sounded promising. And we also did the one or other hike that was nice. Yet, I have not become an “expert” in the field of Oman hikes, so do not expect much advice on this topic.

My travel adventures in Oman so far

As repeat traveler to Oman, there is already some content about this Arabian jewel on my blog. After traveling three different parts of this sultanate back in 2019, I published three posts. It was about an overview on this travel destination, a report about staying at Jabal Akhdar (mountains) and one about Oman’s far south, Salalah. Prior to it, I informed where to stay in style and what to do in Muscat.

One more remark to Oman’s ruler, whom I mentioned in my earlier posts. There has been a change since my last stay here. In January 2020, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq took over. He succeeded his cousin, the popular Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who passed away following a 50-year reign. So, a new area has begun.

Muscat’s luxury hotel scene & information on its city center

Here I want to give a brief overview on the luxury hotel scene in Oman’s capital. Right at the beginning of this post, I wrote about two recent luxury hotel openings in Muscat. By now, you know that one is the Mandarin Oriental Muscat, located in Shatti Al Qurum (15 minutes by car west of the historic city center, Mutrah).

You have to be aware in this context that Muscat has no single, traditional city center. Instead it has separate functional hubs. This is mainly because Oman’s capital stretches along the coast between mountains and sea. The other new high-end lodging is St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort, right by the airport more in the west (Al Mouj, 30 minute-drive from Mutrah). Kempinski Hotel Muscat is also here.

Let us get back to Shatti Al Qurum where Mandarin Oriental Muscat is located. It is considered part of the modern city center hub. There are a couple of more upscale lodging options here. It is about InterContinental Muscat by IHG, W Muscat and Grand Hyatt Muscat. And a bit further away – towards Mutrah – is Crowne Plaza Muscat by IHG as well. Halfway between airport and historic center you find another popular choice of demanding travelers, The Chedi (Bawshar, 22 minutes by car to Mutrah).

So far, I have covered the luxury hotels in Mutrah’s west. Now l come to its east. My husband and I have stayed at two of them. One is Al Husn (Barr Al Jissah, 23 minute-drive to Mutrah) where we were on three occasions, when it was a Shangri-La property.

It was taken over by Hilton as from early 2026. It will be part of Waldorf Astoria, once the renovation works are finished (planned for 2027). On our very first visit to Oman, we chose Al Bustan Palace (15 minute-drive from Mutrah).

Very close to Al Husn there is another high-end accommodation, Jumeirah Muscat Bay.

Staying in style at Hotel Mandarin Oriental Muscat

Now to my main topic, how it was staying in style at Mandarin Oriental Muscat. I will highlight some of it features just as location, ambiance/staff, rooms/pricing and facilities.

Location of Mandarin Oriental Muscat

I mentioned it above, Mandarin Oriental Muscat is a 15-minute drive west of Muscat’s historic center (Mutrah). While Mutrah is great for sightseeing, Qurum/Shatti Al Qurum – where Mandarin Oriental Muscat is located – is a central, upscale area with beaches, cafes, luxury hotels and expensive homes. You have already learned that there are other luxury hotels nearby. This is an asset because it gives you great opportunities to dine out. More information on that follows in my next post where I will write about fine-dining restaurants in Shatti Al Qurum.

What is more to know about Qurum/Shatti Al Qurum? Like many other parts of Muscat, this used to be a fishing village. There was also a mangrove swamp here – qurum translates to mangrove. This changed in the 1970s and 1980s when the before mentioned Sultan Qaboos bin Said came to power. He initiated a modernization process, and there was a transformation towards upscale businesses and expensive homes. The diplomatic district is located in this area too. And the Royal Opera House Muscat is here as well.

Plus, Qurum/Shatti Al Qurum is home to the Qurum Beach Muscat. It is a 4-km (2.5-mi) stretch along the Gulf of Oman, which perfectly blends natural beauty and modern facilities. Both locals and tourists gather here to walk, sunbathe, play games, party, fish. Right in front of the Mandarin Oriental Muscat you find a boardwalk. You can stroll along the beach – during 20 minutes towards east and 60 minutes towards west.

Ambiance/Staff

When my husband and I got to the Mandarin Oriental Muscat early in the morning after a short night flight (we not even got a breakfast in the air), we were warmly welcomed. A nice young gentleman at the reception desk ushered us to The Club Lounge (more info under Facilities). Here we got breakfast, cold options from a varied buffet and hot dishes to be ordered from an à la carte menu. And before long, we could check into our guest room (at 10 a.m.!). What a great reception that was!

Throughout our seven-night stay, we experienced a great service. The staff, from the the bar to the restaurants, are trained in the way of generous spirit. All employees we met did their best to make our time at this hotel perfect. We were really impressed by the great hospitality experienced at Mandarin Oriental Muscat.

As to the ambiance at the hotel, I was fond of the stunning lobby with the multicolored crystal chandelier and the three bubbling fountains.

From what I read, they honor Middle Eastern, African and Asian influences. The French interior designer Xavier Cartron is responsible for the hotel’s interiors, inspired by the rich heritage of Oman. As far as the building is concerned, designed by architect firm HOK, I found it not particularly special. From its exteriors, I considered it as fairly common contemporary construction that you can find in many parts of the world. And sadly, the space for shops and cafés going on the boardwalk is almost completely vacant.

Rooms/Pricing at Mandarin Oriental Muscat

The hotel has 150 rooms and suites, all adorned with local materials like desert rose marble and ash wood to reflect Oman’s extensive traditions. While there are rooms available both on the sea and the land side, I would definitely opt for those with view of the Gulf of Oman.

As to the ones on the other side of the building, they face the Hajar mountains. Yet these are far away, and the road and the urban neighbourhood are much more dominant.

Regarding entry level, the Deluxe Mountain View Room offers 70 sqm of indoor and outdoor living. Then there is the Deluxe Sea View Room with an indoor and outdoor space of over 65 sqm. The next higher category is the Club Mountain View Room. It is basically the same as the entry level one, albeit it comes with benefits at The Club Lounge (see under Facilities).

As to the Junior Suites and Suites, all of them allow access to The Club Lounge. It starts with the Junior Mountain View Suite featuring 110 sqm of indoor and outdoor living. And it has two separate rooms. The Junior Sea View Suite has the same size albeit features an open plan layout. A step above, you find different sorts of Suites, from the Sea View Suite to the Royal Suite. Plus, there are family accommodations.

Our choice of room: Junior Sea View Suite

You already know about size and layout (see above) of the Junior Sea View Suite. I was delighted by the room we received, which was on the top floor (fifth). What a beauty it was! I especially loved the very comfortable bed with the intriguing headboard inspired by traditional textiles. Also the bedside lighting, a takeoff on frankincense burners – Oman produces the highest quality of this aromatic resin – hanging on chains was a sight. Plus, I was in favor of the color palette used here, delicate red, earthy tones and radiant blue tiles – the latter in the bathroom above the tub.

As to the layout, it was just great! There was a generous living area, a spacious walk-in closet with a vanity and a large bathroom.

The balcony was nice with two chairs and a small table plus a separate bench.

The one thing I disliked was that the shower water did not drain properly due to an improper slope. And the hand shower had too much pressure. Otherwise, I would argue that it was one of the best accommodations we have experienced in a while.

The daily rate of this Junior Sea View Suite with access to the Club Lounge was 325 OMR (652 SFR/845 US$). Fortunately, we were able to benefit from a special offer, a complimentary third night for every three nights booked. And we also got a free dinner for two at Restaurant Essenza. Thus, I think we really got value for money at Mandarin Oriental Muscat!

Facilities

I have mentioned The Club Lounge several times, so first to this spot.

When you are in for this service, you get here a breakfast buffet plus à la carte dishes from a menu,

afternoon snacks and evening beverages with canapés.

It was always such a quiet and serene affair coming here to have small bites and sips while enjoying the sea views – and a beautiful sunset if you were lucky.

Food was fine here and the service cordial.

There is a spa onsite of course, but we did not use it. It comes with eight treatment rooms, a sunset terrace, traditional hammam, steam and scrub rooms. For sun worshippers, there is a 30-m/98-ft outdoor pool and a separate (shaded) kid’s pool.

In addition, you can venture to the beach where you find a special section for hotel guests on the lawn area.

As for kids, they also offer a kid’s club and a playground.

In terms of restaurants, you have the choice out of four outlets. Essenza Restaurant and Bar with Italian cuisine is their signature place and open for dinner only.

The all-day eatery is called Rawya serving Euro-Asian brasserie food.

Plus, there is Sì Breeze Restaurant and Bar, an open-air lounge with modern Asian bites for sharing (in the evening only, closed Sunday and Monday). And the all-day Sawa Lounge in the lobby is the place for light bites and indulgent desserts from The Mandarin Cake Shop. My husband and I had dinner at Essenza on two evenings. And we liked what awaited us here! I will go into details in a post to come covering great fine-dining restaurants in the Qurum Beach area.

Overall on how it was staying in style at Hotel Mandarin Oriental Muscat

For our fifth Muscat stay, my husband and I chose the new Hotel Mandarin Oriental Muscat for our home away from home. And it delivered a fantastic experience from start to finish! This began with its prime location on the Qurum Beach, a prestigious neighbourhood with high-end homes and various restaurants/cafés. The 150-room hotel is stylish without neglecting the local traditions. Guest rooms at Mandarin Oriental Muscat are all spacious, even on the entry level (70 sqm indoor and outdoor). If you desire the little extra, why not opt for a room with access to The Club Lounge Service for small bites and beverages during the day. Service at this high-end property is of the highest level, and the gastronomy is impressive. My next (and last) post about Oman showcases great fine-dining restaurants around Mandarin Oriental Muscat, among others also their signature place Essenza.

Date of stay: January 2026

Pin it for later

The post A stay in style at the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Muscat/Oman first appeared on Swiss Traveler