EGN NEWS DESK
As cities throughout the Middle East compete towards one another to quickly modernise, peppering their skylines with ever-taller excessive rises, Oman presents a welcome different.
Rather than becoming a member of the rat race, the Sultanate is focussing on preserving its conventional tradition, with rules to stop the development of skyscrapers that will be misplaced with its present structure — and block these jaw-dropping mountain views.
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Thanks to this, Muscat retains its rustic allure, and has lengthy been a prime vacation spot for these dwelling within the area in search of a fast getaway. Life right here is slow-paced, and nowhere higher embodies this stop-and-smell-the-roses (or, extra precisely, the frankincense) method than the Shangri-La Al Husn.
Close sufficient to downtown for these trying to discover the sights, however tucked away in Muscat Bay with sufficient actions to fill a fast getaway, the Shangri-La Al Husn presents a metropolis escape with simply sufficient seclusion.
Middle East Traveller checked in to Shangri-La Al Husn’s One-Bedroom Suite for a tranquil getaway with spectacular mountain and sea views.
The Hotel
Nestled inside a cove, the adults-only Shangri-La Al Husn is certainly one of two inns throughout the Barr Al Jissah complicated. The second, Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, is cut up into wings – Al Waha and Al Bandar – the previous of which is geared toward households, whereas the latter caters to each enterprise and leisure travellers.
As a visitor at Al Husn, services throughout all the inns are open to you, however to take care of an air of exclusivity and tranquillity, company of Al Waha and Al Bandar are allowed entry to Al Husn’s eating places at supper time. This means Al Husn, that means ‘citadel’ in Arabic, feels each part of the broader Barr Al Jissah complicated, and separate from it. There are simply 180 rooms and suites for company aged 16 and above, so public areas on the Al Husn facet are by no means overly busy.
The sprawling resort (you’ll undoubtedly make use of the map handed over at verify in) covers 500 metres of shoreline, with six swimming swimming pools on the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah to select from. But for these in search of a quieter dip, Al Husn has its personal 100-metre non-public seashore overlooking the world’s iconic rocky arch, in addition to a clifftop infinity pool.
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Shangri-La Al Husn is harking back to an Omani fort, with Moorish architectural parts all through. You’ll discover mashrabiya in each the rooms and all through the corridors, with the lodge centred round a most important courtyard — one other function typical of Islamic structure. The courtyard results in the infinity pool, earlier than which you’ll cross via the lodge’s most photographed function — its pointed archway.
Having first opened in 2006, those that favor a glossy, fashionable aesthetic could not respect Shangri-La Al Husn’s décor, nevertheless it’s a minor quibble in most individuals’s (and our) books.
The Arrival
The 45-minute drive from Muscat International Airport passes sights just like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque earlier than a (slight) ascent into the mountains, and at last via the entranceway to the resort.
Check-in is accomplished to the facet of the primary foyer space, the place pleasant concierge workers await to help you with something you must want. It’s a suitably grand welcome, with plush, intricate carpets beneath golden ceilings, and the odor of frankincense wafting via the air.
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We arrive within the early hours of the morning, and check-in is fortunately swift, with a short pitstop at a signboard exhibiting the resort map earlier than heading to the room.
The Room
The One-Bedroom Suite immediately impresses due to its dimension, with a spacious dwelling space and walk-in wardrobe. Much like the remainder of the lodge, the design has Islamic architectural influences, with mashrabiya on the panels behind the headboard and on the door resulting in the toilet. Guests shouldn’t anticipate the black, white and gray color schemes most popular by inns opened over the previous decade, however as a substitute the deep woods and golden hues discovered in lots of barely older properties.
Aside from the décor, there are many different parts that root the lodge in Omani heritage. There are numerous coffee desk books in every room giving perception into the wealthy historical past of the nation, in addition to binoculars for company to make use of to identify mynahs, terns and different birds, or for night-time stargazing.
It is the balcony that’s the star of the present, with views out to the clifftop and Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah’s seashore space. You’ll spend most of your time right here, or within the bathtub, making use of the frankincense-scented toiletries. At Al Husn, your keep additionally contains use of the mini-bar, which is refilled as soon as a day, in addition to a each day afternoon excessive tea at Sultanah and pre-dinner drinks within the courtyard.
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The Service
Oman is thought for its hospitality, so it’s little surprise that the service at Shangri-La Al Husn is what units it other than the competitors.
Staff are pleasant and educated, and consistently stunned us throughout our keep by remembering our preferences or dietary necessities. You’ll usually see Hotel Manager Nick Flynn or Executive Chef Eric Fettke chatting with company all through the properties’ eating places and services.
The Shangri-La Al Husn is the form of resort that you simply’ll need to return to because of this — and lots of company do. In reality, there are half a dozen company which have visited so usually that their room numbers at the moment are switched out in favour of a named plaque each time they’re in residence.
The Restaurants and Bars
While the Shangri-La Al Husn is shut sufficient to city for a dinner tour, the resort has greater than sufficient eating choices for each style.
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Within Al Husn itself, all-day eating restaurant Sultanah will likely be your port of name for breakfast, with a buffet of recent fruits, salads and pastries, plus the choice to order à la carte dishes similar to eggs or pancakes.
The restaurant takes its title, and look, from the Sultanah, the primary ship to ever sail from Oman to the US again in 1833. Expect delicate nautical interiors, and an à la carte dinner menu of Mediterranean plates similar to oven-baked sea bass and rooster roulade.
Just reverse Sultanah is Aangan by Rohit Ghai, a up to date Indian restaurant from the acclaimed chef. Outside, a beautiful terrace overlooking the seashore awaits, whereas contained in the interiors are stylish and fashionable.
Perfect for date night time, or a meal with household, the menu is crammed with dishes that are supposed to be shared. On our go to, the kali dal and the fish mangalore each proved common.
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On the extra relaxed facet of issues, Al Husn has two extra eating places to select from — Mahhara Beach Bar, above Al Husn’s non-public seashore, and the Al Muheet Pool Bar, adjoining to the infinity pool. Both menus concentrate on lighter bites, with choices like Japanese waffle fries and poke bowls at Al Muheet, and burrata and salads at Al Mahhara.
Over at Barr Al Jissah, the signature restaurant Bait Al Bahr is a should go to. Overlooking the beachfront (and simply above the lazy river), the menu focuses on Omani plates, and specifically, seafood. Here, you’ll have the ability to select your seafood from the fish market and have it ready as you prefer it, or order plates just like the Omani paplou soup or the blended seafood.
On our go to, we additionally had the possibility to strive Capri Court, the Italian restaurant at Al Bandar, the place you’ll have the ability to dig into freshly made pasta or risotto. For these with an anniversary or big day developing, Dine by Design is a spectacular choice for sundown. Set up on the Barr Al Jissah clifftop, you’ll take pleasure in a personal eating expertise overlooking the seashore and the long-lasting pure arch. In a keep crammed with pinch-me moments, this one takes the cake.
The Activities
With all of the eating places to dine at, and picture spots to snap, you’ll have loads of issues to refill your time with. But each nook of the Shangri-La Al Husn presents one thing totally different to do.
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Visit the lodge’s backyard the place you’ll be able to chat to Khalid Al Amri, an Omani frankincense professional who will have the ability to inform you extra concerning the historical past of the incense, and methods for its assortment. There’s additionally a automobile museum throughout the complicated, that includes classic automobiles collected by the lodge’s proprietor.
Prefer to maintain lively in your holidays? There are tennis courts, an aerial yoga pavilion, and every kind of water sports activities so that you can select from, or you’ll be able to simply follow your placing on the mini golf course.
If enjoyable is on the prime of your precedence listing, then ebook in for a therapy at Luban Spa in Al Husn, or the Shangri-La’s signature Chi the Spa, the place you’ll have the ability to use merchandise infused with frankincense.
The lodge’s seashore is likely one of the prime 5 for turtle nesting in Oman, with greater than 100 returning to its shores every year. There is a devoted turtle ranger on web site, who strikes eggs to a extra appropriate location earlier than the beginninghatching season between May and September. Chances are good should you keep throughout these months you’ll have the ability to catch a hatching, which happen within the early morning or simply earlier than sundown. Shangri-La workers can even organise dolphin watching excursions, full with snorkelling excursions with sea turtles.
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Our favorite exercise, nonetheless, is the falaj-inspired lazy river. Running between Al Waha and Al Bandar, there are inflatable tubes so that you can journey alongside the route. Partially shaded with palm bushes, it’s going to take your studying (or cellphone scrolling) to the subsequent degree.
Why Stay?
As the one lodge in Muscat catering completely to these above the age of 16, Shangri-La Al Husn is as tranquil a keep as you’ll discover within the capital.
Just 25 minutes from downtown, it’s equally good as a base for exploring, or for many who would like to easily meander alongside the lazy river all day.
The Essentials
- Rates: Rooms begin from Dhs975 per night time, with GCC residents having fun with a particular charge from Dhs915 per night time
- Phone quantity: +968 2477 6388
- Website: shangri-la.com/muscat/alhusnresortandspa
- Address: Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat, Bandar Jissah 644, Oman
