N eeding a parched thirst to be quenched after exploring parts of Oman in the dry desert all day, I could not find a store nearby where I could purchase some bottles of water for myself; so I asked an agent behind the front desk at the Grand Hyatt Muscat where the nearest store was located.
“What do you need?” he asked.
“Bottles of water,” I replied. “I already finished the two which were in my room.”
Looking at me like I was nuts, the agent said that he will send some water to my room and that I should not even think about finding a store.
“Thank you,” I said with genuine appreciation as I went to take photographs of the exterior of the hotel for this trip report…
…and when I returned to my room, no fewer than four refreshingly cold bottles of water awaited me — at no additional charge, by the way.
This is indicative of the service I experienced at the Grand Hyatt Muscat, which seems like a hybrid of a hotel and a resort — no worries, though, as it does not charge a mandatory resort fee — and it is a clean and beautiful hotel property inside and out.
I had no complaints about my stay, as the room was quite comfortable — but I will let the photographs tell the story of my stay.
Entrance
The hotel property and grounds are surrounded by a wall of concrete blocks — reminiscent of a castle or a fortress. I personally feel that the exterior of this wall could use some “softening” with some lush landscaping.
Cars drive up to the main entrance up on a hill…
…and the small stained glass with the name Muscat on it at the top of the elaborate portico gives a teaser as to what awaits inside of the hotel property.
Hotel Interior
The hotel is actually comprised of two wings: the Fahal Wing and the Seeb Wing.
Both wings are anchored by the elaborately decorated central lobby area of the hotel.
One way to get from the lobby to the courtyard outside at the rear of the hotel property where the swimming pool area is located is to go down some stairs near the restaurant…
…to the stained glass windows, where one can not only look out towards the swimming pool area; but also exit to it.
I took the photograph below of the public toilets for men, if only to ask: why are there generally not private stalls such as the ones shown located in public toilets in the United States?
Courtyard with Swimming Pools
You can enter into — or exit from — either wing of the hotel to or from the courtyard area.
The entrance from the courtyard to the Fahal Wing is shown in the above photograph…
…and this is the entrance to the Seeb Wing, equipped with changing rooms. My room was located in this wing.
There are several white wooden arched bridges which cross either the waters of the swimming pools or the decorative fountain areas; and one of them is from the rear entrance of the hotel.
Other bridges just appear to be randomly placed.
There is an area where you can swim up and order a snack or a drink while in the pool.
North of the courtyard area is access to the beach area.
Beach Area
There is a shower area located as you walk towards the beach area.
Note the sign warning of taking photographs in the area where embassy or ministry buildings are located.
There is a garden area with lounge chairs on the green grass if you want some privacy and prefer not to go all the way to the beach.
The beach is located on the southern shore of the tranquil waters of the Gulf of Oman.
Whether dressed fully in traditional clothing or in bathing suits, people young and old, male and female, short and tall enjoy the beach, which extends beyond the hotel property…
…and they involve themselves in activities such as a little soccer, jogging, walking — or simply relaxing and admiring the view of the gulf.
I was fortunate enough to catch the sun setting at the end of the day near the beach.
The Room
The room was fairly large…
…and the bed was quite comfortable.
I slept well.
The photographs below show the balconies of some of the rooms of the hotel, with the balcony from my room shown both in the photographs above and below.
The view outside the balcony of my room was not the best; but it was not the worst, either. It reminded me of California, actually.
Summary
The Grand Hyatt Muscat is quite easy to find on its own; but thanks to the brown road signs directing motorists to the hotel property on both the highway and the local streets, you really have to try hard to not find it. It is located in a quiet area where there are a number of embassies from other countries.
Self-parking is free of charge — although the parking lot itself can be quite crowded at times.
If you find yourself staying overnight in Muscat, I recommend staying at this hotel property.
Grand Hyatt Muscat
Shatti Al Qurm
Post Office Box 951
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 133
Telephone: +968 24 64 1234
All photographs ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
