The best accommodations Oman

Budget & Tips

A peculiarity of the country is that its tourism policy tends towards a high-end positioning, while tolerating wild camping on a large scale. Although the government favours the opening of luxury establishments and rarely grants licenses to guesthouses, travel and accommodation can be found at all price levels in the sultanate. There are small local hotels in all the tourist regions, and while they may not be the most exquisite in terms of décor (ah, taste and color...), they are generally comfortable and always very clean, hygiene being a matter of the utmost importance in this part of the world. Nothing, however, or it's very rare and involves sharing an apartment in a hotel residence, at less than 20 OMR for a double room, or €47 all the same. These aparthotels, with their generally comfortable and spacious units, are a good option for keeping costs down, since they allow you to share costs and save on eating out - which, let's not forget, isn't really an expense, since you can eat for a few euros in the ubiquitous coffee shops.

In the absence of a guesthouse or local hotel, you can always pitch your tent, a practice accepted absolutely everywhere, provided, of course, you don't disturb the locals and respect their way of life. This form of globalized wilderness camping is sometimes even the only way to discover the country's most remote and secret areas.

To be booked

As in most neighboring Eastern countries with high summer temperatures (often in excess of 40°C), tourism in Oman is essentially seasonal, running from October to April. This reality masks another, namely that the sultanate has high mountains where the thermometer rarely exceeds 30 degrees, even at the height of summer, enabling summer tourism at lower prices. Summer is also the best season for kitesurfing on the east coast and for turtle egg-laying. At this time of year, reptiles flock to Oman's beaches, while tourism is at its lowest. Conditions are therefore exceptional for birdwatching. Oman also enjoys a unique feature: the monsoon tail in its southern part, in and around the city of Salalah in the Dhofar region. Here, while the rest of the country and neighbouring regions suffocate, nature drips with green and temperatures reach a misty, rainy 20-25°C, causing waterfalls to overflow and meadows to turn green! While we don't necessarily recommend coming in July-August, when the monsoon season is in full swing (unless you're looking for that special experience), September may be a good option: warmer temperatures, less stormy seas, lush natural surroundings.

Otherwise, overall, the high tourist season is limited to around 7 months from October to April. During this period, hotels fill up very quickly, especially during the school vacations of Europeans, for whom the destination is very popular. On Thursday evenings, the eve of the livestock market in Nizwa, for example, it is virtually impossible to find a room unless you have booked several months in advance. As hotel capacity is currently insufficient, hotel prices quite high and the offer in certain categories quite limited, we strongly advise you to book well in advance to benefit from the widest possible choice and attractive rates. Reservations can be made via European travel agencies (more and more of which are selling the destination), local receptives (often very professional, some of which have French-speaking teams) or directly online.

What's very local

From the outset of its tourism development, Oman has tended to focus on luxury hotels. The country is home to several international 5-star chains, notably in Muscat: Grand Hyatt, Intercontinental, Jumeirah Muscat Bay (new), Kempinski, W Muscat...

Among the jewels of the Omani hotel industry, several establishments stand out for their excellence, such as Al Bustan Palace (a world-renowned palace under the Ritz-Carlton banner), Al Husn (a true 6-star by the Shangri-La group), The Chedi (the most contemporary, with sublime lines), all three in Muscat. Coming in 2024 in the Al Mouj district: St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat.

Elsewhere, there's Alila Jabal Akhdar, set on the side of a canyon in one of the sultanate's most spectacular locations, and Alila Hinu Bay, a brand-new resort in Mirbat, Dhofar. But also two hotels from the Thai luxury chain Anantara: one in the mountains of Jebel Akhdar (a vertiginous site on the edge of a ravine), the other on the incense road in Salalah; and the hamlet of ecological villas of Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam peninsula.

While the country's 5* hotels are generally exceptional, the 3* or 4* hotels (excluding the Crowne Plaza Muscat, which is great, and the promising new Aloft Muscat) are of good quality but have no particular charm, except for those belonging to the local hotel chain, Sama Resorts, which specializes in small establishments, some of which are set in old houses converted into vacation homes.

Recently, guesthouses have become increasingly popular, either modern or, more often than not, ancient: in fact, authentic and historic mud houses carefully renovated for tourism in mountain oases (Misfah, Wakan, Birkat al-Mawz) or in the old quarters of old towns such as Al Hamra or Nizwa, among others. These typical accommodations, once quite basic, are now more and more comfortable - private bathrooms, real beds instead of simple mattresses on carpets, even if this option still exists, more and more meticulous decoration... This is the country's charming option.

Hotels for small budgets: similar to motels (with larger rooms), sometimes called guesthouses or resthouses, they dot the sultanate. The best option is to share the cost of your stay in an apartment-hotel . For this last category, you'll need to know that there are hotels of all standards, including top-of-the-range. Oman also has a handful of youth hostels with single-sex dormitories.

Camping is a common form of accommodation. Here too, as with hotels, all standards are on offer: from very luxurious camps (equivalent to African lodges) offering air-conditioned tents with lounge and bathroom, to simple igloo tents with mattresses on the ground, via Bedouin-style camps with large woven wool tents with real beds. These luxury camps are either fixed, i.e. set up year-round in a given location (high mountains or deserts), or mobile (tents used by local tour operators for their tours). Wild camping (free of charge) is also permitted throughout the country, except in a few regulated areas and on condition that it respects the environment and the peace and quiet of local residents. Equipment can be purchased locally in Muscat's supermarkets and specialist stores.

Another ideal, comfortable option in the sultanate: motorhomes from Oman Motorhomes.

For food lovers

The price of a double room often includes breakfast, which is served as an all-you-can-eat buffet in larger hotels. A real feast in the morning. In guesthouses, on the other hand, the morning snack is a very simple traditional Arab breakfast with local bread, dates, a few fruits, Omani coffee... All hotels have at least one restaurant. As the number of stars increases, so does the quality of the dining experience.

Smokers

Smoking in public places in Oman is very frowned upon and often prohibited, except for shisha in dedicated areas.