Review W Muscat. This is the place to be
If you are planning a vacation to Oman, this hotel is perfect for guests from 0 to 99 years old
Marriott
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In our wanderings on the occasion of the pazzo first-class ticket with Emirates, we passed through Qatar, a 3-day stay and we opted for the W Muscat, one of the most exclusive and vibrant facilities in all of Muscat, which in Italian is translated as an unfortunate Mascate.
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I had not done extensive research on this structure. that so it was a real breakthrough and the fact that we booked for Thursday and Friday nights, i.e., the Arab weekend, definitely had an impact on the final evaluation.
Reservation
Although in the low season, the cost of rooms in this hotel is never low, so the I decided to book using Bonvoy points.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
At the time of booking, the cost of the basic room was just under 350€, so I found it optimal to use 69k Bonvoy points to pay for the two nights in the hotel. Thanks to my Titanium Elite status, I also used two SNAs, or vouchers to apply for in-suite upgrades.
A few days before our arrival, I received an email confirming the success of my request and we were promoted to a Marvelous Suite, a room that, if booked on the same days, had a cost of 700€ per night.
Location
This hotel is about 20 minutes from the airport, is right in front of one of the most iconic places in all of Muscat, the Opera House. Located in front of Shatti Al Qurum beach. There are restaurants, shopping malls and various attractions in the area. In less than 15 minutes you can reach tourist places such as the Suq and Mutrah Corniche.
Check-in
We arrived late in the morning, an attendant took care of take delivery of our luggage from the cab while we immediately took refuge inside the hotel. (And remember, if you like them with TFC10 you get a discount on Level8 products.)
The front desk was manned by only one attendant, and we diligently got in line.
The structure is noticeable from a distance and is truly elegant, not an eyesore like the dark concrete cube of the Intercontinental that stands exactly next to this W Hotel.
Paperwork done fairly quickly, the clerk then explained the peculiarities of this hotel and presented us with a voucher to use in the hotel lounge.
The room
Our room was a fantastic suite with a view of the pool. Judging from the photos on the site, and other reviews I have seen around, the style of the Marvelous Suites is the same. The decor changes only depending on the orientation of the room.
W hotels are the luxury and design brand of the Marriott portfolio. They offer a product profoundly different from the JW, Ritz Carlton, and St. Regis.
The room is huge. You enter the living area. There is a long desk, where I am writing this review and where I also edited this week's video. In the heart of the living room is an immense corner sofa.
The colors of the room are dark, the design elements are many starting from a giant chandelier set on a tripod, or an armchair hiding a rhinoceros head.
If one wants to find fault it is that, except for the camels, which are reminiscent of the W, there is not much that conveys the idea of being in a Middle Eastern nation.
Hidden behind a door in the entrance hall, there is also a second toilet area, in case there is a queue to go to the bathroom.
Behind the immense sliding doors is the room, a mega king bed.
If the living room has the head of a rhinoceros, the bedroom has the long legs of a flamingo.
In the center is a circular bathtub. The bathroom area would not pass Chef Barbieri's inspection, although it must be said: the double shower, and toilet are regularly hidden behind a door.
The final interior element of the room is the walk-in closet, large enough to accommodate the clothes and suitcases of a 2-week vacation.
The room has everything you need and more. A beautiful steel cabinet hides the minibar and pantry, a closet stocked with everything. From snacks to toys to a digital camera in case you forgot yours at home.
The room as mentioned overlooks the pool and there would also be a double livable terrace, except that the temperatures are really extreme for sitting on the balcony.
The presence of universal outlets, alarm clocks with induction charging for cell phones, and especially a "master" switch to turn off all the lights at once is excellent.
A few minutes after our arrival, a second surprise was delivered to our room.
A welcome card, a huge basket of locally made fruit, chocolate and macarons.
The hotel is pet friendly and even has a dedicated menu for 4-legged guests.
The structure
The Ws are the ultimate expression of design in the Marriott house. It's not the first W I've been to and I have to say it's one of the most beautiful and wowest I've found lately.
The common areas are tastefully decorated in every detail. Of course, if you don't like black marble you might want to book in a different facility than this one. If the exterior is a white cube, the interior is the exact opposite.
The structure is beautiful in the daytime, but it is definitely after the tramoto that it conveys the best, thanks in part to the ever-changing play of light, mirrors, and coloration.
Throughout the hotel there are design pieces, sometimes not very functional, but still beautiful to look at. Guests in the 279 rooms certainly will not be bored wandering the corridors of this facility, which opened in late 2019 and is still almost new due to the pandemic.
No matter if it is day or night, the soul of the hotel stands out and amazes in both cases.
Gymnasium and SPA
I admit it: you see pictures of hotel gyms, but I only go in there for that. I don't think I have ever sweated except to get to these places of torture.
The equipment is all made in Italy, and the view is of the pool and the hotel's main hallway, so you can run on the treadmill and watch the goings-on.
There is also a spa, but we did not pamper ourselves this time.
Swimming pools
One of the reasons I chose this facility was, in addition to direct access to the beach, the presence of a huge swimming pool And I have to say it was a really good choice..
Ours was not a journey of discovery to Oman., but a relaxing vacation Where Emirates cabins were our cruise ship., which would occasionally set sail and take us to a new destination.
The only flaw is that I was expecting a cool pool, but instead it was quite warm, but not too bad. Around the Wet area there are sunbeds, waterbeds, small cabanas or if you want you can also lie down in more secluded areas, of course there is nothing to breathe the air of Oman.
There is also a second swimming pool, on the roof of the building. In the area that houses the Siddhartha lounge. Chatting with the staff, we realized that by now it is practically an ornamental pool, used very little by guests and becoming part of the lounge scenery in the evening.
Too bad it is little used, it is the perfect spot in the hotel to enjoy the sunset while drinking a spritz. Thanks to the sea breeze, and powerful fans, you can take the heat without too much suffering.
Friday pool party
When I say that we were lucky in our choice of days to stay at this facility, I say this for two very specific reasons: the pool party and the dinner show at Buddah Bar.
The hotel informed us with a letter in the room that on Friday there would be brunch in the main restaurant and a pool party in the pool. Hotel guests get free admission to the party and have a discount for lunch in the restaurant.
Like we're at Nikki Beach or other more renowned nightlife locations around the world, the pool at 1 p.m. began to increase decibels and slowly filled with guests. Actually, it didn't really fill up, but still it was quite crowded. So between pink flamingos, huge lollipop-shaped donuts and girls refreshing guests by spraying steaming water, we indulged in 3 hours of fun.
One of the advantages for hotel guests, in addition to free admission, is that they can choose their preferred location, while outside patrons can only position themselves in certain areas of the pool. Needless to say, we positioned ourselves in a poolside lounger near the console.
Nightlife
This hotel is, without a doubt, One of the hottest nightlife addresses in Oman's capital city..
On the ground floor is the bar with terrace, every night a DJ keeps the beat up, and the patrons are, judging by the cars parked in the square in front of the entrance, locals with high spending power.
What I like is that hotel guests have access to all events and locations, not as in other facilities that offer similar products but treat hotel guests as the last of the passersby. Again, as in the entire facility, everything is by design and attention to detail.
The surprise, however, was On the sixth floor, here is the Wip Lounge called the Siddhartha lounge. which is a franchise of the Buddha bar, an iconic trend-setting venue from Monte Carlo to Miami that has several variations-a strategy to be able to sell the Buddha bar brand in the same city to multiple locations.
The venue is developed partly indoors and partly outdoors. On the evening of our arrival we were lucky because a special event was scheduled and the venue was really alive with many outside guests.
The outdoor part is just as nice, the pool at night is very scenic, as is the pool bar. Too bad it is not used, only used as a backdrop for evenings.
Food & Beverage
We have tried everything, from room service to lounge, pool bar to disco bar, and of course breakfast.
Harvest is the main restaurant, located on the ground floor, the one at the pool level.
The mise en place is very scenic; there is a room entirely devoted to desserts.
In the main hall then there are classic islands offering literally everything from a salad bar to fresh fruit, local produce, and the classic egg station.
Nothing is really missing, but the impression is that you are looking at an "industrial" product, the environment and products are cold and it is not a matter of air conditioning.
The afternoon of our arrival we ordered from the room service menu a club sandwich, again perfect presentation, but nothing special.
Dinner at Buddha bar was confirmation, dishes beautiful to look at but weak in flavor. The evening's menu was by no means cheap, 33 omr (about 80 euros per person) to which 10 omr (28 euros) should be added to get the free flow of alcoholic drinks. Everything, however, until 10:30 a.m., then the second part of the evening would be triggered and a new package had to be made.
Unfortunately, the main dishes were overcooked and the sushi, colorful but not very tasty. In contrast, the desserts always included in the tasting menu were excellent.
Last but not least, we didn't forget to take advantage of the voucher handed out at check-in. So we escaped the pool party and took refuge in the rooftop pool to enjoy the sunset away from the party, but still with the right soundtrack. Here we ordered beef sliders and some tempura shrimp along with two spritzes. Again, the product was "...mehh"
On the last night we also indulged in a drink in the disco bar, a really nice and very high-class place.
In conclusion
Great way to take advantage of points and all possible benefits imaginable. The same all-cash stay in this facility would have cost us almost 2 thousand euros, which is crazy. In the end we got away with about 300 euros in consumptions. Euros that of course also turned into Bonvoy points ready to be used for the next vacation.
My latest experiences in W Hotels had not been very positive, one the one at W Hollywood I have yet to publish and will come out in the next few weeks. This stay made me fall in love with this sign again.: design, vibe, status recognition, and a really nice pool. Appointment for the next one, not long to go.
Pro
- Suite
- Swimming pools
- Nightlife
Against
- The flavor of the dishes
- Uncooled swimming pool