The Chedi Muscat: Big yet boutique, a destination in itself

The Chedi in Muscat pulls off a neat trick, feeling like an elegant, urban boutique hotel despite the fact it has 158 rooms spread across an impressive estate.  At this size, it should feel corporate.  Instead, it's sophisticated, personalised and marvellously quiet.  I don't know what the square footage per guest is, but I'd guess it's unusually high.  Because even though we knew the place was operating at something close to full capacity, we always felt like we were two of just a handful of guests … and often wandered the lush gardens on our own.

The personal touch started early when reception pulled off the magic trick of greeting us by name as we came through the door.  You're then ushered into the main lobby, which is an expansive, modern take on a desert tent, and seated on the comfortable banquets that line the space.  Someone pads quietly across the marble floor with a cool face cloth and fruit juice while you take care of the check-in admin in smooth relaxation.  I'd swapped a few tweets with the General Manager, Markus Iseli, in anticipation of the big trip, so he swung by to add his personal greeting.  (One of many times we saw him across our visit.)  Once refreshed, we had a little tour on the way to our room, where a birthday card and celebratory bottle completed the impression that we were arriving at a friend's house rather than a commercial establishment.  The very definition of "boutique".

That boutique feel extends to the decor.  Neutral tones with subtle spikes of colour; tasteful modern design dominated by large black and white photography of Omani heritage sites; plenty of intimate yet comfortable chairs and sofas; gentle lighting augmented by lots of big candles at night.  In what I've now come to think of as typically Omani, the architecture is clearly modern but heavily inspired by traditional Arabic forms.

The library was perhaps my favourite example.  Comfortable sofas and chairs, dark wood shelves loaded with coffee table books on art and architecture, a small bar and computer tables share space on split levels.  Plenty of lamps are scattered for reading, but shaded to keep the atmosphere mellow … some in Fortuny's classic inverted cone lampshades; the quintessential Venetian statement of the merger of east and west.  The walls are high and white, punctuated by towering arrow slits of windows, and it's all surmounted by a dome.  It's an architectural triumph that I'd wager few guests ever even find, tucked away as it is in the gardens.

Which is unsurprising, as it's a big place.  There's plenty of room to wander, the garden paths meander, and you might not ever leave your room.  We chose a Chedi Deluxe room, one level up from their basic for a bit of a treat.  The hotel's trademark high ceilings, marble floors and mix of dark and light colours continued here, in a magnificently generous space.  A couch, chair and coffee table gave us a distinct sitting room area across from the bed, while inset bookshelves decorated with a few objects d'art continued the homey feel.  The bathroom area was equally generous, with separate sinks, big his and her wardrobes and a tiled shower room, with bench, that could have simultaneously cleaned a family of six.

Our room had a fabulous view out over some water gardens.  The landscape design is as impressive at the Chedi as the architecture.  Building on the essential role of water in Arabic gardens, the grounds are dotted with long rills, shallow basins, gurgling bowls … water is the dominant element here.  It's balanced with palms, lilies, grasses and desert loving succulents.  The suites are in free standing buildings dotted through the gardens, making the grounds look more like a village than a hotel garden.  On one boundary stretches a lavish spa and gym building (seriously, the most beautiful gym I've ever been in) with a spectacular long pool beside it.  Another pool is on the beach, and a third … specifically child friendly … at the other end of the complex.  All the pools have fantastically comfortable loungers that are more like overstuffed sofas than regular outdoor furniture.

Is it any wonder that we spent two of our four days on property, rather than sightseeing?  As magnificent as Muscat is, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you came to the Chedi and didn't just hang out there for a while.

The integral bars and restaurants make that even easier.  Of those, I'll say more in the next entry.

We arranged our trip with Turquoise Holidays in the UK; our local coordinators and guides in Oman were Gulf Ventures.