Originally Posted by khabah

I'm in Muscat, and the lockdown of the city from the rest of the country is expected to end on May 29th. The Alila has been closed for a while but is reopening from June 1st, so I took the opportunity to book a three-night stay in June to cross this bucket list hotel off my list and treat my friend for a milestone birthday. The hotel runs an annual promotion called 15 Degrees Cooler targeted to GCC citizens and residents at a discounted rate with perks like a-la-carte breakfast and dinner for two, discounts on spa treatments, sunrise/sunset yoga, a master class at the restaurant and such. This year, however, they've pared those perks back to just a-la-carte breakfast with the discounted rate, which is disappointing. In an e-mail exchange I had with the hotel to arrange some special arrangements for my friend, I requested a cake and bottle of wine - and the agent promptly informed me that this was chargeable and attached the wine list. I selected a bottle, and the agent replied that the charge will be placed on my account and reflected on my final bill.

While I am not asking for anything for free, mind, I find it very off-putting and poor form when a luxury property that charges 300+ USD a night pretty much every night of the year to thrust the bill on a guest outright while charging the usual hotel premiums of north of 50 dollars for bottles of wine that retail at <15. 'Lesser quality' hotels such as Marriotts and even Four Points hotels I routinely stay at never conduct themselves like this via e-mail or in person in my experience, and usually offer to go above and beyond at their own expense.

Not the best first impression at all, and leaves a sour taste. You'd think the Alila would be a little more generous and appealing following months of closure and a nonexistent international tourism industry with the airports and borders closed, but alas.

khabah