You should know, you used to live here!

Honestly though, here are my thoughts:

• InterContinental Muscat has renovated its rooms, and it's beautifully done. Still looks like a parking garage outside, but the rooms and bathrooms are finally decent. Service is solid, food is fairly good and the location is as good as it gets. Consider this one.
• W Muscat is the hip new kid with great rooms and service that's good but can veer hit-or-miss. Food is good but can honestly be better, and the facilities [spa, pool] are excellent. Location next to the InterCon is convenient. Think about staying here, but note that the boom-boom W vibe is not to everyone's liking.
• Grand Hyatt Muscat is the same as you left it: green carpets, clashing patterns, stained glass and all. It feels like the oldest of the five-star hotels in the city, and is surprisingly well-maintained given how wildly dated it is. Service is good if impersonal, food is good and I prefer the location due to the nice beachside promenade it sits on and the walking distance to the new Waterfront mall, with a cluster of restaurants and good people-watching.
• Crowne Plaza Muscat has a wonderful vantage point and stunning views as it's perched on a cliff above Qurum, and they did a gorgeous job transforming their dingy outdoor pool into a tiered infinity arrangement. The lobby is nicely redone but the rooms haven't been renovated, sadly. The food is great, however, and there is a private beach so I'd consider this one.
• The other Crowne Plaza at the OCEC is a nice hotel that opened in 2017, with sterile design but spacious rooms, nice staff and a fantastic Thai restaurant. You're sort of in the middle of nowhere if you stay here, but it's easy to get around and the price is often right.
• No point in staying at the Sheraton as it's marooned out in Ruwi, but the bang for buck is fantastic at ~75 USD a night given its decent renovation.
• As discussed earlier, I would entirely avoid the pretentious Al Bustan.
• I've had lunch at The Chedi and the grounds are impeccable, but it feels dated and the staff are up themselves attitudinally. I'd give this one a pass.

Hope this helps. Happy to go into more detail if you need anything.

khabah