Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
May 25, 2020, 8:50 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,932
Disappointing to hear. Yet another example of how in unusual circumstances, some hotels distinguish themselves with fantastic service well above expectations to please guests, and those who are stingy and cut corners. My experiences of the last several weeks have been very polarized in two camps.
May 29, 2020, 3:03 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Muscat/Doha/Manchester
Programs: Oman Air Gold, Qatar Airways Platinum, Marriott Ambassador, HH Diamond, GHA Black, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 435
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
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
May 30, 2020, 2:12 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,815
Thank you for the update, I just got back to Muscat and currently in home quarantine. I was looking at a staycation for the Anantara as missing swimming and want to get one of the pool villas, the only option at Alila is the presidential 3 bedroom villa which I do not need. And after reading of your experience I think I will wait, but please let me know how it goes!!
Welcome back to MCT - let me know when you’re out of quarantine and let’s link up!
khabah
Aug 27, 2020, 8:21 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,815
Just completed another three-night stay. Quick feedback:
khabah
- Explorist member, booked two rooms under their half-board rate.
- The hotel upgraded both rooms from the base mountain-view rooms to ridge-view rooms, which was very nice of them.
- Oman has very recently allowed restaurants, gyms and pools to reopen, so the hotel had all these facilities open. The spa is still closed.
- Rooms were lovely as always - spacious with a great layout, furnishings in good shape and the views a knockout as always.
- Food was nothing short of phenomenal - breakfast and dinner was included in our rate, and staff had no problem with us ordering more than a dish each [i.e. two orders of the single-slice avocado toast in addition to poached eggs]. Quality was excellent - the hotel grows its own vegetables and herbs in their organic garden on-property - imagination was evident in the dishes and the desserts were fantastic. This has to be the best restaurant in Oman.
- I didn't use the pools or gym, but as the hotel was hosting many families with young children, the pools in particular saw lots of use.
- There is a nice hiking trail of about 3 kilometers within the property walls, with relatively easy rocks to traipse around and weave throughout the property.
- Service was fairly good - many of the staff are Omani men, and although they can sometimes get a little in over their heads with dealing with guests, do a great job conversing in English, maintaining a welcoming demeanor and being an asset to the hotel experience.
- As far as COVID-19 adherence goes: the hotel has a 50 percent occupancy cap, and I'm pretty sure they were close to that when we were there. While hand sanitizing stations were plentiful, the reception plexiglas-ed off and all staff masked, gloved and observant of social distancing, the vast majority of Omani/local guests [who in turn formed the majority of in-house guests] either used their masks as chinstraps or didn't use them at all when moving through the property or in the restaurant/public areas, and staff never asked them to observe the mask requirement nor actively enforced the policy. Maskless children ran amuck in the restaurant, around the pool, outside in the grounds and again, staff never intervened.
khabah
Aug 28, 2020, 8:18 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,815
Don't hold me to it - just repeating what I've heard! Hopefully an official announcement isn't far out.
khabah
Mar 9, 2021, 2:38 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,815
They’ve also got complimentary classes offering archery, geology walks, astronomy and spa kitchen. The hotel has a via ferrata as well, the spa is open for treatments and the indoor+outdoor pools are open as well.
khabah
Mar 9, 2021, 2:41 am
#40
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,044
I’m based in Muscat and have been to this property twice in the last month. They’ve got a hiking trail on the property, as well as trails outside that they have maps for that take several hours to complete.
They’ve also got complimentary classes offering archery, geology walks, astronomy and spa kitchen. The hotel has a via ferrata as well, the spa is open for treatments and the indoor+outdoor pools are open as well.
khabah
They’ve also got complimentary classes offering archery, geology walks, astronomy and spa kitchen. The hotel has a via ferrata as well, the spa is open for treatments and the indoor+outdoor pools are open as well.
khabah
Sep 4, 2021, 11:53 pm
#42
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,815
This is still a physically spectacular property, but the cutbacks are palpable and you feel as if the management isn't really trying - they obviously bank on the prestige of the property, and to them being the Alila is good enough; the guest always pays to play.
khabah
Sep 23, 2021, 11:30 am
#43
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,926
For those who have stayed at both Alila properties, how would you divide time between them? Can we go directly from one to the other without needing to stay at Muscat one night? I am thinking 3 hour drive to airport, flight to Salalah Airport, 1 hour drive to hotel. I have yet to research and have no idea about frequency of flights to Salalah.
Sep 23, 2021, 12:30 pm
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,094
Oman Air seems to currently have 2-3 flights a day between MCT and SLL: a morning one (c 8:45), (sometime) a mid-afternoon (c 3pm), and an evening one (c 8pm).
Oct 1, 2021, 10:27 am
#45
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,926
I am planning a stay at both the Alila properties in Oman. How far is it from this hotel to Nizwa? I would like to start the day here on a Friday, go to the Nizwa cattle market and Nizwa Fort, and then take the 2:45pm flight to Salalah. Is that realistic?