W Muscat - Oman [Master Thread]
Jan 14, 2019, 8:26 pm
#1
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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W Muscat - Oman [Master Thread]
Opening Feb '19. No category yet. Hotel website:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
"W Muscat is situated in the upbeat Shatti Al Qurum beachfront offering an insider access to What’s New/Next in the city. Step inside one of our luxurious 279 rooms and suites where Omani heritage meets contemporary design. All rooms are offering breathtaking views of azure waters of the Gulf of Oman. Seven tantalizing restaurants offer an inimitable experience to every foodie. Savour mouthwatering steaks at CHAR, dine in style at Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-bar, mix and mingle at Living Room and live it up at the WET Deck."
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
"W Muscat is situated in the upbeat Shatti Al Qurum beachfront offering an insider access to What’s New/Next in the city. Step inside one of our luxurious 279 rooms and suites where Omani heritage meets contemporary design. All rooms are offering breathtaking views of azure waters of the Gulf of Oman. Seven tantalizing restaurants offer an inimitable experience to every foodie. Savour mouthwatering steaks at CHAR, dine in style at Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-bar, mix and mingle at Living Room and live it up at the WET Deck."
Jan 20, 2019, 9:07 am
#2
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Muscat/Doha/Manchester
Programs: Oman Air Gold, Qatar Airways Platinum, Marriott Ambassador, HH Diamond, GHA Black, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 432
This has been delayed to March now on the website however I drove past it yesterday and the exterior looks complete but still loads of workers about so I would probs gestimate April at least to get all the authority approvals etc.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:51 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: zurich
Programs: Miles&Smiles Gold
Posts: 509
The hotel started to accept reservations from 01.05.2019
Award category unknown.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
Award category unknown.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
Feb 12, 2019, 6:26 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,252
The hotel started to accept reservations from 01.05.2019
Award category unknown.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
Award category unknown.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mctwh-w-muscat/
My guess is it's going to shake out at Category 5 based on the cash pricing, putting it squarely between the Category 4 Sheraton and Category 6 Al Bustan Palace. Could open as a Category 4 and then get revised upwards, but Category 6 would surely be ridiculous when you can get one of the best RCs in the world for the same price.
Mar 21, 2019, 4:08 am
#6
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Muscat/Doha/Manchester
Programs: Oman Air Gold, Qatar Airways Platinum, Marriott Ambassador, HH Diamond, GHA Black, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 432
I do like the Al Bustan but one of the best in the world? Not stayed in that many RCs tbh but that is a bold claim to make! is that a general concenus like say St Regis Maldives is one of the best St Regis or Gritti Palace is one of the best luxury collections, I am just interested because perhaps I have not given Al Bustan the respect it deserves and should book another stay!
Mar 21, 2019, 5:27 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
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Posts: 8,720
I do like the Al Bustan but one of the best in the world? Not stayed in that many RCs tbh but that is a bold claim to make! is that a general concenus like say St Regis Maldives is one of the best St Regis or Gritti Palace is one of the best luxury collections, I am just interested because perhaps I have not given Al Bustan the respect it deserves and should book another stay!
Mar 21, 2019, 9:30 am
#8
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Location: KHOU/KIAH
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definitely one of my favorite hotels as a result of the architecture and the landscaping.
Mar 31, 2019, 11:45 am
#11
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Look forward to the first trip report. Also, whoever stays there, if you could post what the breakfast situation is, I'll update the exec lounge sticky. Thx.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Apr 12, 2019, 3:14 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Italy
Programs: Accor Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond , Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,484
Jul 28, 2019, 3:27 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,526
Just came from a short stay and I was extremely impressed.
It's a large hotel with typical W trappings. The service was excellent. Front desk, valet, restaurant staff were all engaging and competent. Pre-arrival correspondence and check-in/-out were smooth and efficient. Seems like it could be the opening "A team."
They upgraded me (Titanium) to a very large suite with a wrap-around balcony facing the ocean. The room had retro furnishings that were very comfortable like always at W, a huge bathtub kind of in the center of the room (like some other Ws, there is no separation of the bedroom from the bathroom), and good lighting.
The pool area is outstanding. There are numerous different seating options, including pseudo-cabanas that are not enclosed but covered and sort of on pods, surrounded by shallow water, with two chaise lounges, two chairs, and a small table on each. Not sure if there is a separate reservation/charge for these, but it didn't seem like it. Like most or all hotels in Qurum, the beach is public with no services. To access it, one must exit through a gate from the property, cross a path, and go over or around a hedge. The beach is pretty solid, though, with clear water at a perfect temperature on a July day, and decent, clean sand interspersed with bright-colored pebbles. It's not Seychelles, but the beach compares favorably to most on the southern/eastern Arabian peninsula in my opinion. The showers to rinse after coming from the beach are especially nice. I didn't visit the spa.
The best part, which I don't recall ever seeing before: the pool is open 24 hours. On Friday from 2:00-8:00pm, they had a party with DJ, etc., with an OMR 15 (around $40) cover charge. I didn't partake and don't know whether the pool was otherwise accessible during this time.
Breakfast, which they gave me, was solid but not spectacular. The food quality was high, service great, but selection could be better for a hotel of this caliber. No pork unlike some hotels in Muscat.
The Living Room lounge off of the lobby is gorgeous. It has indoor and outdoor seating areas and a great menu. They post lots of rules, like couples only in certain times, though affirmed that this doesn't apply to in-house guests. F&B overall is still a bit thin. The only other restaurant open besides the all-day dining and poolside cafe is a steakhouse, without its own bar, that looked pretty good. The Buddha Bar lounge, they said, is set to open in mid-September, as is the Wip Lounge, which will be available to high-status guests. (According to the web site, a Chinese restaurant is also coming, and they serve dinner by the pool as well.)
P.S. The property seems comparable to the new Kempinski at The Wave. I visited the public areas there and was also impressed. It's a real contrast to the W; the lobby and grounds are strikingly austere and a bit more elegant. The restaurants looked a bit better too -- I visited the buffet, cigar lounge, and Zale Beach Club & Lounge, and there are also Thai and Arabic restaurants. These seem like two great upper-mid options between the tired Grand Hyatt and Intercontinental (and Shangri-La, which seemed tired even when it opened) and the luxury properties like Chedi and Al Bustan (though these are a bit tired, too, I suppose, though I have never been to the Chedi -- just some reviews indicate this). Along with the new airport, which might be the nicest mid-sized airport in the world right now, good to see Muscat upping its game.
It's a large hotel with typical W trappings. The service was excellent. Front desk, valet, restaurant staff were all engaging and competent. Pre-arrival correspondence and check-in/-out were smooth and efficient. Seems like it could be the opening "A team."
They upgraded me (Titanium) to a very large suite with a wrap-around balcony facing the ocean. The room had retro furnishings that were very comfortable like always at W, a huge bathtub kind of in the center of the room (like some other Ws, there is no separation of the bedroom from the bathroom), and good lighting.
The pool area is outstanding. There are numerous different seating options, including pseudo-cabanas that are not enclosed but covered and sort of on pods, surrounded by shallow water, with two chaise lounges, two chairs, and a small table on each. Not sure if there is a separate reservation/charge for these, but it didn't seem like it. Like most or all hotels in Qurum, the beach is public with no services. To access it, one must exit through a gate from the property, cross a path, and go over or around a hedge. The beach is pretty solid, though, with clear water at a perfect temperature on a July day, and decent, clean sand interspersed with bright-colored pebbles. It's not Seychelles, but the beach compares favorably to most on the southern/eastern Arabian peninsula in my opinion. The showers to rinse after coming from the beach are especially nice. I didn't visit the spa.
The best part, which I don't recall ever seeing before: the pool is open 24 hours. On Friday from 2:00-8:00pm, they had a party with DJ, etc., with an OMR 15 (around $40) cover charge. I didn't partake and don't know whether the pool was otherwise accessible during this time.
Breakfast, which they gave me, was solid but not spectacular. The food quality was high, service great, but selection could be better for a hotel of this caliber. No pork unlike some hotels in Muscat.
The Living Room lounge off of the lobby is gorgeous. It has indoor and outdoor seating areas and a great menu. They post lots of rules, like couples only in certain times, though affirmed that this doesn't apply to in-house guests. F&B overall is still a bit thin. The only other restaurant open besides the all-day dining and poolside cafe is a steakhouse, without its own bar, that looked pretty good. The Buddha Bar lounge, they said, is set to open in mid-September, as is the Wip Lounge, which will be available to high-status guests. (According to the web site, a Chinese restaurant is also coming, and they serve dinner by the pool as well.)
P.S. The property seems comparable to the new Kempinski at The Wave. I visited the public areas there and was also impressed. It's a real contrast to the W; the lobby and grounds are strikingly austere and a bit more elegant. The restaurants looked a bit better too -- I visited the buffet, cigar lounge, and Zale Beach Club & Lounge, and there are also Thai and Arabic restaurants. These seem like two great upper-mid options between the tired Grand Hyatt and Intercontinental (and Shangri-La, which seemed tired even when it opened) and the luxury properties like Chedi and Al Bustan (though these are a bit tired, too, I suppose, though I have never been to the Chedi -- just some reviews indicate this). Along with the new airport, which might be the nicest mid-sized airport in the world right now, good to see Muscat upping its game.
Jul 28, 2019, 4:32 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Italy
Programs: Accor Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond , Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,484
What does it means “ The Buddha Bar lounge, they said, is set to open in mid-September, as is the Wip Lounge, which will be available to high-status guests “ ?
Will it be something like an executive lounge with free access to Plat/Tit members including free food/beverage ?
Thanks.
Will it be something like an executive lounge with free access to Plat/Tit members including free food/beverage ?
Thanks.