Being Oman-based and trapped by the ever-changing COVID-19-related travel restrictions, staycations within Muscat and Oman are the only shot I�ve got. In my curiosity of sampling the international hotel pool and my flirting with IHG loyalty, I wanted to give Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC a try as a hotel guest rather than a frequent diner at their fabulous Thai restaurant, Charm Thai.

Location

Businesses are all about �location, location, location�, and off the cuff this property might come across an odd choice: it�s part of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, a large, purpose-built convention facility with the five-star JW Marriott, four-star Crowne Plaza and a three-star Ibis Styles [construction has yet to start on this one] complementing it. The greater plot it sits in is a masterplanned development called Madinat Al Irfan, which will encompass residences, commercial activities and outdoor spaces - but absolutely none of this has been built yet and it doesn�t seem like it will soon, so the immediate area is rather sparse except for the lovely wadi and greenery just below one side of the hotel.

On the plus side, the isolation makes for a relatively peaceful experience at the hotel, without the noise you�d get from revving engines and general activity like at hotels in Qurum. The hotel is also next to a major highway and feeder roads that connect it easily to the rest of Muscat with minimal fuss.

Muscat International Airport [MCT] is approximately a ten-minute drive from the hotel, and can be easily accessed via taxi, rental or hotel car.

Room

Access to the guest room floors is via keycard access for an extra bit of security, with four elevators available. As the hotel moves away from plastics, the keycards are made of wood and are very cool to handle.

I booked an entry-level room but was upgraded to the best-in-house Diplomatic Suite on the fifth floor. Located at the end of the hall, the double door opened onto a small foyer and hallway that extended to the bedroom and guest bathroom on the left, and the office and main living area on the right. At approximately 158 square meters of living space, this is a very spacious suite. The main living room features a dedicated dining area with dining table and six chairs under a feature light fixture, a living area with two couches, two chairs, coffee table and large television, and a separate kitchen-like area with a full-sized refrigerator, sink and storage for dishes and cutlery. The living room opens onto a large terrace overlooking the pool below and wadi beyond, with sea views to the left and mountain views to the right. The terrace was furnished two four-top tables, two sun loungers and a couch, making it perfect to relax on.

There is an office within the suite with a desk, office chair and two seats as well as a television within the room. A guest bathroom is available just down the hall from the office to the left of the main entrance.

The private space of the suite consists of an entry foyer leading to a walk-in closet straight ahead and the bedroom to the left. Fitted with a comfortable king-sized bed, chaise at the end of the bed and an armchair, the bedroom was conservatively furnished in a similar aesthetic to the standard hotel rooms, with views over the convention center and the emptiness of the upcoming Madinat Al Irfan development. The ensuite bathroom featured a large Jacuzzi front-and-center, with a double vanity and shower stall on one side, with a separate toilet room on the other featuring the commode, a bidet and another sink. A large peek-a-boo window overlooking the bedroom forms part of the bathroom design, and I didn�t notice if there was any curtain or privacy barrier to close it off. The bathroom also features a large window overlooking the outside world, but there are heavy-duty curtains to close those views off. Air-conditioning is individually controllable.

I was looking very forward to using the beckoning Jacuzzi but it sadly wasn�t working during my stay - the little screen kept restarting and none of the buttons would do anything. Be warned that the lights are a bit finicky: all the lights come on when you enter the room, and are controlled by touch-sensitive switches that don�t necessarily turn off what you want them to.

Wi-fi is complimentary for members of IHG Rewards, with fast connection speeds and very good coverage throughout the room and property.

Service

First and foremost, I have to express my deep gratitude to the hotel�s upper management and new general manager, Adam, for the exceptional upgrade we received. The hotel�s F&B manager, Nishant, is also great. I want to give special mentions to Joey at the Wadi Bar, Moe at Mosaic and Maiyasa and Shadia from the reception for their friendliness and professionalism, and for making interactions pleasant.

I do have some constructive criticism for the property in the form of empowering their staff to rigorously enforce COVID-related rules such as the aforementioned crowding/coughing issue I encountered at check-in and by asking guests to properly wear their masks when dealing with staff and wandering indoors. This is an Oman-wide problem, and a lot of it stems from the cultural schism between locals acting untouchable and service staff who are not supposed to question them. I�ve said it before and I�ll say it again: this needs to change - rules are rules. I would also urge the management to better staff the front desk and make sure that the male associates shape up - poor Maiyasa works super-hard checking people in and out, answering phones, delegating orders to staff, keeping the hotel running and still being pleasant under all the stress, and she could use real help.

Overall

For a four-star hotel competing in a crowded and heavily-branded market, Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC punches above its weight with very competitive rates, good food, clean facilities and well-intentioned staff. A bit of fine-tuning will serve it better, but I have faith that the new management will do right by it especially with all the new energy and fresh ideas they plan to inject into the hotel.

I�ll be back.