The right way to experience Dhofar

Between having closely followed the development of this hotel for years and its myriad delays, building my loyalty with World of Hyatt and dancing between Oman’s ever-evolving COVID-related restrictions, staying at Alila Hinu Bay was an absolute must-do now that the hotel has finally opened on June 20th, 2021. We stayed for four nights in the first week of July to escape the searing heat of Muscat.

Alila Hotels & Resorts distinguish themselves through properties in less-traveled locales, and Alila Hinu Bay encapsulates that essence: located just outside of Mirbat, a seaside town historically known for fishing and breeding Arabian horses, itself about an hour away from Salalah in the southwestern corner of Oman by Yemen, this isn’t a property one could access with relative immediacy.

Rather than look at the isolation with disdain, one should remind oneself that Alilas provide a platform for guests to relax, recharge and re-energize, and that can very easily be done here as the newly-built hotel sits on several acres of a relatively flat beachfront plot with winding paths and spaced-out accommodation clusters serenaded by the crashing of the waves.

Salalah International Airport [SLL] is located one hour away from the property. The hotel offers transport to and from the airport in Toyota Land Cruisers, although rental cars are available as well. Watch out for camels if you decide to do your own driving - they cross any and all roads without a care in the world, and often in great numbers.

A self-contained compound consisting of low-rise buildings housing key facilities as the lobby, restaurants and spa with several single-story strings of rooms and villas connected by pathways and roving buggies, one accesses Alila Hinu Bay through a security checkpoint off the road from Mirbat and follows the signs to the hotel’s primary building, with several parking spots available outside of it.

The covered porte-cochère leads into the lobby and reception space, with a row of seated check-in desks to the left with a display case containing light bites beyond it, water features and a table with chairs in the center, and a section to the right separated by bookshelves containing U-shaped seating overlooking the resort. Straight ahead from the entrance lies a colonnade that will lead to what will be the hotel’s main restaurant, The Orchard, which is ready but as yet unopened owing to the hotel being under soft opening.

Following a delicious and beautifully-presented hibiscus-based welcome drink and fragranced cool towel, we were met by the hotel’s general manager, Martin Persson, who graciously welcomed us to the property and took the time to familiarize us with the hotel as well as engage with us on a more personal basis. Due to my personal passion around the hotel’s development and following its shifting planned openings, the management team had given me a most incredible upgrade from my base Terrace Room to one of their 12 signature Pool Villas. Check-in was conducted by a member of the team who quickly took all the requisite details whilst we were seated in the alcove away from the main reception area.

As the hotel is spread out, several electric buggies are offered on request to transport guests between the various buildings should walking not be a preferred option to get around. We were whisked to our villa following our check-in and meeting, and found that our luggage had already arrived there before we did.

Arranged in clusters of two villas per building with the six little buildings containing the Pool Villas located in a string closest to the beachfront, each villa measures 166 square meters [~1974 square feet] and being barely two weeks old, our Pool Villa was nothing short of spacious, wonderfully laid out and absolutely immaculate.

A double doorway leads into an arrival foyer furnished with a table, and turning the corner opens onto the living room. The theme is clean, minimalistic and warm, with furniture finished in grey fabric, brown leather and brown wood. Furnished with two chairs, a loveseat facing the television with coffee table and a long couch running the length of the wall with the window opposite the entryway, the living room also features a generous bar counter with the minibar and some cabinets below.

Located in a separate space behind a centered wall, the bedroom contained a king-sized bed facing the floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors facing the private terrace. The bed is situated in the center of the room within a U-shaped wooden partition, with two small side tables on either side, a chaise longue at the end of the bed and a full working desk with chair on the opposite side of the room. Often overlooked even in newer hotels, this room featured an abundance of smart sockets accepting a variety of different plugs, as well as USB-A charging ports that readily accept cell phone and tablet charging cables.

The bathroom is located behind the bed, and is a delightfully spacious area characterized by a double vanity, a huge shower with two rainshower heads and separate handheld wands and a sliding door to a private courtyard containing a standalone bathtub. The bathroom also contains two closets, a large L-shaped counter for baggage storage, drawers, full-length mirror and a separate water closet housing a commode.

The terrace, accessible from the bedroom area, contained two sun loungers, a private pool and sunken L-shaped majlis [seating area] under a wooden pergola.

It must be noted that, aside from this being a brand new property, construction quality is phenomenal: everything feels very solidly built and put-together. No paint splashes, cracks or shoddy workmanship here!

Wi-fi is fast and free for World of Hyatt members. The network is, however, finicky as periods of inactivity will result in needing to log in again by entering one’s details, coverage can be spotty even in different parts of the room [particularly when on the terrace] and at one point the login screen said that my room number and last name were invalid access credentials. This was eventually remedied through a call to the front desk, who provided me with a user access code.

Oman may be a desert nation but it is blessed with incredible seafood, and the territory of Dhofar is gifted with the ability to grow tropical fruits as mangoes, bananas and papayas. Three months of the year between June and September, swathes of Dhofar are famous for turning green and shrouded in mist as the area receives fringes of monsoon rains coming off the Arabian Sea and Indian subcontinent; known as the khareef, this wondrous sight is a feast for the eyes and the stomach - and the hotel capitalizes on it. Without hyperbole, the food at Alila Hinu Bay is the best in Oman.

Until The Orchard, which will specialize in local produce around a farm-to-table concept, opens, all on-property dining is handled via in-room dining or at SeaSalt, the hotel’s signature Asian-inspired and seafood-centric restaurant. Located in a seafront building housing the kid’s club on the lower floor and SeaSalt, the Rock Bar and an infinity pool on the main floor above, SeaSalt has an indoor space with open kitchen and outdoor seating on the poolside terrace.

All the food focuses on local ingredients and giving twists to recognized dishes, but unlike other properties that try to reinvent the wheel for the sake of it, the food here is executed with creativity and passion.

Breakfast consists of fruit and cheese platters, cold starters such as yogurts and cold cuts and hot dishes including smashed avocado toasts, a Dhofari shakshouka incorporating spinach and mushrooms, a locally-inspired breakfast platter consisting of small dishes including fava beans and chicken liver, and a fantastic eggplant fatteh with potato and pine nuts. Our pescatarian preferences were noted pre-arrival, and staff went out of their way to cater to them.

We had several late lunches, and the food is an absolute knockout. From Burmese mohinga soup and bean fritters to Singaporean black pepper king prawns and chili lobster, Thai steamed fish and Chinese dumpling soup to chunky vegetable soup with a moringa-based pesto from a young moringa tree grown just feet away, I cannot write enough to properly convey the expert preparation of the food, its glorious presentation or variety. Again, there is NOTHING like this in Oman.

Having our own pool within our villa meant we didn’t use the infinity pool at SeaSalt/the Rock Bar or the main swimming pool below the reception, but we did take advantage of two treatments: a deep tissue full-body massage and scalp massage - at Spa Alila, and were very glad we did.

House in a standalone building below the lobby building, Spa Alila contains a large gym, separate changing areas for men and women housing lockers, showers, a sauna, steam room and plunge pool each. Seven treatment rooms are available, including two for couples. My friend and I took our treatments in one of the couples rooms, which was outfitted with two treatment beds, a large Jacuzzi in a separate alcove, a private relaxation room, shower, water closet and a terrace shared by the other treatment rooms. Welcome beverages of a hibiscus-based cold tea with frankincense-infused ice cubes were offered, as well as a frankincense and honey tea at the end of the treatments. These drinks were absolutely amazing, and had a sense of place given Dhofar’s fame of being the land of frankincense.

Our treatments were conducted by two very skilled therapists who took the time and courtesy to explain the treatments and intuitively check on how the treatments were going without interrupting our relaxation. The facilities were clean and in excellent shape, the treatments well executed and the therapists artists at what they do.

The hotel offers meeting rooms and an amphitheater for events. As events and gatherings are currently banned by Oman as part of their COVID restrictions, these were unused by us and others during our stay, but will appeal to their relevant guests when the times does come to reopen and utilize them. The hotel will also appeal to the wedding crowd, as they advertise the ability to hold outdoor weddings.

No matter how nice a hotel physically is, it is the soft touches and intangible elements of a stay that can make or break a hospitality experience. The team at Alila Hinu Bay are, to put it shortly, absolute gems. COVID has made it exceptionally difficult to source and move staff, but the management here has done a truly commendable job at hand-picking a team that is as enthusiastic and motivated as it is diverse and functional.

From Adam, Maureen and Abdellatif at the reception, Rabih from F&B management, Anjana, Vivek, Prem, Elias and Yousef at SeaSalt and the Rock Bar, Alessandro, Prakash, Brany and Ibrahim from the culinary team to Mariska, Rani, Ruth and Sophia at Spa Alila, every service interaction was one that was tailored to one’s needs, genuine in its delivery and natural in feel. It is amazing to be in any hotel, especially one that has just opened, and to see how fluid operations are from acknowledging a guest’s preferences and delivering them with a flourish.

A major hat tip to the general manager, Martin, for setting the stage for these people to shine and for pointing this ship in what is clearly the right direction.

I came to Alila Hinu Bay with excitement and high expectations, and leave pleased and thrilled at what has been and what is to come. This is a unique property with solid bones, a plethora of offerings and a superb team. I can’t wait to come back, and will bask in the memories of this fantastic trip for the time to come.