Al Bustan Palace, Muscat, Oman
Opened in 1985, the Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental Muscat hotel has built a reputation as the best hotel in the Middle East and one of the finest hotels in the world. The hotel is identified as the Jewel of the Sultanate of Oman and the Middle East. Situated eight kilometres from the downtown business district and 35 kilometres from the airport, the hotel is nestled on the coast surrounded by a dramatic mountain backdrop, sea and beach and set in 200 acres of lush, green gardens. It is close to Muscat and the commercial centre and enjoys spectacular views over the Gulf of Oman.
You will be interested to know Al Bustan will re-open this fall after an extensive re-fir – we visited the Al Bustan http://blog.omanholiday.co.uk/blog/_archives/2008/5/18/3697240.html and found the rooms a dramatic improvement over the old ones