A deluxe desert stay: The Chedi, Muscat

Hotel-hopping for a living has the tendency to reduce travelling to a hazy blur of feathery pillows and eiderdown throws. After all, comfort and luxury are hard to attain when you are forced to live out of a pint-sized suitcase and adhere to a lengthy itinerary looming over you like an overbearing wife. However, if there is one hotel that can convince even the busiest businessman to put down his blackberry and briefcase it’s The Chedi. Nestled in Oman’s cosmopolitan capital Muscat, between the soaring Hajar Mountains and the beautiful Arabian Gulf, The Chedi offers a deluxe desert stay and is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to Middle-Eastern luxury. A compendium of style and sophistication from the pink-hued terracotta stone to the white-wash walls, the reflective water garden and the shady palm trees, elegance and opulence can be felt at every twist and turn of this five-star holiday haven. For worked-up workaholics, carefree couples or even slave-driving sultan’s, The Chedi’s Arabic design and exotic charm is bound to leave you feeling more than a little Zen. Throughout the hotel’s 156 rooms and suites, traditional Omani decor blends with Arabic, Japanese and European infusions to form tasteful and stylish design. Splashes of vibrant colour shimmer to highlight the suites sumptuous amenities. And, with a king or queen sized bed, a BOSE sound system, a flat screen TV with satellite channels, two iPods with dock connectors, an in room bar and mini bar, a nespresso machine, complimentary wireless internet, complimentary laundry and an opulent open-plan bathroom fitted with rainforest shower, they need little highlighting. If your room’s private and exclusive view overlooking the majestic Hajar Mountains or glorious Gulf of Oman is not sufficient to fill your relaxation quota then the hotel’s abundant facilities definitely will. With a library, boutique, fine arts gallery and a luxurious spa equipped with 7 refined treatment rooms (including 4 suites with sunken baths), The Chedi makes it hard not to simply hideaway in your hotel. For sloth-like sunbathing and sedentary swimming, plunge into the warm waters of the hotel’s two private pools. Or for those who prefer the beach, The Chedi boasts an exclusive location upon the beautiful Boushar beach- its own private stretch of golden sands. Dine in style at The Chedi’s award winning restaurant. With four open kitchens dotted throughout the lavish dining room, flavoursome Mediterranean, Asian and Arabic gastronomy will tickle your tastebuds with culinary delights. Coming to life the hotel sparkles with candles, underwater lights and earthenware fire bowls at night; a sensational setting to finish your evening with a leisurely stroll beneath the starry Middle-Eastern sky. James Street is CEO of MyDestination.com. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.