Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, which is managed by Intercontinental. Built originally as a meeting place for Arabian Gulf Co-operation Council heads-of-state, it is one of the Gulf's -- and the world's -- most luxurious resort hotels.

The hotel hosts seven different restaurants and bars, from coffee shop, the Al-Khiran Terrace , on the pool level with its wonderful Friday brunch, to the seriously expensive and seriously French, Le Caprice.

The Al-Bustan offers guests not only different sized rooms and suites, but different room styles as well. You can choose between a Western room or an Arab one. The Western-style rooms are very nice, but little different from others you'll find in any Hyatt, Hilton, Taj, or Intercontinental.

Rather than choose the dull and pedestrian, if you're going to splash out and spend the money on the Al-Bustan, the Arab option is highly recommend: inside you'll find blue ceramic mosaic wainscoting, seating alcoves built into the walls with Arab cushions, and decorative wood-framed mirrors. The Arab rooms seem larger, too, which is another obvious advantage.

Amenities All the usual amenities are offered: pool, health spa, sports facilities, e.g., tennis, squash, skin diving, scuba diving, etc. (The Al-Bustan is the only hotel in Muscat that has its own private beach.) Business people will find secretarial services, in-room Internet connections, and all the rest of the goodies that executives seem to demand nowadays.