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The Most Stunning New Hotel In The Middle East: Alila Jabal Akhdar In Oman

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It’s one of my favorite moments in travel: when you’ve made a very long journey to reach a luxury hotel in an exotic locale, completed the last legs in the dark, tumbled gratefully into bed, awoken refreshed, pulled the drapes—and felt your jaw drop.

I’d certainly traveled a very long way to reach the newish Alila Jabal Akhdar in Oman, the first one outside the brand’s home base in tropical Southeast Asia. It was 14 hours from New York to Doha (at least Qatar Airways’ business class is mighty comfortable, with lie-flat beds and tasty food), a couple more to Muscat, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive up thousands of feet of impossibly steep switchbacks—at least I was driven, as the hotel won’t let guests self-drive after dark. I never felt unsafe—Oman may have some lousy neighbors, but it’s a peaceful and lovely country—but oh man, was I tired.

And so, my discovery upon awakening was that much more spectacular. I tugged on the curtain rod and found a spectacular panorama. (I was a guest of the hotel.) My terrace seemed to float above a massive gorge—which the resident manager later called the Grand Canyon of Oman—and the spectacular rock formations of Al Hajar, also known as the Green Mountain. (Apparently it used to get more rain, and any case, everything is relative in the desert—there are some pretty junipers here and there.) On the terrace was a daybed whose canopied curtains danced in the breeze. Clearly an outdoor snooze was in order.

Opened about 18 months ago, Alila Jabal Akhdar is a design-forward hotel, for sure. Its 86 beautiful rooms and suites occupy separate buildings made of local stone to echo traditional Omani architecture and blend seamlessly with their surroundings. (It’s worth upgrading to Jabal Terrace Suite if you want that daybed and that view.) They’re wonderfully functional and spacious, but also imbued with a sense of place.

I particularly liked the tree patterns stenciled on the walls above each of the beds. It didn’t surprise me when the manager told me it took a local artist three days to paint each one. This is the kind of place where the attention to detail—both from the local artisans and architects and from the British and Singaporean design firms who were charged to create a luxury hotel that reflected its culture, geography and geology—is quietly impressive, winning you over without trying too hard.

Vintage trunks decorate the rooms; the lobby is gussied up with abstract metal panels based on patterns of roses, a nod to the local perfume production; and colorful woven curtains in place of closet doors add a homey touch in the rooms. The striking ostrich-egg bathtubs in each room, each weighing nearly two tons, need no further explanation.

But there’s more here than a pretty face. The area around Jabal Akhdar, which was closed to outsiders until about ten years ago, is culturally rich, and the surrounding villages are home to farms that grow roses for the best perfumes and some of the most delectable pomegranates (which might sell for more than $10) in Oman. The area is increasingly a tourist draw, with a few other decent hotels and a new Anantara opening this year. But for now, it’s pretty quiet, and Alila will send you out with a guide to walk from village to village, hike up a wadi (the oasis-like green riverbeds so important to Omani culture and social life) or mount a more ambitious climb of a nearby peak.

After a day of exploring, it’s awfully nice to come back to the Alila. The spa imported Balinese therapists to give excellent messages, but it’s plenty relaxing to just lounge by the cliffside pool—or better, the pool in one of the private villas—or sip a fresh juice in the bar. (Or something stronger: It’s not easy for hotels to secure a liquor license in this part of the world, but Alila finagled a pretty thorough one.) The two restaurants serve delicious international and Middle Eastern food that makes the most of Jalal Akhdar’s position as the fruit bowl of Oman. Local farmers deliver produce each day, and the chef strives to turn them into a “menu that’s true to a mountaintop retreat: natural, seasonal, healthy and deliciously hearty.”

But I could eat a simple mezze platter by the pool with that glorious view and consider it one of the best meals of my year—definitely worth the journey.