Review: Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort impresses with strong status recognition

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Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort  – Booking

 Choosing where to stay in Salalah, Oman turned out to be a fun dilemma since I was looking for a points option. It boiled down to:

• Hilton Salalah Resort
• Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort

I have Hilton Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Platinum elite status with IHG One Rewards. With Hilton’s stronger Gold elite benefits, primarily the complimentary breakfast benefit, I decided to book at the Hilton.

I later had a change of heart when I browsed through Hilton Salalah Resort’s photos. The rooms looked very dated and I learned that they were undergoing renovations. This pushed me to cancel my booking and make the switch to the Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort.

The Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort is slightly more centrally located and it’s also closer to Salalah Internation Airport. Making it an ideal base for exploring Salalah and the wider Dhofar region.

With IHG One Rewards, the 4^th night is free when booking on points. I redeemed 95,000 points for the four night stay in a standard garden room. For the fifth night, I initially booked it on cash and then cancelled and redeemed it on points when redemption dropped to 24,650 points. In total, I redeemed 119,650 points for five nights, averaging 23,930 points per night.

Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort – Arrival and Check-in

A couple days before our stay, I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed that they proactively upgraded us to an Ocean view junior suite on the app. We arrived late in the evening and were impressed by the expansive lobby.

The lobby had a traditional Omani style with a warm colour palette, creating a welcoming ambiance. It featured rich wooden panels, marble floors and decorative ceilings. The seating area was spacious, comfortably accommodating large groups. During the day, natural light poured in through the floor to ceiling windows, offering a view of the pool and resort grounds.

Our stay coincided with Oman’s Independence Day celebration. To mark the occasion, the hotel’s exterior was lit up in Oman’s national colours and in the lobby they had a cart set up with Omani sweets, adding to the usual Arabic coffee and dates offering.

At the reception, the front desk associate greeted us with a warm welcome, thanking me for my loyalty as a Platinum elite member. To my surprise, he then offered me the choice between the breakfast benefit or points. I didn’t expect this since only Diamond elite members receive complimentary breakfast. I assumed that it was an extra touch of their hospitality, so I opted for the breakfast benefit.

He handed me three breakfast vouchers for the first three mornings of our stay. Since our 5^th night was booked separately, he explained that I’d need to return to the front desk before the last day to reset my keys and collect the breakfast voucher for the final morning.

Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort – Ocean View Junior Suite

The Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort features over 120 rooms, 9 suites and 19 family villas. There are only 3 junior suites, so we were pleased to have been upgraded to one of them and we were eager to check it out. Located on the second floor, our suite was spacious and well-appointed.

Entering the room, we were immediately impressed with the size of suite, around 474 square feet, not bad for a junior suite! While it didn’t have a separate living room, the suite had more than enough seating to make for a comfortable and relaxing stay.

The décor was distinctly traditional, with Omani styled engraved wooden furniture that added character to the space. All the furniture in the room appeared to be crafted from solid wood and the pieces complemented each other beautifully. The design was very much similar to that of the lobby. While it might not suit everyone’s taste, you can’t describe it as bland! From our balcony, we enjoyed amazing views of the beach and resort grounds.

The only part of the suite that I really disliked was the sad bathroom. It’s so outdated with a tub instead of a shower and the water pressure was weak. On one morning towards the end of our stay, the water pressure was so bad, that it was impossible to shower. In a rush, I ended up using the Wellness Centre’s shower. When I contacted the front desk later that day, they were quick to respond and sent someone to fix the issue.

Another annoyance about the bathroom was the placement of the bath towel rack – high above the toilet. I had to grab a chair to be able to reach the towels. It wasn’t just impractical but also a bit unhygienic. The towels provided were also not in the best shape and I found the ones provided at the Wellness Centre to be of a much higher quality. There was also no fan in the bathroom.

On  the bright side, our suite was cleaned promptly during our stay and kept in pristine condition. They replenished the water bottles regularly and we never had to request more.  We also received a welcome amenity on our first night, which was a nice gesture. Despite the bathroom issues, I was happy with the appointed suite.

Crowne Plaza – Breakfast

The Ocean Blue Beach House is the resort’s primary dining option, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a beachfront restaurant offering both indoor seating and an outdoor patio for dining close by beach. Breakfast runs from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., a bit early for a resort.

The buffet spread is extensive, offering a variety of dishes to suit different tastes, serving a mix of Arabic and Western cuisines. Although the selection is varied, I felt the quality of the food could be improved. I found the focus was on the quantity, rather than the quality.

Servers were generally attentive, but they only took beverage orders since there was no à l la carte menu option. All in all, the food was edible, but I’m glad we didn’t have to pay for it.

Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort – Facilities

Without a doubt, the private, white sand beach is the highlight of this resort. However, if you’re planning on having a beach day, it’s best to arrive a bit early to snag a lounge chair before they’re all taken. Although it’s marketed as a 5-star resort, many aspects of the service are self-serve.

For example, you need to grab your own beach towels, as there’s no staff member to bring them to you. Interestingly, you ‘ll be asked to sign a sheet indicating how many towels you’re taking, with a warning that a 5 OMR fee will be charged if you don’t return them.  Fancy a drink or a bite to eat? You’ll need to make your way to the pool bar for that.

Beyond the beach, the resort offers a variety of activities and amenities, including three interconnected pools, a kids splash park, a small golf course, and tennis and squash courts. There’s also a modern Wellness Centre that appears brand new. It features a well-equipped gym open 24/7, a spa, sauna, and a jacuzzi that stays open until 10 p.m.

For dining, the Ocean Blue Beach House offers a buffet dinner priced at 15 OMR per person. We decided to skip it since we’re not big fans of buffets. We did try the resort’s Italian restaurant, Dolphin Terrazza, located on the rooftop above Ocean Blue Beach House.

On our first visit, we enjoyed a few appetizers, which were quite good. However, when we visited for dinner on another night and ordered pastas, I was less impressed. I didn’t like their rosé sauce and found the pasta was a bit bland. That said, the ocean view from the rooftop is incredible.

In the lobby, there’s Birds Lounge, a casual spot offering coffee and snacks. It was always empty when we passed by it during our stay. Al Khareef Pub, also located in the lobby, didn’t seem to draw many guests either.

On the ground level below the lobby, just before you exit to the outdoor grounds, you’ll find several gift shops selling beachwear, clothes, jewelry, and souvenirs. The resort also offers a shuttle service to the airport for 10 OMR. We used it for our return trip since it was the same cost as a taxi, and much more comfortable since we had plenty of space as we had the shuttle to ourselves.

Take Away

Towards the end of our stay, I went to grab our breakfast vouchers for the final morning, only to be informed by the manager that there had been a mistake. It turns out the front desk associate that checked us in wasn’t aware that Platinum elites aren’t entitled to complimentary breakfast. In the end, the manager honoured the benefit for our last morning, but it was only after I asked.

I found the elite recognition to be strong during our stay. We were proactively upgraded to a suite and received a welcome amenity. The complimentary breakfast, even though it was a mistake, was a welcome bonus! Overall, I enjoyed my stay at the Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort and loved the beach. However, I do think there are areas for improvement, such as updating the bathrooms and elevating the quality of the breakfast offering.