Ayla Ibri Hotel

"The room is spacious and very clean, good Internet, fast check in, very affordable price."

Sama Jabal Shams Resort

"My wife and I spent one night here. Given its remote location I was impressed with the quality of our double room. It was fairly large and had a porch with a view of the mountains. The bed was very big. The bathroom worked well though the toilet was slow to refill. We had a television but unfortunately we couldn’t find any English channels. No wi-fi but cellular reception was strong so we could use cell phones + I-pads via our cell phone hot spots. The employees were very helpful and friendly. Rooms are on the half-board plan. Dinner was pretty good - nothing fancy but there were a lot of options and the food was good. Breakfast was horrible: instant coffee only; lousy omelettes ( e.g. no cheese or meat options); lame buffet items. Despite the resort’s name there is no spa. Aside from hiking there’s not much to do. The place is in desperate need of a rec room and/or some outdoor activities. It was chilly when we were there. Even the restaurant was cold. Best to bring some heavy clothing in the winter. They will set you up with a fire pit and wood for 5 OMR. The place is ok for one night but I definitely wouldn’t stay here beyond that."

The View

"A 4-wheel drive vehicle is required to access the hotel. The difficult journey begins 7km before arriving at the hotel. There must be someone who is good at driving. If you are not confident in driving, we recommend using the pick-up service. The view is the best."

Jebel Shams Resort

"Perfect place to stay before or after experiencing the 9km long Balcony Walk along the spectacular Jebel Shams canyon, starting some four kms away from the resort. To get to the resort you have to tackle a quite steep 20 km gravel/sand road which we did in a solid 4*4, though we saw people driving a normal car (very slowly and with sweaty hands, I imagine). Considering the remoteness and accessibility of the place, the resort is surprisingly, well, resort-ish. Very well organised with smooth reception. A nice room: we took a sunset chalet and it was very fine indeed, clean with an excellent shower and two 100cm wide comfortable beds and a terrace where you can burn wood while enjoying the spectacular view. Complementary water. A nice pool bar with a knowledgeable barista. The diner room was a bit of the camp sort, but the food was again surprisingly rich in variety and freshness even they cater more to the palate of the West-European guests. Breakfast was also surprisingly copious. Check out is at 11:00 so if you want to have the breakfast (starting at 7:00) and do the Balcony walk (taking 4 to 5 hours) you need to check out before (Oman is super safe and secure so no worries to leave your stuff in the car in the small village where the walk starts)."

SAMA Al Khutaim-Heritage Home

Bahla Hotel Apartments

"Booked family room, one door into two rooms, each with a large bed and two single beds, each with a bathroom. The price is equivalent to two standard rooms, and it is not very cost-effective. The facilities are old, the toiletries are not complete, and the local level is just like that."