Behlys Boutique — Hotel in Muscat

Keep in mind when reading this review that we were in Oman in late May when the heat is intense ("the hottest month" according to Ruth, the Behlys owner's wife) so there are no tourists to speak of. That means we (my brother and his wife and me) were the only people in the hotel, the owner was away. |The "hotel" (more like staying at somebody's house) was the owners' family home until recently when they split the modern, white building into three. The central section remains the family home and to the right and left are the guest sections. So although Ruth is not usually involved in the hospitality business we felt as though we were staying in her home and had some lovely chats with her. She also very kindly came to pick me up at the airport at almost midnight and would have picked my brother up at 4 a.m. if he'd asked.|My brother had a room with two double-beds in it and it still remains very spacious. There is a lovely balcony with a view onto the pool. My room was next-door but to the side of the house with no balcony and a view onto neighbouring houses. The bed is very comfortable and despite the noisy air-conditioning I slept very well. The bathroom is very small but serves its purpose. I used the hand-held shower rather than the overhead shower which shot water in every direction except down (a problem I mentioned to Francisca, the Filipina hotel manageress). Soap and shampoo is provided. In May there is no cold water (and that's general, not specific to this hotel) as it usually comes from storage tanks on the roof where it gets heated by the sun. Ruth suggested that we'd get colder water from the hot water tank!|There are plenty of sun loungers around the pool but in May it's far too hot to want to lounge anywhere but in the shade or indoors! The water in the pool must have been at around 32°C or more, so not refreshing in the least. But the advantage is the beach is a 5 minute walk away and the sea is cooler, according to Ruth. We didn't try.|As others have said the hotel is a long way from the city centre and in May you don't want to walk anywhere more than a few minutes. But the O-Taxi system is extremely efficient and cheap so we used them to get to restaurants etc.|If you check the hotel's location on a map you might be concerned that it appears to be at the end of the airport runway. But in fact the flight paths are now over the sea so aircraft noise is...

Rahim and Behlys Boutique made my brief visit to Muscat better than I ever could have imagined. I was in Muscat for a brief 24 hour layover from Nepal to Switzerland, and I wanted to see as much of the city as possible. I could not have done it without Rahim, who picked me up from the airport himself upon arrival and said "well, I noticed you're only in town until tomorrow evening, are you tired or would you like to go out and see the city?" Of course I wanted to see the city! Thus began a very cool night tour of Muscat, whereby Rahim himself showed me around his city, showing me the opera house, the palace, the river area by night, and even (to my excitement) some off roading in the desert! Each step of my stay he asked what I was interested in and then made it happen. The next day he set me up with a wonderful local guide so that I could see Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the market, and even hike briefly in the desert, all things that I had told him I was really hoping to do. The hotel is so close to the beach that I was even able to spend sunrise there before I embarked on all of my daytime adventures. By the end of my 24 hours I couldn't believe how much I'd seen, and it truly it was all because he arranged it (and very quickly!) He knew the names and stories of everyone in the boutique hotel, and it was clear the hotel had been put together with great care and attention to detail. Over breakfast in the morning (an incredible spread!!) I met numerous other travelers who had gotten to know each other at Behlys and were traveling through the area. ||||I had searched and searched online for a homey, friendly, local-feeling place to stay in Muscat where I might make some friends, and I found it at Behlys. The boutique hotel is in a great location, it's a beautiful space, and the breakfast is wonderful, but what sets it far apart is how Rahim goes above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience possible. This hotel is a run in a way that gives you the feeling that you are not a tourist, but are truly a guest being welcomed into someone's home and country. I left Muscat wishing that I had time to stay longer, and when I return it will definitely be to Behlys! ||||PS The Omani coffee Behlys serves at breakfast is truly the best coffee I've ever had....

Unless you really need to be near the airport for an early flight ( the airport is 15-20min drive away), then this place is totally overpriced! Moreover, it's a long way (30min drive) from restaurants and general Muscat-life, as it is in the suburbs. The neighbourhood is nice, and a beach is 20mins way along busy 3-lane roads. However, Behlys Villa costs twice the price of a room downtown, amongst the heart of Muscat, and it simply isn't worth it. It feels nice enough inside, but nothing special. The garden seems pretty, but in use, it lacks subtle lighting to make it really appealing. The room was nice, and the beds were fine, but the bathroom was poorly finished (holes in walls and taps), and the soap dispenser didn't work. In the bedroom, cables dangle where there should be light fittings, extension cables run around the room and across the floor/door of the bathroom where they are hidden under a bath mat ...that is needed if you have a shower. We were offered tea and coffee upon arrival, but only as much as being shown the kettle and jar of nescafe and coffee-mate. (Omani hospitality is usually wonderful). This was the most expensive place we stayed in Oman, and it ranks middle of the list the list in terms of comfort, but for hospitality and value, it ranks last.

EDIT: Oddly, despite it being three years since my stay at Behlys Boutique, the owner has responded to my review saying I'm wrong!?! I arrived at Behlys Boutique at 14:41 on Wednesday 7th Feb 2018, and departed at 06:29 the following morning. I stayed in the twin room (as seen the pics with the two single beds with red duvet covers). I can post the receipt related to my stay if you'd like. I'm just being honest for other travellers...