Golden Tulip Headington Ruwi Hotel — Hotel in Muscat

Absolutely the Worst Hotel Experience – Nowhere Near 4 Stars!

I stayed at this hotel for 5 days before I finally gave up and moved to a different one — and honestly, that was the best decision I made during my trip.

I’m not going to pinpoint every detail. Only the major ones.

Let’s start with the room: the mattress was extremely thick and uncomfortably firm — I could barely sleep. The room itself was tiny. Two adults with luggage would find it impossible to move around. Walls were paper thin — I could hear everything happening outside and even inside the neighboring rooms. One night, my bed was literally shaking because of activity in the room next door!

The hotel is very cheap when it comes to electricity. Hallways that receive no natural light remain pitch dark unless motion is detected. I understand energy saving, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep a soft light on, especially at night — it felt like walking through an abandoned building. And the walk to the elevator? Long and inconvenient especially in the dark.

Worse, all sockets lose power when you leave the room — meaning you can’t charge devices while you’re out. Even the mini fridge shuts off, so forget about coming back to a cold drink at night. Extremely impractical.

TV? Literally needs around a minute to power on. Only about 12 basic channels. No smart features, no connectivity options. Not even close to what you’d expect from a modern hotel.

On check-in at around 7 PM, the receptionist didn’t even ask if I wanted a smoking or non-smoking room — not a big deal until I realized when I entered my room that I don’t know if smoking in tha room is allowed since no signs indicates anything. So I called to ask, and was told the hotel doesn’t offer smoking rooms. Fair enough — until two days later, my friend checked into the first floor, where every room was clearly labeled as smoking allowed. I suppose the front desk staff just didn’t want to make the 2 minute effort to switch my room. Because of that, I had to go outside in the heat every time I wanted to smoke.

Shower? Impossible to get the right temperature. It was either really hot or freezing cold — no in-between. A very unpleasant experience.

The rooftop pool looked dirty, and the water itself had a strange color. I didn’t even feel safe getting close to it, let alone swim.

Now to the few positives. Clesning service was good. Wifi was good. The staff was good, aside from that lady mentioned earlier. The restaurant is actually decent — breakfast was rich, varied, and tasty. The waitstaff were friendly and welcoming. However, even that came with confusion. I asked the front desk twice about breakfast timing and was told it ends at 10:00 AM. But the sign inside the restaurant clearly says 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM. Why mislead guests? Are you trying to discourage people from coming late?

To make matters worse, my room was directly under the gym. I was constantly woken up at 6:30 AM by the sound of dumbbells slamming on the floor above me. Unbelievable.

To sum it up, the best part of my stay was checking out and moving to a new hotel where I could finally rest. This was a cheap, disappointing, and frustrating experience — definitely not worthy of a...

We arrived around 3pm and already had a reservation. The staff checked my reservation and realized that I had booked for the wrong month by accident. Luckily, they still had rooms available, so they were able to cancel the booking and get us in a room for that night. The room for that night was slightly more expensive though.

We were told that we would have to wait 10-15 minutes for the room to be ready because they were cleaning it. We waited until 3:20 and then asked and were told that it will take another 10 minutes. Then at 3:40 we asked again and were told that it will take another 10 minutes...again. At that point, we just asked for a place to put our bags while we go out and we can go in the room when we come back that evening.

We came back around 9:30 and were very tired from our day, we wanted to quickly shower and sleep. When we entered the room, it seemed fine, other than some random hairs in the bathroom, writing on the wall, and a bit dirty looking shower slab at the bottom of the shower. Then I realized that the soap, shampoo, and conditioner from the last guest was still in the shower toiletries area. These things were a bit annoying, but I wasn't going to make a bit deal about it. I was too tired and we just wanted to get some sleep. When I began to take a shower, after less than a minute, I realized the drain was not working properly and it was flooding the whole bathroom. I got out of the shower and opened the drain and found it as shown in the picture, disgusting. I got out and talked to my wife about what happened and she had found dirty sheets (a stain and hair, both pictured) in both beds.

We then called to have someone take care of this. It took about 20 minutes for someone to be sent up and he did a good job of cleaning, but did have to be instructed multiple times that we actually wanted all parts of the bed changed (pillow cases, blanket cover, and sheets). This whole process took about one hour and was unwelcome at such a late hour when we were already tired.

The worst part of this is that we had waited so long initially for the room to be “cleaned” to finally enter and find it obviously dirty. Mismanagement might be the ultimate culprit, but regardless, it was disappointing to not even be offered something as simple as a free breakfast for this trouble we had to deal with. I would not recommend staying at the...

During my recent business trip, I had the pleasure of staying at the Golden Tulip Headington Ruwi, and I must say, it exceeded all expectations. From the moment I walked in, I was impressed by the hotel's elegance and attention to detail. The experience was truly exceptional in every way.

One of the standout features of the hotel was the spaciousness of the rooms. The accommodations were not only comfortable but also generously sized, providing ample room to unwind and relax after a hectic day. The hotel's numerous seating areas were a welcome respite, allowing me to decompress in style.

However, the true gem of the Golden Tulip Headington Ruwi is its prime location. Situated right in the heart of RUWI, everything is conveniently within reach. This central positioning made navigating the city a breeze and added an extra layer of convenience to my stay.

I was assigned to room 1001, a haven of comfort and luxury. It was clear that every detail was meticulously thought out to provide a superior guest experience. Special mention must go to Varsha, who handled our booking with remarkable professionalism and went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our stay was seamless.

The hotel staff, without a doubt, were the highlight of my stay. Their warmth, respectfulness, and dedication to exceeding expectations left an indelible mark on me. Every team member I encountered went out of their way to make my stay unforgettable. It's been quite some time since I've witnessed such genuine and attentive hospitality.

Though my stay was short, I had the opportunity to sample the breakfast menu, which was an absolute delight. The wide selection of North and South Indian inspired dishes, from dosas to uttapams, showcased the chef's expertise and dedication to culinary excellence. The chef's personal attention to our dining experience added a personal touch that elevated the overall ambiance of the hotel.

In conclusion, my stay at the Golden Tulip Headington Ruwi was a remarkable experience that far exceeded my expectations. The hotel's luxurious rooms, convenient location, and exceptional staff make it a standout choice for both business and leisure travelers. The hospitality provided by Varsha, the chef, and the entire staff truly sets this establishment apart. Without a doubt, I can confidently recommend this hotel to anyone seeking an exceptional...