The Chedi
Oman

One of the “most marketed” hotels of recent times; often billed as “a peaceful retreat”… However, it’s directly under the flight path of the main airport- not my idea of a tranquil getaway! There’s also a big desalination plant right next door (the photographs looking towards the resort from the sea are always cropped so as not to show this!) Whilst the super-deluxe rooms in the villas are very nice; the “normal deluxe” rooms in the main building are real “air-conditioned boxes”, with no direct outdoor access - no terrace or balcony. Not ideal in a place that you go to for sun, beach and indoor/outdoor living - especially for $600+ a night. (*info provided by a well-traveled friend who visited in 2006)