Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat – a family-friendly beach resort in Oman
Whenever I’m planning a family holiday I like to add a ‘stop and flop’ hotel to the end of our itinerary. It’s a chance for us all to pause, play and reflect on the adventures we’ve just had. DoubleTree by Hilton’s Al Waha Hotel on the outskirts of Muscat is a beach resort I recommend for this with loads of activities to keep kids entertained.
In this post I’m sharing our experience of staying at the Al Waha and what kept us coming back as day pass guests to this Al Bandar hotel complex while we were living in Oman.
But before the good stuff, I’d like to thank you for visiting Oman Wanderlust and also encourage you to join our Facebook group Oman Unpacked. It’s a community to get even more personal recommendations from visitors and expats who love Oman.
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About Hilton Al Bandar (formerly Muscat’s Shangri-La)
Hilton took over the three 5 star hotels at the Al Bandar beach resort at the end of 2025. They were previously run by the Shangri-La hotel chain.
DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat Al Waha is the most family-friendly hotel of the trio with connecting rooms, splash parks and a 500m lazy river.
Directly next door is the Hilton Al Bandar where you’ll find quieter pools, a lawned sunbathing area and the resort’s best restaurants including the delicious Al Tanoor buffet. At the far end of the bay is the exclusive Al Husn, an adults only luxury hotel with its own private beach.
All three share a spa, several restaurants and private beach where Green Turtles nest over the summer. The resort even has its own Turtle Ranger in charge of protecting the spots where turtles lay their eggs and ensuring their babies make it into the water when they hatch.
We stayed before Hilton took over, so I got in touch with them to ask if anything would be changing. They have assured me there would be ‘no fundamental changes to the facilities including leisure, dining and wellness of the resort’. The hotels are merely transitioning to the Hilton brand while maintaining the resort’s Omani charm.
Where is the Hilton Muscat Al Bandar resort and DoubleTree hotel?
Hilton Al Bandar is in a remote location 40 minutes to the east of Muscat International Airport where the Hajar Mountains roll into the Gulf of Oman.
The resort has been cut into the limestone cliffs and has a private seafront in a cove with sandy shores.
The Al Bandar resort’s peaceful location is also one of its disadvantages.
I wouldn’t recommend booking this hotel as a base for exploring Muscat as you can’t walk anywhere from here. It is 30 to 40 minutes from the city’s modern sights like the Grand Mosque. The old city of Muttrah is closer and but still 20 minutes by road. You will spend a lot of time in taxis or driving.
Its strength really is as a place to retreat at the end of a busy vacation or for a relaxed winter sun holiday like the celebs.
Something to remember for when you arrive is that the DoubleTree hotel reception is located separately to the Al Bandar entrance. Follow the signs past the heritage village and spa, and through a traffic light controlled tunnel.
Day passes for Hilton Muscat
The majority of times we have been to the Hilton Muscat at Al Bandar have been as day guests. We lived in Oman for 2.5 years and took nearly all of our visiting family and friends here for days by the pool and beach.
Day passes can be bought from the spa and include credit towards food and drink. You have use of all of the facilities at the DoubleTree by Hilton Al Waha hotel and the Al Bandar Hotel, plus towels and discounts for treatments in the spa.
It isn’t cheap, but it’s a great staycation.
Tip: if you are an expat thinking of getting a day pass, enquire about room rates for residents. There are often offers in the low season that mean you won’t pay a lot more for a bed for the night. We got a great deal on our one night stay, including half board, in a summer promotion.
Family rooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat
We booked a Family Connect room, which is a king-size bed and a connecting door to a room with twin beds. There’s also a roll away sofa bed so you can easily fit a family of five in these rooms. Both were en-suite and the kids’ room was kitted out with a PS games console.
We were staying in June when the hotel was quiet and got a free upgrade to a sea view room overlooking the lazy river.
Ground floor Family Connect rooms are also available with a terrace straight onto the pool area rather than a balcony.
Families of four can also fit into the King Deluxe One Bedroom Suite, which have two roll out sofa beds for children.
The decor is simple with artwork inspired by Oman and granite tops in the bathroom. It’s nothing fancy but the main attraction of Al Waha is not the rooms.
Dining at Hilton Al Bandar
There are several restaurants and bars where under 16s can dine in the Hilton Al Bandar resort. The buffets offer something for every taste including traditional Omani dishes and, from reports by our friends, there’s tempting dinner menus in the specialist restaurants too.
The Samba restaurant is located in Al Waha and is your go-to for breakfast. This is served buffet style with eggs made to order. An al a carte menu is available at lunch time and you can also have the buffet in the evening.
If you are staying at the Al Waha you can get half board deals with breakfast and dinner in Samba or the Al Tanoor buffet. Children under 12-years-old dine free with a paying adult in the buffets.
You can return to these restaurants for lunch or order something from the pool bar. We opted for the pool bar when we stayed as we’d had mixed experiences with the al a carte meals in Samba.
Other restaurants for dinner include Bait al Bahr for seafood and Capri Court for an Italian feast.
And if you enjoy watching the sunset with a cocktail, these are available too. Look out for happy hour deals, which tend to be two drinks for the price of one.
Be aware that the choice of restaurants is reduced in the summer months when the resort is quieter. Al Tanoor is our favourite buffet – it is a step up from Samba in terms of atmosphere, choice of dishes and presentation – but it was closed for a refit during our stay.
Hotel facilities
DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat is a white-washed and terracotta five-storey hotel surrounding a pool complex with two water slides, toddler pool, volleyball area and a splash pad.
It’s also home to Oman’s longest lazy river. Our kids love this and would happily float along the front of the resort slavered in factor 50 all day. There are single and double rubber rings or you can gently drift along the route through plant beds full of grasses, palms and flowering bushes.
There are plenty of sun loungers around the pool and along the beach.
You can also use the loungers and the pool in front of the Al Bandar Hotel, although there’s less in the middle of the resort to keep kids entertained.
If you have children aged eight or under there is a complimentary kids club and for older children there is an indoor games area. Outside there’s a giant chess set, informal football pitch, playground and splash park. These are all located in and around the DoubleTree by Hilton Al Waha hotel.
All of this could add up to a few child-free hours for you. Or at least the chance to share parenting responsibilities over the day while one of you gets a rest.
If you are staying a few days you might like to check out the water sports. And, if your kids are anything like mine, they’re going to want a pony or camel ride on the beach at sunset. These activities can be booked for an additional fee.
Top tip: don’t forget to pack your pool shoes. The poolside floor and sand are piping hot in the middle of the day.
If you have forgotten swim accessories like water shoes, googles and even swim suits, they are available to buy in the Al Waha hotel shop, but expect to pay a premium.
Things to do in Muscat
While the Hilton’s Al Bandar resort isn’t perfectly located for exploring Muscat, it does lay on a shuttle bus to Muttrah – the oldest part of the city.
Take a look at my full guide to things to do in Muttrah ahead of visiting. Highlights include the souq, corniche and Muttrah Fort from which you can get a 360 degree view of the harbour and mountains that surround this ancient trading port.
If you book a guide, car or taxi for the day you will be able to explore more of Muscat’s modern sights such as the Grand Mosque, the Royal Opera House and Qurum Beach.
Other popular activities include dolphin watching tours and dhow trips to the inlets of Bander Khayran. Both can be done from Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, which is a 15 minute drive from the Hilton.
If you want to snorkel with turtles a day trip to the Daymaniat Islands is a must. This marine nature reserve is an archipelago 16km off mainland Oman and can only be visited as part of an organised tour.
Boat trips leave from Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Al Mouj Marina and Seeb Marina. Find out more about visiting the islands including tour operators we have used and recommend.
Final thoughts
Whether you’ll looking for a family-friendly beach resort where you can enjoy some winter sun, or a place to relax at the end of a high energy Oman holiday, DoubleTree by Hilton is a great choice.
My kids loved it from the first time we bought day passes and were thrilled when we said we were staying the night. And if they’re happy, we’re happy!
And you don’t have to just take our word for it. Al Bandar is a hit with the celebs too.
The only reason I wouldn’t recommend this Muscat beach hotel to you is if you want to be somewhere more central in the city. But if you’re just here to relax, check availability for Al Waha now.
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