Looking for a hotel in Salalah with family villas or swim-up pool rooms? You're going to want to check out this review of Millennium Resort Salalah.
Our stay here came after two nights wild camping on the road from Muscat. It's safe to say we couldn't wait for a proper bed at this seemingly great value, five star family resort. But did it live up to its star rating? Here I'm sharing our detailed review and why we would recommend it to other people travelling to Oman's southern city with children.
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Why we chose Millennium Resort Salalah
I had been hankering after a visit to Salalah for ages, so when a window of opportunity came up during my children's February school holiday, I got planning. However, we didn't have a huge budget.
We decided to drive from Muscat rather than flying, camping along the coast road and finding somewhere reasonably priced to stay in Salalah to keep the costs down.
I had checked the prices of Salalah's international hotels on the beach like the Crowne Plaza and the Hilton Resort, and they were way over budget as we would have needed to book two rooms for our family of four.
Tip: we have found that hotels in the Middle East and Asia often advertise their rooms as accommodating more than two people, but you would need to request extra fold out beds or pile into a large double. This is fine when you're holidaying with toddlers, but not an option when you've got growing children or teens.
Millennium Resort was one of a few places that came up in my search for apartments with more than one bedroom.
If you're travelling as a couple there are also standard hotel rooms and ones with steps directly into the pool.
Check prices for the Millennium Resort.
Where is the Millennium Resort in Salalah?
The Millennium Resort is at the eastern end of the city, just across the road from the Salalah Grand Mall with lots of smaller shops, restaurants and a laundry a short walk away.
It's not on the beach, but the golden sands of Al Baleed Beach are a short drive or taxi ride away. It's also 22 minutes from Salalah International airport.
Salalah is not a very big city and it you are visiting outside the Khareef (monsoon season), which is when the Dhofar region is at its busiest, it is very easy to drive around.
Our family villa
We arrived not long before the standard check in time and were able to go straight to our two bedroom villa.
It was right beside the pool and a short walk from the main restaurant but didn't feel overlooked. The landscaping was perfect for creating privacy on our covered terrace and giving the resort a tropical feel.
Our villa was spacious, clean and comfortable, and equipped with most things we’d need if we decided to self cater instead of dining in the resort or eating out. Downstairs had an open plan kitchen and living area with a dining table, sofa and TV.
The kitchen was fitted with double hob, coffee machine, microwave, toaster and fridge. There were a few utensils, a set of crockery and a pan, but not a full set of cutlery.
Tea, instant coffee and Coffee Mate were supplied, but there were no pods for the coffee machine. We would usually expect a few pods to be supplied at a five star hotel. We found these along with other essential groceries at the Lulu supermarket in Salalah Grand Mall across the road.
From the lounge area there were patio doors onto a covered terrace with a sun lounger, a small table and two chairs.
Upstairs both bedrooms were en-suite with showers and came with toiletries, towels, robes and comfy beds. An ironing board and safe were also available in the master bedroom.
Our children were thrilled to be in soft beds after a few nights of camping and loved the towel animals left by housekeeping.
The villa was perfect for our family of two adults and two pre-teens, giving us plenty of space to relax after our long road trip from Muscat and in between seeing the attractions of Salalah.
If you were staying with younger children I would advise asking reception for a stair gate. The two bedrooms are at the front and back of the villa so you might also want to bring a baby monitor.
Dining at Millennium Resort
Breakfast was included in our stay and served buffet-style in the main Taybat restaurant.
There was a reasonable selection of international food with live egg station and barista coffees. However, it didn't live up to the breakfast buffets of other 5 star hotels we have been to in Muscat like the JW Marriott . It was OK, but felt more three or four star.
We didn’t eat lunch or dinner at the hotel, instead opting for takeaway delivered by Talabat or eating out. However the restaurant sounded fun in the evenings with live music audible from our villa.
Something international guests might like to know before booking is that this hotel is not licensed to sell alcohol. If you do want an alcoholic drink during your stay you have a couple of options: if you are flying to Salalah, visit the off license at the airport before customs; or visit the restaurants or bars of the international hotels on the beach. We dined at the Crowne Plaza's Dolphin Terrazza restaurant one evening.
Resort facilities
This hotel is beautifully landscaped with fruit trees, desert rose and jasmine making it fragrant too.
When we booked we hadn't realised the pool came with a lazy river. Some double rooms even have direct access to this. For smaller children there's a splash park with water features.
We found time to hang out at the pool a couple of times during our stay and didn't have any trouble finding a sun bed. The pool attendants were quick with towels and, if you had bought the hotel's inclusive drinks package, the fizzy drink fridge was being topped up regularly.
The only thing that let this area down was that the floor in the main pool had patches of missing tiles. Otherwise it seemed well maintained.
If you stay longer than us you might be interested in using the resort's spa and gym. You can also catch the resort's free shuttle bus to the Millennium Beach Club on Al Baleed Beach. This is open from October to May. Sun loungers and shades are provided.
Things to do in Salalah
We spent three days in Salalah and felt this was plenty of time to relax and enjoy some of the attractions close to the city such as:
- Jebel Samhan
- Wadi Darbat
- Al Baleed Beach
- Mughsayl Beach, Marneef cave and blowholes
- Fazayah Beach
Our itinerary was quite relaxed after a long road trip. If you want to see more of Salalah's cultural and urban highlights as well as the natural attractions, check out my suggested 3 day itinerary.
Final thoughts
If you are are looking for a hotel with family-friendly accommodation and a fun pool for children, but are not worried about being on the beach, Millennium Resort Salalah is a good choice.
We didn't feel it was a 5 star hotel because of the breakfast buffet and a few missing luxuries in the villa. But for the price it offered value for money with friendly staff, great rooms and lovely pool area.
It's also a convenient base for exploring independently, with free parking and the option to self-cater with supermarkets and restaurants close by.
Check prices for Millennium Resort.
Before you go, read my latest posts
- How we drove from Muscat to Salalah: an 8 day road trip in Oman
- Review: Crowne Plaza Duqm - a luxurious detour on the road to Salalah
- Holiday like a celebrity in Oman
- Perfect 3 day itinerary for Salalah
- Review: Millennium Resort Salalah - family-friendly pool resort