Five-star Two MICHELIN Keys Saiq Plateau, Jebel Akhdar
Alila Jabal Akhdar
Eighty-six suites and villas of mountain stone and timber on the lip of a gorge, some 2,000 metres up in the Al Hajar range, with an infinity pool looking across it.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys
- Suites and villas
- 86 in all, two of them villas
- Opened
- 2014
- From the airport
- About 150 km from Muscat by road
The hotel
Built from the mountain it stands on.
Alila Jabal Akhdar opened in 2014 as the group's first hotel in the Middle East. It was developed by Omran, the Omani government's tourism company, with Atkins as architects and the Thai studio P49 on the interiors. The walls are made of rock gathered from these mountains and timber, and the whole complex is LEED-certified. There are eighty-six suites and villas, among them two-storey lofts and two villas with their own pools.
The resort stands about 2,000 metres above sea level on the Saiq Plateau, at the edge of a deep gorge in the Al Hajar range. Every suite has a stone balcony or terrace on the view, carved wooden furniture and a mural of juniper leaves painted by a local artist. The road up is steep enough that only four-wheel-drive cars may use it.
- The pool on the gorge An outdoor infinity pool with stone cabanas looks straight across the canyon. A smaller heated pool sits indoors.
- Spa Alila Treatments drawn from local traditions, with a sauna, steam rooms and a gym alongside.
- On foot Hikes lead out across the Saiq Plateau, a few kilometres away, and Nizwa and its souk are down the mountain.
Rooms & suites
Stone balconies above the canyon.
Suites are spread across low buildings along the cliff, each facing the gorge, the ridge or the peaks.
- Suites Mountain, Ridge and Horizon View About 68 square metres, with a freestanding bath, a rain shower and a balcony or ground-floor terrace on the view.
- Terrace suites Jabal Terrace and Alila Terrace About 119 square metres, with a private terrace of about 51 square metres, a double daybed and loungers.
- Families Loft Suite About 140 square metres over two floors, with a bunk-bed room for children downstairs and the main bedroom in the loft.
- Villas Jabal Villa Two of them, each of about 470 square metres, with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a terrace of about 110 square metres and a private pool.
Dining
Tagines at altitude.
Venues as listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Shown for information.
- Juniper A dining room known for its tagines The resort's restaurant, on the cliff side
- Rose Lounge Non-alcoholic drinks A lounge for tea and soft drinks
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon. Past the police checkpoint at the foot of the mountain, the road is open to four-wheel-drive vehicles only.
- Children Welcome at any age. Under-twos stay free in a cot, and under-twelves free in an existing bed.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to Jebel Akhdar.
Muscat International is about 150 kilometres away by road, past Nizwa and up the mountain; allow about two and a half hours, our estimate. Private jets also land at Muscat, and the last stretch needs a four-wheel-drive car with a driver.
- Dubai 50 min
- Doha 1 h 15
- Mumbai 2 h 25
- Paris 7 h 40 long-range jet
- London 8 h 00 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Alila Jabal Akhdar have?
- Two. The MICHELIN Guide lists it with two Keys in its current selection for Oman.
- Can I drive myself to Alila Jabal Akhdar?
- Only in a four-wheel-drive car. A police checkpoint at the foot of the mountain turns back other vehicles, and asks drivers for their licence and insurance.
- Is Alila Jabal Akhdar suitable for families?
- Yes. Children of any age are welcome, and the two-storey Loft Suites have a bunk-bed room for them.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Jebel Akhdar?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Jebel Akhdar, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Jebel Akhdar
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at Alila Jabal Akhdar?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Jebel Akhdar, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.