Ar Rustaq accommodation from AU$449

Suresh and his team are highly attentive at this very special property, nestled amongst date palm plantations, far from the modern world. A truly unique stay in a wonderful village.

A tiny hotel next to the Balcony Walk, with an absolutely wonderful staff. The room itself was nice even if a bit basic (it did have, however, flushing toilet, a hot shower, and AC). The hotel provided a dinner and a breakfast, which were delicious and abundant. The location couldn’t be better. The sunrise view is hands down something to be remembered for life. We noticed a few downsides - no dealbreakers and no major issues, but something to keep in mind. Firstly, if you’re afraid of spiders or ants, this is not a good place. None of the windows/doors was properly sealed, so some of the “wildlife” will get in. Secondly, no wifi. Again, not a problem in a mountain spot. But sth to keep in mind. Thirdly, the door couldn’t be locked from inside. Given that animals around roam freely, we propped it just to make sure a random orix didn’t enter at night. And lastly, for the love of all that is holy, get a 4x4 car to get here. The road is unforgiving. Not the hotel’s fault, but again sth to keep in mind.

This is without doubt one of the best hotels we've ever been to. Large, spacious, stylish rooms with all the amenities. Grounds that extend for miles with fabulous canyon views. The pool area is fantastic. A great range of included on-site activities - we had a great time at Sujith's mocktail masterclass, and the female guide who led the stargazing and geology walk (unfortunately I didn't catch her name) was so good. Well worth investing the time for. Food also very good especially breakfast, and we also enjoyed the Rose Garden for dinner - and the great waiter we had there. Juniper for dinner was perhaps the only thing in the hotel that was "good not great". A heads up that the road from Saiq Plateau up to the hotel is paved but not the easiest especially if caught in the rain! We hope to return some day...