The jewel of the Sultanate and a monument to luxury and unashamed indulgence: grand and imposing, set against the even more grand and imposing mountains of Muscat.

Nestled in 200 acres of private beach and gardens and punctuated by a network of lagoons, infinity pools and fountains, the Al Bustan Palace was originally built to host heads of state. Now a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, it’s an unapologetically impressive resort, where even the smallest of its 50 suites is bowl-you-over fancy, with meticulous attention-to-detail at all levels and some knock-out features like in-room dining and lagoon access plus, unique to Oman, all come with butler service.