Sharon Stephenson stays at Oman's remote five-star Alila Jabal Akhdar hotel.
Where is it? Three hours from Muscat, Oman's capital, at the end of a rugged drive that twists into the Hajar Mountains. It's so remote, I started to worry my driver had other intentions. But remoteness is the whole point: this place is blissfully quiet and, combined with the stark mountainous surroundings, it's not surprising this region is referred to as Oman's Grand Canyon.
What is it? A two-storey, 86-room property perched 2000m up at the edge of a canyon and whose hand-chipped stone exterior makes it look as though it grew from the mountain side. Inside it's like an architectural hug - pale stone floors, high ceilings and a mash-up of Arabic/Asian influences that Martha Stewart could only dream about. It also ticks all the boxes for environmental sustainability, being the first hotel in Oman built to the US Green Building Council's Gold Standard.
Check-in experience: As smooth as the traditional Omani coffee I'm served while my bags are whisked to my room. The cold flannel is a nice touch.
The room: I'm in the Mountain View Suite a short walk from the reception area, with a gob-smacking view of the mountains. The bed is so large I almost need a GPS to find my way around it, there's also a separate dressing room and a private terrace with a comfy daybed. I'm a sucker for a good bathroom and this one is outstanding, particularly the 800kg bathtub cut from a single stone which, of course, offers more stonking views.
