Crowne Plaza Muscat by IHG

Clifftop views, a private beach area and a double-deck infinity pool set the tone here. You are staying in a city hotel with room to slow down, rather than in an isolated resort where every outing becomes a small project. The sea and city views do the talking; the rest of the evening can be as quiet or as sociable as you choose.

Couples have the option of a sea-view room with a balcony, while families can use rooms with a sofa bed or move up to a suite with separate living and dining space. There is also plenty for a non-diving companion to do without turning the stay into a timetable of organised entertainment: pools, beach access, restaurants, a spa and the Muscat promenade are all part of the picture.

The hotel sits on a clifftop in central Muscat, with the Gulf below and the city behind you. It is beachfront, with a private beach area on the property, while Marjan Beach is about 0.8 miles away and Qurum Beach about 1.1 miles away. In other words, you have sea access without being cut off from Muscat's urban side.

The seaside promenade is close by and runs towards local attractions, including Qurum Natural Park and the Royal Opera House. Qurum Natural Park is about 0.8 miles away, and the Qurum shopping area is a five-minute drive. For a coffee away from the hotel, Jabngo Cafe is roughly 0.7 miles on foot; Come Prima is only about 50 feet away.

The location also works for exploring further afield. A complimentary daily shuttle runs to attractions including Muttrah souq, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Mall of Oman, giving you a practical way to reach the city's main sights without arranging transport for every excursion.

The sensible choice depends less on the room label than on how you want to spend the hours between dives. A sea-view room with a balcony gives you the Gulf from your own outdoor space, while city-view rooms make more sense if the view matters less than keeping the room choice straightforward. Twin rooms suit dive buddies who have stopped pretending that sharing a bed is part of the holiday plan.

For families, the rooms with a sofa bed keep everyone together, and the two-bedroom suite with a balcony gives four guests more room to spread out. Couples wanting a proper sitting area rather than somewhere to drop a dive bag can look at the one-bedroom suite, which includes a living and dining area. The room categories cover both practical and more spacious stays without forcing every guest into the same format.

Air conditioning matters in Muscat, particularly when you return warm, salty and ready for a shower rather than a conversation. Soundproof rooms are available among the accommodation options, and free WiFi reaches the rooms. Daily housekeeping, room service and luggage storage keep the routine uncomplicated, while the reported comfort of the beds is useful information when the alarm is set for another early start.

Five restaurants give you room to vary the evening without leaving the property. Shiraz focuses on Omani and Persian dishes, Come Prima covers Italian cooking, and The Restaurant works through international food with weekly themed dinner nights. That gives you something more useful than a single all-purpose menu: local flavours when you want them, familiar pasta when you do not.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with continental, Italian, full English and Irish, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, Asian and American choices. Children under six eat free with their parents in the buffet restaurant, while children aged six to twelve receive a half-price discount. Special-diet menus are available on request, and breakfast can also be brought to your room.

For the post-dive part of the evening, Duke's and The Edge are the places named for drinks and sunset views. There is also a bar, a snack bar and an on-site coffee house, plus room service when the day's exertions have reduced the walk to the restaurant to an unnecessarily ambitious expedition. Live music and themed dinner nights can add some evening movement when you want it.

The double-deck infinity pool is the obvious place to spend a non-diving afternoon, with the Gulf and the clifftop setting doing enough work without a compulsory activity programme. A children's pool, sun loungers, umbrellas, pool and beach towels, a sun terrace, gardens and outdoor furniture give you several ways to settle in. The private beach area offers another option when you would rather hear the water than a fitness instructor.

If your legs still have an opinion after diving, the hotel has a tennis court with equipment, indoor squash and table tennis. A fitness centre includes classes, yoga and access to a personal trainer. These are practical choices for keeping active without organising a full day away from the hotel; if you prefer recovery, the spa and wellness facilities include a relaxation area, sauna and steam room, with massages and body treatments available.

There is also live music, televised live sport and evening entertainment. Culture can be built into the stay through tours or classes about local culture, while cycling, hiking, horse riding, fishing and snorkelling are available away from the property. Some activities carry an additional charge, and several take place off-site, so they are best treated as options for a spare day rather than as facilities waiting outside your room.

Muscat International Airport is about 14 miles from the hotel by road, roughly a 19-minute drive. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service to selected Muscat attractions, including Muttrah souq, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Mall of Oman. Car hire is available, and free private parking is provided on site without advance reservation.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight and check-out is by 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to advise your expected arrival time in advance. The front desk operates around the clock, with express check-in and check-out, concierge service, currency exchange, an ATM and luggage storage available.

Children of any age are welcome. Guests under 18 can check in only with a parent or official guardian, and the minimum age for check-in is 18. Cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the selected room arrangement and availability. Free WiFi, room service, air conditioning and accessible facilities round out the useful basics; cash is an accepted payment method.