Hotel Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, Muscat (Muscat, Oman)

This set of luxury hotels garnered rave reviews from families, especially those with small children. When it comes to smaller guests, it seems that almost nothing is overlooked. Child-friendly facilities and activities, like the hotel's lazy river, beach-front bouncy castle and kid's club, abound here. Likewise, parents seem to be extremely grateful for the attentive service lavished on their small ones, even if it's just a helping hand out of the car upon arrival.

Though it was a bit too removed from Muscat for some, this resort had plenty of activities to keep guests occupied. The connecting pools and Jacuzzi were a hit for many, but water sports - especially diving, snorkeling, dolphin watching and boat cruises - were all on offer here.

All in all, most visitors found their experiences to be absolutely outstanding. Repeat guests said they returned time and again to this resort to experience the same great service.

While some guests chose this resort specifically for its serene atmosphere, for some, this hotel is simply too far away from Muscat for convenience. While this property does offer a shuttle into town, a few guests were taken aback at the cost of this service.

This is indeed a family-friendly resort, but many guests did comment that there were a lot of crying and noisy children here, especially in the restaurant areas. A few also complained that their stays had been disrupted by large parties and family gatherings in the rooms adjacent to theirs.

There were a few reports of mediocre, tired facilities. For some, the pool area could use a lick of paint, but in a resort as popular as this, this seems to be a very minor complaint.