Date Palm Inn

Having parking was a big bonus. The inn feels like it sits in a garden, with greenery all around, and the main attractions are only a short walk away. Our ground-floor room looked out onto the garden, which was lovely.

It’s an okay option for up to two nights in a city with few choices. When we arrived, it wasn’t clear who was managing the hotel. We had a room with a sofa bed, and it had lots of ants. The Wi-Fi in our room was unreliable too.

The host was kind and flexible about our requests. We arrived short on money, and he told us it was fine to pay later. Breakfast was a bit pricey, though good, especially the omelette. We could park inside the guest house, if there was space. It’s a lovely place near central Nizwa.

We could walk to the souq, fort and old town, and the hotel sits in a lovely palm garden. Our room was spacious, with a big bathroom and a comfortable bed. But the place felt neglected and run down, with a lot of things looking hastily patched up. The bathroom ventilation was broken and shorted when switched on, the mirror light flickered, and a console had been removed even though its fittings were still there. The soap dishes were rusty, and the shower was moldy and covered in limescale. The air conditioning was so loud we barely slept. It seems one person does the housekeeping for the whole property and garden, a Banghalese guest worker who barely speaks English. He is "allowed" to sleep in a miserable tin shack in the garden beside the guest rooms (see photo). That spoiled the stay for me. The owner also didn't seem very interested in the guests. What a shame, since a few small changes could make this a really nice place to stay.