More Cafe in the Royal Opera House

One of my favourite spots in Muscat is the Royal Opera House. Sadly, last time I was there they didn't have any shows, but it's more than that. They have a very nice cafe inside and few luxurious shops. It's always a pleasure to go and snap lots of pictures. I went to the mOre Cafe and really enjoyed the experience.  

The outside

The entrance 

The decor inside was chic. There were different sitting arrangements and lighting styles, which gave the place some depth and gave the customers some choice. Their chairs were comfortable *finally a place with comfy chairs!*

Their cake bar was painted white, which highlighted the delicious looking cakes *YUM* The jams and the little gift boxes added a "luxury desert shop" feel.   

The artwork around is really lovely and aspiring artists are welcome to contact the cafe to display their art. I thought that initiative is an encouraging idea. Read more about it here.  

I liked how their menu looked, but it had too much choice, which made it distracting and very hard to choose.  I think it would have been better if they were specialised in one type of food. It had few choices from every country. It was pages upon pages. 

I ordered chicken pie with salad and soup and my friend had the baby chicken stuffed with rice. 

The food was delicious, the service was brilliant. It's a must on my list when I go back to Muscat. You got to try it when you are there!

Muscat & The World Cup

Hello lovely people and football fans from all over the world! 

I am not big on footie, but I don't mind watching it either. Typical girl I know. I would of course rather watch it live if I get a choice! Last week, on the Italy Vs. Costa Rica match, I happened to be passing by Oman on my way back from London and I heard about this awesome tent where the city goes to watch the match on a very big screen! So, I had to see it for myself.  This tent is an air conditioned temporary structure that was set up just for the world cup. How awesome is that? It was all set up by the Oman Automobile Association. The idea is great because there's a HUGE audience for it. Plus, they serve food and shisha. Every man's dream. The place was cool, but mostly oriented towards men. There were few families with females, but not as many of course. There were few groups of friends with males and females. The overall atmosphere was cheerful and smoky. The decor inside was simple, but nice with tables covered with different coloured velvet and topped with small flower vases. The cushion seats were the coolest and the comfiest. The other wooden chairs weren't that comfortable to sit on for around two hours. A cool new experience nonetheless.    

The entrance

The teams that were playing that night

The big screen 

Dinner

Costa Rica beating Italy! 

Al Bustan Palace, The Ritz, Muscat

Last summer, I decided to discover the gulf. I lived most of my life in Saudi, but every time I travelled I went far away. The gulf all felt very similar, but then I went to Oman and that changed my whole view. It is a very beautiful country and more developed than Saudi, but quieter than UAE. The first time I went to Muscat, I stayed at the Ritz (Al Bustan Palace) and I really LOVED it!

Welcome!

The Lobby: 
The hotel lobby was so grand! The staff welcomed me with Arabic coffee and lovely orange dates

Grand and beautiful

I loved the patterns on the floor, on the walls and the ceiling. The attention to details in the lobby made it look immaculate. The style of the hotel was based on traditional Islamic architecture with a contemporary twist of using plain marble in most of the floorings.

The touch of gold in some of the accessories gave the hotel a luxurious feel

The chandeliers were placed at different heights, which changed the lighting levels and gave a powerful impacts in some areas.

The fountain was a nice touch, but didn't make any spacial change 

The Room: 
The room was really nice with a mountain view. I loved the bathroom and the deep comfy bathtub. The ambiance in the room was classy and the decor was well thought of.

The sitting area

The mountain view from the room

The bed. Look at the details on the side and top panels.  

The funny thing is if you don't put the "don't disturb" sign the cleaning staff will keep coming and clean the room! One day they came about four times and did the bed.

The bed during the day had more cushions.  

I liked that even the bathroom decor was considered. These touches of adding a mirror with borders and a small crystal side lamp really makes all the difference.

The Breakfast: 

After a restful beautiful night in the room, you are welcomed to a wonderful breakfast that has so many options. The staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. The view from the breakfast buffet is gorgeous. I think I spent nearly two hours there trying all kinds of food! They had Eastern and Western options. The design of the buffet was ergonomic and had touches of Omani traditions through the woven baskets and the colour choices. 

The start of the buffet. Notice all the milk options!

Fresh and ready cut fruits. Amazing. 

breads and muffins! YUM!

The pool and beach view from the breakfast buffet

The Beach: 
The hotel outside grounds were gorgeous with a wonderful pool and a private hotel beach. This hotel is the perfect spot to relax and to chill on the beach.

Note: I have taken all these pictures myself and all the rights are reserved to me. If you would like to use any of the pictures, please mention www.designeresra.com as a source.