Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara

Though the Emirates may top the charts when it comes to sheer extravagance, there’s a case to be made for Oman as the Arabian Peninsula’s capital of cool hotels. It’s blessed with extraordinary landscapes, a rich cultural heritage, and a prime coastal location at the edge of the Indian Ocean — and the last of these is the variable that best explains the appeal of the Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara.

Salalah is a surprisingly tropical place, and the Al Baleed sits on a perfectly idyllic strip of palm-dotted sand, between the sea and a freshwater lagoon. The hotel itself is meant to recall an ancient fortress, but it’s a rather welcoming fortress, and its rooms combine locale-specific crafts and decoration with a generous helping of contemporary luxury. The result is impressive indeed but somehow never quite ostentatiuos, even in the sprawling beach villas — though we’ll allow that the three-bedroom Royal Beach Villa might just edge over the top.

In addition to the predictably complete selection of luxury-resort services — a massive Anantara spa, a handful of Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern restaurants, and more beach activities than we’ve got space to list — the Al Baleed’s location offers proximity to some extraordinary landscapes as well as some cultural treasures. There’s an archaeological site practically next door, there’s a mountain range and an endless desert to explore, and seafaring options include diving, kayaking, and dolphin-watching excursions.