Midan Hotel Suites makes an excellent addition to Muscat's limited choices for the business traveler who wants something more than just a hotel room. I placed a colleague there earlier this month who was very happy with the experience.

Its suites are comfortable, nicely laid out, and well furnished in a crisp, modern style. Definite pluses are the very firm mattresses, nice separate kitchens, and general sense of calm and style. Minor drawbacks would have to include the lack of an oven and the slightly bare feeling typical of furnished flats.

The location is fine, if not central - which is difficult in Muscat in any case, as it sprawls along the coast, basically a city twenty miles long and only a mile or so deep. It's handier to commercial areas such as Seeb, Athaiba, Khuwair, and Ghala than it is to the central business district in Ruwi, and it is about ten minutes from the main expat/embassy areas of Shatti, Madinat Qaboos, and Qurum. It is off a main road that has fairly good taxi service, and there are phone-cabs that the desk can help you with.

The lobby cafe is very nice, sunny and pleasant; I do wish they would go "no smoking" however, as it can get a little thick at times. The Thai restaurant is surprisingly good, especially in a city with as limited as restaurant scene as Muscat. One thing that might be a turnoff for some out-of-towners is that it is currently a dry establishment, although apparently a license for alcohol is in the works.

Tourists would likely not choose Midan, as it lacks a pool or other leisure amenities aside from a small but nice-looking massage area/small gym.