Swiss Belinn Airport Muscat Oman Review: Best Muscat Airport Hotel

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I stayed here recently on a bucket list trip after working in Antarctica for a year, so I have all the answers to your questions about staying at this hotel in Muscat near the airport.

As someone who travels as part of my jobs over the last ten years, I understand the difficulties of finding the right hotel for your trip.

I’ve got so many amazing things to say about this property which I’ll break down in this post, but the bottom line is you will not regret staying at the Swiss-Belinn.

In this hotel review, I’ll go over all the pros and (very few) cons about the Swiss-Belinn Airport Muscat hotel and break down the different features of the property including the room, service, cleanliness, restaurant, and more.

Best Muscat Airport Hotel

Overall: 3-Star Hotel With 5-Star Service

The Swiss-Belinn Muscat is one of the best hotels in Muscat near the airport.

The amount of “bang for your buck” was so surprising that during my stay I was constantly saying, “I can’t believe this is just a three-star hotel.”

It really felt like a much more premium stay for such a steal.

Its proximity to Muscat International Airport makes it a breeze to go from landing in Oman to lounging in a clean and modern hotel room within minutes.

The staff at the Swiss-Belinn provide a level of service on par with what I’ve received at five-star resorts.

To top it off, the restaurant located in the property called the Swiss Cafe Restaurant is not just an amazing place to eat in Muscat, but one of the best restaurants in the area.

Location: Muscat Airport Hotel

✅ PRO: The Swiss-Belinn is perfectly located for a Muscat airport hotel.

It’s just 8 km from the airport and 6 km from the Grand Mosque, the latter of which is one of the city’s biggest sightseeing destinations.

❌ CON: Like most hotels close to international airports, the downside is that they’re usually far from the main city center.

This will be the case for those planning on visiting Mutrah, the city’s commerce hub and cruise port.

For those who don’t know, Muscat is spread out from the airport in the west to the port in the east, across 48 km.

Because the Swiss-Belinn is close to the airport, it’s about a 30-minute drive to reach the eastern side of the city.

Room

Overall, this room was extremely comfortable– from the air conditioning to the bed.

I was exhausted from a month of travels before landing in Oman and I slept like a baby once we got to the Swiss-Belinn.

While I try not to be a high-maintenance traveler, there’s just something about spotless and updated rooms that make it so much easier for me to sink into the bed and feel completely comfy.

✅ PRO: The room was extremely clean and modern.

I was so impressed with the upkeep.

I’ve stayed in four-star hotels and even resorts whose rooms were more worn in than the Swiss-Belinn.

❌ CON: I really stretched to find a con as this room was so great; but the king bed we had was actually two twins pushed together, so you could feel the edges of the two beds in the middle.

Again, not a big deal at all.

Bathroom

The contemporary bathroom was the perfect size for the room and not crammed.

Shower amenities were basic and included body wash and shampoo.

However, like most hotels in Oman, conditioner was not provided.

Luckily, I brought my own.

✅ PRO: There are two shower head options: regular and rainfall.

Both were amazing with consistent temperature and great water pressure.

❌ CON: The sink was a bit slow to drain.

I doubt this was a problem in all the rooms; it was probably just ours, which wasn’t really an issue– just kind of annoying.

Staff and Service

✅ PRO: Amazing staff and service!

I have nothing but high praise for the staff at the Swiss-Belinn Muscat.

The housekeeping staff was super attentive.

When we first checked in, our attendant saw us in the hallway, introduced himself, and asked if we needed anything.

This is probably the first three-star hotel I’ve gotten this level of customer service from.

The friendliness and hospitality of the staff extended to even the hotel’s restaurant, which made such a pleasant impression that we continued to eat there nearly every day.

❌ CON: You end up spoiled for the rest of your Oman trip.

I honestly can’t find any cons to the staff and service at the Swiss Belinn other than we were so bummed to leave after our stay.

While we did encounter very hospitable guesthouse hosts later in our trip, the hotels we stayed at in Oman after Muscat just weren’t the same after the Swiss Belinn.

Facilities

✅ PRO: A good variety of facility amenities.

The Swiss-Belinn Muscat Airport Hotel comes with a spa, terrace, gym, lounge area, restaurant, and even boba cafe.

I’ll get to the restaurant in the next section (spoiler: you should definitely eat there!), but the rest of the amenities that the hotel offers are just as clean and modern as their rooms.

Also, since the Swiss-Belinn isn’t really in walkable distance to anything else around, having all the amenities right there in the hotel make it so much easier to unwind and relax after a long day of travels.

❌ CON: Not sure when the cafe is open.

I’m sure I just wasn’t paying close enough attention, but I often couldn’t tell if the cafe was open, closed, or if the barista was just on a break.

Sometimes I saw him sitting behind the counter, but other times during what I would’ve guessed were regular business hours (morning or afternoon), I didn’t see anyone there.

Restaurant: The Swiss-Cafe Restaurant

Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, you NEED to go to the Swiss-Cafe Restaurant for a meal.

The service was so outstanding and personal that we ended up eating here at least once a day during our four night stay.

The hosts were so attentive and warm.

One even remembered that I ordered mango juice with a couple of my meals and let me know there was some on the buffet line for breakfast when I didn’t see it.

Now let’s talk about the food.

✅ PRO: It’s some of the best food I had in Muscat.

It’s not just good for a hotel restaurant– it’s one of the best places to eat in the area.

In fact, it’s one of the top rated restaurants in the vicinity.

The menu offers an international selection:

• Western: pizza, pasta, burgers, American Breakfast
• Asian: Thai Glass Noodle Salad, Butter Chicken, Paneer Mattar Masala
• Arabic: Arabic Breakfast, Shish Tawook, Arabic Cold Mezze

I had never had Shish Tawook before eating here, and it was the most mouth-watering and savory meal I’d had in a long time!

For those who don’t know, and also a note to future me in case I forget what Shish Tawook is: it’s tender chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon, garlic, and Arabic spices.

I opted to have mine with rice (so delish!) which was all tied together perfectly with a tangy homemade Arabic sauce.

The Swiss-Cafe Restaurant really knows how to season their dishes which I’m so grateful for. 

The breakfast menu also offers both Western and Arabic breakfasts.

We went with the Arabic breakfast and it was SO much food, but all super delicious!

❌ CON: Like most hotel restaurants, the menu items are priced slightly higher than if you ate where the locals typically dine.

However, I was more than happy to pay 1 OMR more for the meals as they were so delicious and came with unforgettable service.

FAQ: Muscat Hotels Near Airport

Can unmarried couples stay in the same room?

Yes. Per Omani law in 2024, hotel guests just need to show their passport or valid ID upon check-in regardless of marital status.

How far is the hotel from the airport?

The Swiss-Belinn Airport Muscat hotel is approximately 8 km from Muscat International Airport.

This is about a 10 minute drive.

Is there parking?

There are a couple of parking options at the Swiss Belinn Airport Muscat hotel.

One is a parking garage underground that has quite a steep entrance/exit.

The other, which is what we opted for, was a dirt lot next door shared by another hotel.

While the lot does require driving around potholes and rocks, we didn’t have any issues parking there.

What’s the tipping etiquette in Oman?

Tipping isn’t necessarily expected, but it is appreciated for good service.

A 10% tip for restaurants, hotel staff, or tour guides is appropriate.

Is it worth visiting Muscat?

Muscat is a beautiful city full of history and unique landscapes.

It’s also the perfect place to start your Oman roadtrip.

2-3 days in Muscat is sufficient to see everything the city has to offer and explore the sights at a leisurely pace.

Is a car necessary to get around Muscat?

If you absolutely don’t want to rent a car in Muscat, it’s not impossible to get around.

However, it will be significantly more time-consuming and expensive as Muscat stretches across 48 km.

We debated whether or not to rent while in Muscat and eventually settled on getting a car– which we were so happy we did.

Since we stayed close to the airport because the hotel was so nice, sometimes we were driving 20-30 minutes to our destinations in Muscat.

While the Grand Mosque can be easy enough to get to either by driving yourself or via taxi, some places such as the Yiti Round Viewpoint will be simpler (and cheaper) if you have a car to drive yourself.

If you do opt to use a taxi, make sure you have plenty of time and cash on hand.

Is driving difficult in Muscat?

Driving in Muscat isn’t much different from driving in any big modern city.

If you’re worried that traffic in Muscat will be like parts of Southern Asia, you’ll be relieved to know it’s the opposite.

For the most part, people drive well and keep to road rules.

However, navigating around Muscat might be a little challenging.

We found that Apple Maps didn’t work for us, and while Google Maps was our MVP, it still had some issues.

Roads and lanes are erroneously marked (left turn arrow on a right turn lane), exits aren’t marked with signage until the actual exit, and forks on the highways split multiple times.

If you do drive in Muscat, give yourself an extra 10-15 minutes to get to wherever you’re going in case you run into navigational issues like we did.

How should I dress in Oman?

Modest outfits should be worn in Oman.

We were previously in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before arriving in Muscat, and it was easy to see that Oman dresses more conservatively than the UAE.

For both men and women, shoulders and knees should be covered.

My partner (male) and I (female) both opted to wear ankle-length linen pants for most of the trip. 

This is what is also required to enter the mosques as well as a head covering for women.

We rarely saw any locals or tourists in shorts except for the wadis and beaches.

At the beach in Muscat, we saw every kind of swimwear from full-coverage suits to bikinis and even speedos.

When visiting the wadis, most women had at least a one-piece bathing suit on, if not a t-shirt and shorts or leggings on top as well.

Final Thoughts: Swiss Belinn Airport Muscat

If you’re looking for a clean, comfortable, and friendly hotel near Muscat International Airport, the Swiss-Belinn offers the best value and service, hands down.

Our stay at the Swiss Belinn not only provided us with a warm welcome to the country and a positive beginning to our road trip but also left us with a lasting impression of Omani hospitality.

This is often the first thing we share when describing our experience in Oman, and why we can’t wait to return soon.