Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah by IHG in Salalah

The hotel is located on the beachfront, right next to the sea, but swimming is impossible due to the waves and the red flag!
It's impossible to book a room for 1 person with breakfast included (only for 2 people at a time).
Breakfast is good, but you can't eat on the terrace because a flock of crows swoops down and all the chairs are dirty. Why doesn't the restaurant put up bird nets like other hotels?
There's always a line for omelettes. Give the chef six frying pans instead of two (like other hotels) and there won't be lines.
The bed is comfortable with a soft mattress and good linens, but the pillows smell terrible.
Room 108 wasn't cleaned every day. On November 14, 2025, after the manager asked if everything was okay with the cleaning, she said it was OK. The cleaner never came back, not even to take out the trash and change the towels.
There's a spa and a small sauna (maximum 3 people) free of charge. I didn't like how the reception girls were ripping off tourists: we asked how much it cost to get to the nearest shopping center (3.3 km), and they said 5 OMR. We said no, thank you, and went outside, but a girl immediately ran out and started waving at the taxi drivers. A car pulled up, supposedly already ordered. Three more people had to push the car to get it started.
I charged 5 OMR. Horrible!
We officially took an OTAXI back for only 1.1 OMR!!!
We definitely won't be returning to this hotel.

The main reason im writing this review is to thank Darshana on reception. All staff were courteous and smiley but Darshana extended himself. He's a complete gentleman. Always happy to help, he's intelligent and very knowledgeable. He understood what we needed to know without us asking him - very intuitive - and made it his personal priority to ensure we had the correct room for our needs. Excellent member of your staff. Darshana you made our stay more memorable and enjoyable. Thank you so much. Top man! ❤️
Gaynor and Mark Hutton