Al Bustan Palace Hotel

Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, is managed by Intercontinental and built originally as a meeting place for Arabian Gulf Co-operation Council heads-of-state, it is one of the Gulf's -- and the world's -- most luxurious resort hotels.

The Al-Bustan offers guests not only different sized rooms and suites, but different room styles as well. You can select between a Western room or an Arab one. The Western-style rooms are very beautiful, but little different from others you'll find in any Hyatt, Hilton, Taj, or Intercontinental.

Rather than choose the dull and pedestrian, if you're going to splash out and spend the money on the Al-Bustan, the Arab option is highly recommend: inside you'll find blue ceramic mosaic wainscoting, seating alcoves built into the walls with Arab cushions, and decorative wood-framed mirrors. The Arab rooms seem larger, too, which is another obvious advantage.

The hotel hosts seven different restaurants and bars, from coffee shop, the Al-Khiran Terrace , on the pool level with its wonderful Friday brunch, to the seriously expensive and seriously French, Le Caprice.