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Run by one of the most creative managements around, the Howard Johnson has turned into a social hotspot for affluent west-Ammanites, largely because of the Vinaigrette, its ultracool salad and sushi bar, and Nai, its underground Moroccan-style mezze bar. The hotel rooms are elegant, comfortable and kitted out with all that a businessperson or diplomat in town for a couple of days might need although the lack of any gym facilities is a minus.
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The Alia hotel is located within the grounds of the Queen Alia International Airport and while it has little to offer in the way of impressive decoration or services, it is convenient for travellers planning a very late night or very early morning flight. The hotel is currently used mainly for transit passengers and provides transfers to and from the airport.
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The Alia hotel is located within thegrounds of the Queen Alia International Airport and while it has little to offer in the way of impressive decoration or services, it is convenient for travellers planning a very late night or very early morning flight. The hotel is currently used mainly for transit passengers and provides transfers to and from the airport.
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From the outside the Amman Cham Palace is not impressive. Originally designed as a hotel, for several years it was used as an office building and then converted to its original purpose without losing its office look. However, the hotel is part of the Syrian Cham Palace hotel chain and this is reflected in a lobby decor featuring traditional Damascene inlaid furniture and lots of marble. The hotel has a branch of the famous French Café Hediard and stocks a range of its gourmet food and teas.
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From the outside the Amman Cham Palace is not impressive. Originally designed as a hotel, for several years it was used as an office building and then converted to its original purpose without losing its office look. However, the hotel is part of the Syrian Cham Palace hotel chain and this is reflected in a lobby decor featuring traditional Damascene inlaid furniture and lots of marble. The hotel has a branch of the famous French Café Hediard and stocks a range of its gourmet food and teas.
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Until recently the Amman Regency Palace was at the bottom of the five-star category in terms of style and has mainly catered to tourist groups and to local event business. However, it has recently undergone a major renovation and now boasts a palatial look with plenty of pillars and marble and much smarter rooms. It has also smartened its act in terms of business facilities and is quite well located for the Shmeisani business district.
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Consistently one of Amman’s busiest hotels, the Marriott is renowned for its exceptional service, which more than makes up for its rather unimaginative concrete block exterior. Aside from the usual set of in room business amenities, the hotel’s outlets seem to have taken on a life of their own. The Library Lounge and Cigar Bar is one of the most stylish joints in town, and the Champions Sports Bar and Restaurant has become one of Amman’s popular evening hangouts.
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Until recently the Amman Regency Palace was at the bottom of the five-star category in terms of style and has mainly catered to tourist groups and to local event business. However, it has recently undergone a major renovation and now boasts a palatial look with plenty of pillars and marble and much smarter rooms. It has also smartened its act in terms of business facilities and is quite well located for the Shmeisani business district.
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The Belle Vue is a recent addition to Amman’s hotel stock and now towers over the once low-key Second Circle. Its greatest qualities are easy access to the facilities of the three five star hotels at nearby Third Circle (including their bars) and to the fast food outlets just around the corner at ‘Hamburger’ Street, and the availability of a Mövenpick ice-cream at its Downtown Cafe.
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The Belle Vue is a recent addition to Amman’s hotel stock and now towers over the once low-key Second Circle. Its greatest qualities are easy access to the facilities of the three five star hotels at nearby Third Circle (including their bars) and to the fast food outlets just around the corner at ‘Hamburger’ Street, and the availability of a Mövenpick ice-cream at its Downtown Cafe.
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With colour-coded floors, the Bristol successfully sets out to have a floor to suit every guest’s mood. Centrally located in the Fifth Circle area, it is ideal for business travellers wanting good facilities at an affordable price. The hotel is also close to one of Amman’s leading private hotels and is ideal for health tourists. The rooms are comfortable and well equipped with high speed internet, and the hotel’s dining experience is pleasant. Harry’s Place, the hotel jazz bar, was in its prime a few years ago, but now caters to a quieter, middle-aged clientele.
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With colour-coded floors, the Bristol successfully sets out to have a floor to suit every guest’s mood. Centrally located in the Fifth Circle area, it is ideal for business travellers wanting good facilities at an affordable price. The hotel is also close to one of Amman’s leading private hotels and is ideal for health tourists. The rooms are comfortable and well equipped with high speed internet, and the hotel’s dining experience is pleasant. Harry’s Place, the hotel jazz bar, was in its prime a few years ago, but now caters to a quieter, middle-aged clientele.
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The [name] isn’t great but the suites are well furnished and come with microwave, oven and cooking utensils.
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The [name] isn’t great but the suites are well furnished and come with microwave, oven and cooking utensils. The Comfort Hotel Suites also has just about the best traditional English pub in Amman in the Rover’s Return that comes complete with and Washington. The mix can be a little odd but the hotel does offer a lot in the way of facilities with thirteen restaurants, bars, a shopping mall, three cinems, and one of the Middle East’s finest jewellery chains. Whatever you need, Le Royal has it covered basically.
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The Crowne Plaza comes in at the bottom of the five-star range in terms of its prices but has recently undergone extensive renovation so it now offers a fresh look and modern facilities for its money. It has all the necessary services available in-house but also has a smart shopping arcade right next door that includes the hotel’s own Vienna Café and smart clothing and jewellery stores. It is also one of the few hotels in Amman that has a tennis court.
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The Crowne Plaza comes in at the bottom of the five-star range in terms of its prices but has recently undergone extensive renovation so it now offers a fresh look and modern facilities for its money. It has all the necessary services available in-house but also has a smart shopping arcade right next door that includes the hotel’s own Vienna Café and smart clothing and jewellery stores. It is also one of the few hotels in Amman that has a tennis court.
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The Grand Hyatt Hotel stands in the shadow of Amman’s ‘twin towers’ (the Zara Expo Centre). From the exquisite chandeliers hanging down over the lobby to the Salam Kana’an paintings lining the corridors between the rooms, no expense has been spared to make this one of Amman’s smartest hotels. The variety of restaurants (Mediterranean, Arabic, Asian) and nightspots are on a par with any in the Middle East, but it’s taking a swim at dusk in the first-floor swimming pool with the huge floor-to-ceiling window that leaves all of Amman shimmering before you that really makes the experience.
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Only a few years old, the Holiday Inn has shunned the traditional architectural look of most of Amman’s older hotels, and celebrates its space in one of the most enchanting lobbies in town—its spaciousness and design have led to it becoming the setting for several music videos and television commercials. The Asian restaurant Beyond Rangoon has been designed with the look and feel of a tropical Southeast Asian village complete with bamboo huts and benches. By Amman standards the hotel is a little out of the way in comparison with other major hotels but is still only 15-20 minutes drive from the main business area.
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Only a few years old, the Holiday Inn has shunned the traditional architectural look of most of Amman’s older hotels, and celebrates its space in one of the most enchanting lobbies in town—its spaciousness and design have led to it becoming the setting for several music videos and television commercials. The Asian restaurant Beyond Rangoon has been designed with the look and feel of a tropical Southeast Asian village complete with bamboo huts and benches. By Amman standards the hotel is a little out of the way in comparison with other major hotels but is still only 15-20 minutes drive from the main business area.
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Jordan’s first five-star hotel and still a trendsetter and a major meeting place for the city with one of the busiest lobbies, day and night. The InterContinental has always been the first choice for journalists and international media covering events in the region and since the upsurge of business with Iraq, it has also positioned itself successfully as a serious business hotel and was the first hotel in Amman to offer wi-fi. Its three main restaurants, Indu (Asian fusion), Cinco de Mayo (Mexican), and Burj Al Hamam (Lebanese) are all either new or refurbished and offer topquality food.
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The latest addition to Amman’s five-star hotel stock, the Kempinski is located in the heart of Shmeisani within comfortable walking distance of the headquarters of half a dozen banks and an abundance of shops and restaurants. From the outside the architecture is uninspiring but the interior is more interestingly futuristic. Its rooms are large and very smartly furnished and the hotel has already earned a following for its Friday jazz brunch. At the time of going to press it was still at the soft opening stage and should develop more character once it gets all its facilities, including a sizeable shopping mall, up and running.
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The latest addition to Amman’s five-star hotel stock, the Kempinski is located in the heart of Shmeisani within comfortable walking distance of the headquarters of half a dozen banks and an abundance of shops and restaurants. From the outside the architecture is uninspiring but the interior is more interestingly futuristic. Its rooms are large and very smartly furnished and the hotel has already earned a following for its Friday jazz brunch. At the time of going to press it was still at the soft opening stage and should develop more character once it gets all its facilities, including a sizeable shopping mall, up and running.
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Located in the heart of Shmeisani, the hotel was built in 1987 but given a major facelift a couple of years ago when it hosted an Arab League Summit, so the meeting and conference areas are now top notch, it has meeting rooms that will seat up to 1,500 people and a press centre. No need to worry about what to eat as the hotel has nine restaurants it can serve up anything from international cuisine, sushi and Chinese to Latin American and Lebanese. Nightlife is catered for with Brews Night Club and a couple of bars. The pool and gym will satisfy fitness fanatics.
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With 31 floors, Le Royal is currently Amman’s tallest building and can be seen from almost anywhere in town. Rumour has it that on a clear day and with good binoculars you can see Jerusalem from its upper terrace. Architecturally, the hotel follows the design of the ancient Iraqi Ziggurats but when it comes to interior decoration, its designers drew on the art deco treasures of New York and Washington. The mix can be a little odd but the hotel does offer a lot in the way of facilities with thirteen restaurants, bars, a shopping mall, three cinems, and one of the Middle East’s finest jewellery chains. Whatever you need, Le Royal has it covered basically.
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Home to one of the most famous views in Amman, largely because the balcony of the 13th floor Royal Club restaurant has a vantage point over the Third Circle for photographers, the Radisson SAS is a conveniently situated hotel in the heart of the business district. It is one of the older hotels in the capital and has changed its identity a number of times over the years but under the Radisson SAS brand has managed to keep up with the times.
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Standing on a hill at the north end of the Fifth Circle, bang in the centre of affluent west Amman, the Sheraton has a rather overbearing architectural style but is set up for the discerning business traveller, with large rooms, high-speed internet connections, fax lines and a butler service on its top floors (the tower rooms). The Spice Garden (Asian) and E.V.O.O. (Italian) provide two of Amman’s best dining experiences, and the 4Walls art gallery downstairs showcases some of the best of Jordanian and regional artists.
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The Four Seasons hotel chain likes to put itself at the top of the luxury chain and its Amman property is no exception. Located between the prestigious Sweifieh residential area and the Shmeisani financial district, every detail of the Four Seasons has been carefully tailored to create a general air of suave sophistication. The lobby floral displays alone are worth a visit and have set a trend among Amman’s five star hotel properties. The full-service spa combines nicely with the outdoor pool to take full advantage of the hotel’s dramatic hilltop location and presents a breathtaking view of the surrounding cityscape.
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