The best hotels in Jordan

This small hotel sits right on the main road leading down to the Petra visitor center, making early morning entry very convenient. Rooms are basic but clean, with decent beds and functioning air conditioning. The staff are friendly and helpful with booking local tours and taxis. Breakfast is simple but included and fills you up before a long day of walking. Do not expect luxury but for the price and location it is genuinely hard to beat.

Jordan Tower sits in the heart of downtown Amman on Al-Malek Faisal Street, close to the Roman Theatre and the old city souks. Rooms are small but tidy and the beds are comfortable enough for a short stay. The rooftop terrace has solid views over the city and is a good spot in the evenings. Staff speak good English and are very accommodating with late checkouts. It is one of the better budget options in a city where prices have climbed significantly in recent years.

Madaba is often overlooked but makes an excellent base for exploring Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea, and this hotel is well placed for all of it. The property is a short walk from the famous mosaic map at St. George's Church and the main pedestrian area. Rooms are comfortably furnished with traditional Jordanian decorative touches throughout. The restaurant serves good local food including mansaf on certain evenings. The quieter atmosphere compared to Amman is itself a reason to stay here.

This Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature property is set inside the Ajloun Forest Reserve, surrounded by oak and pine trees in northern Jordan. The stone chalets are attractively built and blend well with the landscape, each with a private terrace looking into the forest. Hiking trails start directly from the property and the staff can arrange guided walks. Food at the on-site restaurant focuses on local ingredients and is genuinely good. The silence and clean air here feel like a world away from Amman, which is only about 75 kilometers south.

The Kempinski Ishtar has a prime position on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, about 55 kilometers from Amman along the Dead Sea Road. The grounds are extensive and well maintained, with several pools cascading toward the water's edge. Direct access to the Dead Sea is well managed with towels, fresh water showers and flotation rings available on the beach. Room quality is high and the views from the balconies facing the sea are genuinely impressive, especially at sunset. Book the superior rooms with sea views rather than the garden-facing category.

Le Meridien Aqaba sits inside the Tala Bay resort complex at the southern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, about 10 kilometers from central Aqaba. The private beach gives direct access to some of Jordan's best coral reef snorkeling, and the water sports center is well run. Rooms are spacious with good balconies and the family rooms work well for traveling with children. The resort layout keeps things self-contained which suits families though it means less interaction with the town. Diving packages through the on-site dive center offer good value for certified divers.

Feynan is one of the most unusual hotel experiences in the Middle East, sitting deep inside the Dana Biosphere Reserve with no road access and no electricity from the grid. Guests arrive by a 45-minute walk or by mule from the drop-off point, and the lodge runs entirely on solar power with candles used in the evenings. The food is entirely organic and prepared by local Bedouin women, and it is genuinely excellent. Guided treks into the Wadi Feynan landscape are the main activity and the star-gazing here is extraordinary. The price includes full board and the experience is unlike anything else in Jordan.

Six Senses Shaharut is built into the sandstone cliffs at the edge of Wadi Rum, with individual suites carved directly into the rock face overlooking the protected desert reserve. The architecture is extraordinary, using local stone and materials to create something that feels both ancient and contemporary at once. Each suite has a private infinity plunge pool and the views across the red desert are genuinely breathtaking at both sunrise and sunset. The spa, dining and service levels are consistently among the best in Jordan and the region. This is a significant expense but for a once-in-a-trip splurge in Wadi Rum, nothing else comes close.

The Petra Guest House has the single best location of any hotel in Wadi Musa, sitting directly at the entrance gate to the Petra archaeological site. Guests can walk to the Siq entrance in under two minutes, which matters enormously when trying to beat the crowds in the early morning. The Cave Bar in the hotel is built inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean tomb and is a genuinely memorable place for an evening drink. Rooms in the newer wing are comfortable and well maintained. It costs more than the town center hotels but the proximity to the site justifies it completely.

The Amman Rotana is located in Shmeisani, the commercial heart of the city, close to embassies, corporate offices and the Al-Husseini commercial complex. Rooms are well appointed with proper workdesks and fast WiFi that actually holds up under pressure. The pool area is a genuine relief during Amman's hot summers. Dining options are solid, particularly the Lebanese restaurant on the second floor. It handles business travelers well and the conference facilities are among the better ones in the city.