Hotels : Accommodations

Jordanian hotels are inspected annually and regulated by the government according to a five-star system. Bargaining is difficult, but hotel owners may be more flexible in the off-season winter months. Fall and spring are the busiest times throughout Jordan, though sunny Aqaba sees the most activity during the winter and spring seasons. Single women may feel uncomfortable at some of the cheaper hotels, and may on occasion not be admitted. Jordanian law bars unmarried couples from sharing a room. The law is rarely applied to foreign travelers, but if you are asked to split up, console yourself by remembering that in cheap hotels, the price is usually per bed rather than per room.

The Ministry of Tourism provides a comprehensive list of classified hotels and their prices (available at the Ministry’s Public Relations Office in Amman). No matter how hard the government tries, however, chaos still prevails; every hotel has the official prices listed in Arabic (for instance, JD14 for singles in one-star hotels, JD18 for doubles), and cheaper prices listed in English.

Most hotels add a 10% service charge; ask whether it’s included in the quoted price. If business is slow, use this surcharge as a bargaining chip. Some of the cheaper places charge an extra 500fils for a hot shower; many have modern toilets, though several still use the uncomfortable hole-in-the-ground system. The unclassified places usually have clean beds, but toilets and showers can be heinous. Hotel owners may ask to hold your passport for the length of your stay.