Middle East - Anthony Ham [325]
Golden Tulip ( 2051234; www.goldentulip.com; As-Sadah St; s/d JD65/80; ) This thoroughly recommended hotel has a fashionable foyer and tasteful karaoke bar where the teetotal bartender mixes a superb cocktail. The rooms are cosy and bright, but beware knees and elbows in the surprisingly mean-sized bathrooms. The reception desk is manned by a uniformly charming staff.
Aquamarina IV ( 2051620; www.aqamarina-group.com; An-Nahda St; s/d JD40/60; ) This functional new hotel offers clean and comfortable rooms, somewhat marred by the smell of stale smoke. The lime green walls and yellow ceiling are designed to appeal to Ukrainian taste apparently!
Aquamarina Beach Hotel ( 2016254; www.aquamarina-group.com; King Hussein St; s/d JD37/64; ) There’s very little to commend this ugly, substandard Euro-resort except that it’s the only midrange option to have sea access – albeit via a concrete pontoon. Solo women may feel uncomfortable here.
Coral Bay Resort ( 2017035; s/d from JD55/65; ) Part of the Royal Diving Club, this excellent camp, 12km south of Aqaba, is a quintessential divers’ paradise. If you’re planning on taking a dive course, or are interested in arranging a lengthy dive package, you couldn’t ask for a better base.
Captain’s Hotel ( 2060710; www.captains-jo.com; An-Nahda St; s/d JD60/70; ) Aqaba’s version of a boutique hotel, the Captain’s began life as a fish restaurant (still functioning on the ground floor) and then evolved, one storey at a time, into this stylish new accommodation. The compact rooms (all with flat-screen TV), Arabian-style furniture and wonderful bathrooms with massage showers make this an upmarket choice for a midrange price.
Aqaba Gulf Hotel ( 2016636; www.aqabagulf.com; King Hussein St; r JD80; ) This was the first hotel to be built in Aqaba and it has quite an honour roll of guests. The stained-wood, split-level dining room looks thoroughly dated, as do the rest of the common-use areas, but this is not a criticism. The large, extremely comfortable rooms, copious breakfasts and excellent staff make this more of a lower top-end option.
TOP END
InterContinental Hotel ( 2092222; www.intercontinental.com; King Hussein St; standard/deluxe US$162/175; ) An imposing full stop at the end of the bay, the InterCon boasts less of an infinity pool than an ‘infinity sea’: on a calm day, the Gulf of Aqaba stretches in one seamless ripple all the way to Egypt. With exceptional landscape gardening, pools, a lazy river and a terracotta army of fully grown palm trees, the InterCon has stolen the top spot in Aqaba’s luxury accommodation.
Mövenpick Resort Hotel ( 2034020; www.movenpick-aqaba.com; King Hussein St; standard/seaview/superior US$226/254/283; ) This stylish hotel, spreadeagled across the main road, has a palatial interior decorated with mosaics and Moroccan lamps. It’s hard to beat.
Watch out for the Kempinski Hotel, expected to rival its neighbours on completion in 2009.
Eating
Aqaba’s speciality is fish, particularly sayadieh: it’s the catch of the day, delicately spiced, served with rice in an onion and tomato (or tahina) sauce.
Syrian Palace Restaurant ( /fax 2014788; Raghadan St; mains JD2-6; 10am-midnight) Offers good local and Syrian food at moderate prices.
Al-Tarboosh Restaurant ( 2018518; Raghadan St; pastries around 200 fils; 7.30am-midnight) This hole-in-the-wall pastry shop does a great range of meat, cheese and vegie pastries that are heated up in a huge oven.
Floka Restaurant ( 2030860; An-Nahda St; starters JD4.500-6, mains JD5.500-11; 12.30-11.30pm; ) Choose sea bream, silver snapper, grouper or goatfish and select how you would like it cooked. Service can be slow but it’s a friendly, unpretentious establishment.
Formosa