nalijo

Hello everyone,
We are planning a week long visit to Amman and Petra etc. for April 2010. I started reserching this trip three months ago.
I have been reading all the posts on Fodors,(Elizabeth was a big help with her post !) and my guide book, Lonely Planet. I Googled the hotels... I spent hours reading so many comments... after a while I exclaim, "Enough!! " AND WHY? Because I"m very confused with all the different opinions about the same hotels, such as the Hishakm, Toledo, AlQars Metropol, Intercontinental and the Radisson, this last, which recived the most balanced reviews, but it is $200 plus per night, since we are planing to stay 3 night in Amman, that is a little bit too much for us. These reviews were mainly based on the noise factor, rooms being dirty, the loudness of the calling to prayer at 4;00AM, the staff's friendliness, and the restaurants... breakfast are mediocres...Like I said before all the opinions were almost perfecty divided 50 -50...So, I just don't know in which Midrange price hotel to stay.
Petra is difficult too, but how about the Amra Palace?
Our last trip was Jan 2009 to India. We were there for a month. That was absolutely the most fantastic and perfect trip!! I was impressed by all the help I recived from the Fodors Forum then... Now, I said to myself, well...why don't you try againg and ask for HELP?
By the way, I posted my trip review on the Indian Forum.
Please be kind to me and I will be eternally grateful.

dutyfree

I too would also love some opinions on hotels in Amman and Petra for my family over the Christmas holidays. My eyes are becoming blind from trying to read all of the various reviews. Thanks!

thursdaysd

I'll be in the Toledo in Amman tomorrow, and Hisham's overflow hotel in a week or so, will post them.

dutyfree

That would be great as the Toledo was one of the hotels I am interested in-thanks Thursdaysd!

dutyfree

Thursdaysd-finally got a note from the Toledo hotel and they said they have availability. So please let me know if you think that the area is alright,accomodations decent,etc. They even said that they would pick you up at the airport which I think would be well worth it for the price.
Any and all thoughts on Amman or Jordan will be greatly appreciated! Thank you-

thursdaysd

dutyfree - my take on the Toledo:

Area: very handy for the Abdali bus station, there's a lower entrance right off the station (another, higher entrance, is off another road). However, I haven't seen much else of interest in the area. BUT, Amman is very much a taxi town, you'll be taking a taxi (they have meters and will use them) most everywhere. And you only need the Abdali if you're heading north.

Front desk: very helpful. Wrote addresses in Arabic and gave advice, produced a hair dryer very fast.

Hotel: looking a bit tired. Not actually dirty, but not sparkling. Carpet starting to fray a little at the edges, TV an old model. Sheets and towels look nice and clean, but the bathtub needs to be replaced. Fine for a shower, but I don't plan to take a bath. AC works well, but the soundproofing isn't great - and my room (along with many others) looks over the bus station and a Friday market, and a mosque. Toilet is temperamental - needs babying to turn off the water.

Breakfast: very ersatz OJ, but drinkable coffee. Plenty of choice.

Internet access: the hotel computers (two, with grubby keyboards) cost 3.75 JD an hour. The wi-fi access is not free - I think it costs the same, but it wouldn't recognize the logon code as sent from my n800.

Airport pickup: most Amman hotels should do that.

My verdict: acceptable if the price is right, but I'm glad I picked somewhere else for my last three nights in Amman.

dutyfree

Good to know as the manager wrote me back and his prices are higher than Expedia and other travel sites which I did not understand. Where are you staying for your last 3 nights?Thanks for your prompt reply!

thursdaysd

dutyfree - you need to check whether taxes are included in your price quotes. I emailed the Hisham for a reservation, but they are full and are putting me in their other hotel - the Canyon Boutique.

sandi

You do have to compare apples-to-apples from an online site as Expedia or Travelocity vs direct from the hotel. Items as taxes (mentioned above), breakfast, any other, which online sites often do now include.

dutyfree

How many days would everyone allot if you wanted to do Jordan including Petra,Wadi Rum and possibly do down and spend a night on the Dead Sea? Five,Six? Trying to figure out how much time to allot for Egypt and Jordan on the same trip. Thanks everyone!

thursdaysd

I had so much trouble with hotel reservations, and doing Wadi Rum on my own was so expensive, that I'm on a tour - see explore.co.uk - Lawrence's Arabia. This was pretty much the same time I had planned, except I spent extra nights in Madaba so I could see all the mosaics - not necessary if you're not a mosaic's fan. I'm also sending etra time in Amman. I really wanted to spend a couple of nights in the north, but I couldn't get a hotel reservation. We're spending three nights in Petra, and I think that's ideal.