In March I am off on a desert trip through Sinai and then driving up via Petra to Amman. It will be a dusty and tiring trip, and when I arrive in Amman I need a great luxury hotel with a spa or swimming pool for a couple of days R&R, before heading home? I hate staying in big high-rise hotels, as I have a fear of traveling in lifts on my own (I’ve been trapped in two before!). Can you help? Sue Evans-Avlonitis, by email
Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Ordinarily, I’d say you can’t beat Amman’s new Le Royale (962 (6) 460 3000; doubles from £119) for some hard-earned and very opulent R&R. But its most striking feature is the knockout terrace on the 13th floor, so we can forget it. And there’s the same problem at the Four Seasons (00 962 6 550 5555; doubles from £147) and Meridien (doubles from £116), which are both over 10-stories high.
So, I’d strongly recommend heading off to a resort style hotel on the Dead Sea. It’s less than an hour away from Amman, the road is good, and a taxi will cost £15-20 each way. At the end of your stay just get a cab straight to the airport.
The scenery is fabulous and there are several hotels on the shore, perfect for low-rise relaxation. It’s a lot of fun dipping in and out of the salt-saturated water of the sea, and of course having the obligatory read of a novel or magazine while you are super-buoyantly floating. But best of all is the peaceful surroundings and fantastically laid-back atmosphere.
Top choice is the Movenpick, which slopes from the impressive lobby down to the shore in the style of an Arab village. The rooms are huge, with a green marble table, nice shaded area to sit outside in, and bright interiors with heavily aged wooden doors. There is a good pool area and a state of the art Zara spa too. Booking a ground floor room is easy, but nowhere is more than a flight or two of stairs away. Doubles start at £137.
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Nearby is the new and super stylish Kempinski Hotel (00 800 426 313 55, doubles from £195), or there’s the Jordan Valley Marriot (00800 19271927; doubles from £101). A solid cheaper option is the 100-room Dead Sea Spa Hotel (+962 6 560 1554; doubles from £60). It’s a 4-star with a good medical spa, but looks rather tired compared to the glamorous newcomers. For more information visit www.visitjordan.com