Dead Sea Hotels & Resorts (Review)
The Dead Sea is the world’s lowest point on earth. There are multiple reasons locals and international visitors love the Dead Sea. Locals enjoy spending a weekend at the Dead Sea to relax (mostly at the resort’s pools). Tourists get to experience the unique Dead Sea floating experience here.
Due to its popularity, there are numerous hotels and resorts along the Dead Sea shore in Jordan. Despite their proximity to each other, every Dead Sea hotel has its own charm, features, service and price tag.
To help you find the best accommodation for your individual requirements and budget, I’ve compiled a list of the best Dead Sea hotels for you. I have personally reviewed all of these hotels over the past few years which means that this article is based on my own experience and opinion.
Contents
Dead Sea Hotels (At a Glance)
Short in time? Check out my summary of the best Dead Sea hotels below. To cater for all budgets, I have reviewed hotels in different price ranges: from luxury, mid-range to low-budget.
| Dead Sea Hotel | Summary |
|---|---|
| Movenpick Dead Sea | Winner in the category luxury. Unique for its traditional village style. Great choice of pools in different sizes. Big and clean private Dead Sea beach. Beautiful spacious rooms with balcony and enough privacy. Large area for children. Excellent spa treatments. Free (optional) “shuttle” inside the resort. Wonderful restaurants and breakfast options. Price range: $$$$. Best alternative: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea. |
| Holiday Inn Dead Sea | Winner in the category mid-range (best price-performance ratio). Large private Dead Sea beach with all amenities. Good selection of pools (but no infinity pool). Spacious, clean and comfortable rooms. Small playground for children. Cozy restaurants and bars with live music (on weekends). Beautiful view (from many rooms). Price range: $$$. Best alternative: Dead Sea Marriott Resort. |
| Ramada Resort Dead Sea | Winner in the category low-budget. Small resort in a beautiful setting. Spacious and clean rooms, some with Dead Sea view. Various pools, whirlpools and spa treatments. Private Dead Sea beach (access by their free shuttle service). Delicious breakfast. Beautiful sunset terrace with bar. Price range: $$. Best alternative: Dead Sea Spa Hotel. |
Note: The area in which the Dead Sea resorts are located is called Sweimeh (Arabic: سويمة). Note that there are different spellings for this in Latin characters (usually spelled Sweimeh or Sowayma). The best way to navigate the area is to bookmark the location of your hotel. Since street names and house numbers aren’t common in Jordan, I recommend you search for the name of the hotel in Google Maps, or use its coordinates.
Dead Sea Hotels (Review)
Movenpick Dead Sea
My favorite Dead Sea hotel in the category “luxury” is the Movenpick Resort.
What I like most about this resort is its unique setting. If you’re picturing a high-rise building with a small crowded beach, you couldn’t be more wrong. Movenpick is actually quite the opposite. The resort’s layout is a traditional village setting with numerous small buildings in Jordan’s typical sandstone color. These are surrounded by small pathways and lush gardens with beautiful flowers.
The resort itself is quite spacious. Consequently, there are numerous pools to choose from: from large swimming pools for adults, kids pools to an infinity pool with a beautiful view of the Dead Sea.
Movenpick incorporates a private Dead Sea beach which is a few-minutes walk from the main building. If you can’t walk well (or simply don’t like walking), a small golf car will get you down to the beach for free. The resort’s Dead Sea beach is super clean and spacious. You’ll find fresh Dead Sea mud here, a shower with fresh water and several sunbeds to relax.
The resort offers a range of spa treatments, such as massages and face treatments. I really love the quality of the treatments here. If you’re at the Dead Sea after a long hike in Petra, a massage will make you feel like a newborn. However, keep in mind that treatments here are more expensive compared to hammams in Amman.
Breakfast is served in the main building. There are plenty of options to choose from, ranging from local to continental. While the hotel itself is quiet (because there are so many pools), it can get crowded at the breakfast area if you come a little late. My recommendation is to come as early as possible. Same applies for check-in and check-out (avoid the most popular times if possible).
Best alternatives: While Movenpick is my favorite, there are a few alternatives in the category of luxurious Dead Sea resorts. A great alternative is Kempinski Dead Sea Ishtar. Kempinski is a little more luxurious, especially when it comes to the rooms, which are even more spacious. However, the resort is very contemporary and lacks the traditional atmosphere, reason for which I personally prefer Movenpick over Kempinski.
Holiday Inn Dead Sea
The Holiday Inn Dead Sea is the best mid-range Dead Sea hotel.
What I like most about Holiday Inn Dead Sea is the great price-performance ratio. You have all the amenities of a luxurious five-star resort, at a slightly lower price.
Holiday Inn is smaller than Movenpick or Kempinski. In terms of layout, the Holiday Inn resort is more like Movenpick. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. Some rooms have a private terrace, others are in an upper-floor of the two-story buildings and (mostly) come with a balcony.
There are various pools across the resort: large swimming pools for adults as well as children’s pools. There is also a playground for children (a bit away from the pools). The hotel doesn’t have an infinity pool (panorama pool).
The private Dead Sea beach is spacious and clean and offers the same facilities as the other resorts (mud, fresh water, sunbeds…). The beach is only a short walk from the main building and pools.
Adjacent to the main building is the main restaurant of the hotel where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. It gets less crowded at breakfast when compared to the larger resorts. The choice of breakfast options is abundant and good.
From spring till late autumn, there is often a performance (belly dance and live music) in the evening on weekends.
Best alternatives: Holiday Inn is my favorite in the mid-range category. However, you’ll find a few comparable alternatives in the region. One of them is Marriott Resort & Spa (Marriott is a bit more luxurious and usually slightly costlier than Holiday Inn).
Ramada Resort Dead Sea
If you’re looking for a low-budget Dead Sea hotel, the Ramada Resort is your best bet.
What I like about Ramada Resort is that it provides a good alternative to the large resorts, at a much lower price. Let me explain the main differences and what to expect here.
Ramada Dead Sea is a small four-star resort located on the northern end of the Dead Sea, a few minutes drive from the Holiday Inn. That being said, Ramada is not as close to the Dead Sea as Holiday Inn or Movenpick.
Nevertheless, Ramada has a private Dead Sea beach. Due to the distance, a free shuttle will bring you from the hotel to the beach. That’s not an issue, but just be aware of that. Like at the other resorts, Ramada’s Dead Sea beach is clean and has all the required amenities.
Rooms at Ramada are slightly smaller (bit still big enough) and come with simple but comfortable furniture. Some rooms come with a Dead Sea view (again, the Dead Sea is a little further away, but you can still see it very clearly). Even rooms without a Dead Sea view are beautiful (especially the ones in the upper floors), as you can see the rocky landscape facing the Dead Sea).
There are a few pools and a whirlpool at the hotel. There’s also a huge playground with slides which is popular with children. The hotel offers a range of spa treatments (I haven’t tested the spa at Ramada yet, so I can’t judge on the quality).
Best alternatives: Ramada is definitely the best low-budget hotel at the Dead Sea. An alternative is the Dead Sea Spa Hotel. The later is closer to the Dead Sea (no shuttle needed), but the overall layout and atmosphere is rather functional and therefore less cozy than at Ramada.
Which Hotel to Choose? (Summary)
There are plenty of Dead Sea hotels to choose from! Which one is the best, largely depends on your personal preferences and budget.
If you’re looking for the best Dead Sea hotel, the Movenpick Resort tops the list. The luxurious resort is unique for its traditional village setting, large choice of pools, excellent spa treatments and facilities. It comes with a private Dead Sea beach with all amenities in walking distance. A comparable alternative is the Kempinski Dead Sea resort.
Are you looking for a little more affordable resort, the Holiday Inn will be your best bet. This resort is smaller and less luxurious compared to the Movenpick. You’ll find several pools here, good spa treatments, and of course a private Dead Sea beach with all amenities within walking distance to the rooms. A comparable alternative is the Marriott resort.
Traveling on a low-budget? The Ramada hotel is the perfect place for low-budget travelers. You’ll find all the facilities of the five-star resorts, with some sacrifices resulting in a lower price. The resort has a private Dead Sea beach, but you need to use the free shuttle to get there. Rooms are comfortable, clean and functional. There are several pools to choose from as well as a large playground for kids. A comparable alternative is the Dead Sea Spa Hotel.
Be careful with offers “managed by a private host”. I have seen some offers for private accommodation or chalets in the area. Some of these accommodations have a private pool, but they are usually far away from the Dead Sea. That means you still need to buy a day pass at one of the resorts, or head to a public beach (which I don’t recommend, read more on that here). As mentioned above, most Dead Sea hotels are five-star resorts. Ramada is a four-star resort which demands some sacrifices (distance to the beach, less pools and luxury), which explains the lower price. The Dead Sea is a unique place, and it would be a pity not to enjoy it fully.
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