Hotel Larsa

The Larsa hotel is located by the 8th roundabout. It is quite far from the city centre, but it does have a view of the city of Amman. The city centre is a 15-minute drive away from the hotel and the airport is half-an-hour away.

The spa, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and gym are a little outdated. The swimming-pool is cramped into a small walled-in corner.

This hotel is not very young but the amenities are in good condition. The 5-floor hotel building was built in 1988 and revolves around a central patio covered with a glass roof and decorated with lots of hanging plants. A bright place, full of lush green vegetation, the Larsa hotel is a breath of fresh air compared to other hotels. The reception area is located just below the glass roof, as is the bar (which has Internet access) and a small lounge area. There is also a sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and gym nearby if you need to relax and unwind. The spa isn't very welcoming, but at least there is one. In the summer, you will be able to swim a few lengths in the pool. Loungers are available around the pool for you to be able to sunbathe when you want. A coffee shop looks out to the street from the terrace, giving you the opportunity to smoke shisha.

The 66 bedrooms of the hotel are all laid out around the central glass roof. The decoration is very simple, with a few paintings on the walls and a lounge area with leather armchairs. The rooms are spacious, clean and bright, but they are not particularly attractive. The downside is the noise - you can clearly hear the traffic and the call to prayer from the mosque across the street. Several bay windows let the sunshine in. The corner bedrooms, which are brighter, look out onto two streets. They are equipped with a television, air-conditioning, a telephone, a safe and a fridge. As for the spacious bathrooms, they are all white and equipped with a shower, hospitality products and a clothes-drying rack. A small detail for some, but an important detail for others: the direction of Mecca is indicated in every room. Another style of room with a completely different atmosphere: the Royal suite, with beautiful oriental decoration in shades of red and gold.

The hotel restaurant is located one floor down from the reception area, and one part of the restaurant is directly on the patio, beneath the glass roof, making it the ideal place to have breakfast; whereas the other part consists of two distinct but connecting rooms. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served as buffets in kitsch surroundings where the interior decoration reflects oriental and Greco-Roman influences (pillars, Greek statues). The cuisine is both oriental and international here, it is just a shame that the resataurant hall is much darker than the area under the glass roof.