We booked based on the reputation of the hotel chain. Big mistake. It started off with security throwing a hissing fit over a bottle in our x-rayed luggage, strange as it may seem that someone touring Jordan might just have liquids in their luggage. Arrived to see a sign that the Village Restaurant complex would be closed “tomorrow”, no problem for us we were only staying one night, however, it was a problem as the sign had been put out the day before and not changed. We arrived at 2:30 pm, reception informed us that check-in time was 4 pm! No problem they said and handed us a “waiting card”, off we went to the pool area to get some food. This took an age to turn up and the restaurant insisted that we move to a smaller table directly in the sun, in order to “free up a larger table”, the restaurant was empty. Mass confusion reigned whenever we showed anyone our “waiting card”, “what is this they asked”. Food very expensive, beers very expensive, service, polite but snail-like.

Dead sea beach, covered in rocks, difficult access to the water, now I appreciate that the lake is rapidly drying up, but come on would it really kill you to put down some fine gravel and or sand?

So, to the evening, the Village was closed, (for a huge corporate do that went on noisily until almost midnight), “sir, where can we eat”? The response came back that is was either the 40-dollar buffet or bar snacks. Not much of a choice.

Next morning, we go down to the pool, the changing rooms were dirty, the pool filthy, the shallow end has a sand covered bottom which was riddled with detritus, cigarette butts, and bits of litter. Yuk. Out we get, time to have something to drink. Stuff arrived, no problem, time to pay; since we were leaving we paid cash, twenty minutes later, no change, thirty minutes later, no change. We ask what is going on, apparently, they had no change in the tills, more time passes. Eventually, a supervisor turns up, and without a word opens his wallet and produces the change.

In short a simply awful experience, however, keep this in mind, our experience is not indicative of other better managed Movenpick’s, moreover, there are plenty of other cheaper, cleaner, more friendly and better-managed hotels in that area.

Choose one of them

I had been to the Mövenpick Dead Sea some 12 years ago on a business trip and had promised myself that I would come back with my husband to this wonderful place, unique in the world. There may be more luxurious hotels on the Dead Sea (having tried the Kempinski I can vouch for that) but nevertheless the Mövenpick remains my « coup de coeur ». The way the hotel is built, like a village with a series of small courtyards with water fountains, the flowers everywhere, the pools and the access to the Dead Sea, everything is perfect. Food good or very good in the 3 restaurants we tried (Luigi’s, The Grill and the buffet in the main building). On top of that, Zara Spa, situated on the premises of the Mövenpick is an excellent spa. You can choose from an extensive list of treatments or simply pay (25 JD) to use the facilities. Anyway, you won’t regret it! The Dead Sea water flotation pool by itself is worth that much and you get to watch the sunset either from the infinity pool or from the jaccuzi pool, with the lights from Mou t of Olives, Jerusalem, and Jericho in the background. Who could ask for anything more!