THE BEST PLACES FOR FAMILIES TO STAY IN JORDAN

Planning a family holiday to JORDAN and wondering where to stay with your children? The following list of our favourite places to stay with kids includes desert camps, a former research centre overlooking a canyon, and hotels on the shores of the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. Accommodation can fill up in the Easter and May school holidays, particularly if you’re looking for a family room, so make sure you book in advance.

You can reserve all of our recommended places to stay in Jordan through Booking.com; clicking on the hotels’ name below will take you directly to their booking page, where you can fill in your dates and secure your stay. To find out more about why we’ve partnered with Booking.com, see here.

Don’t let the name confuse you. The MOUNT NEBO HOTEL is slap bang in the middle of Madaba and makes a great base for exploring this historic city – Mount Nebo itself is 9km northwest of town and a stop on the way to the Dead Sea. The hotel’s location is great – it’s a 5-minute walk straight down Al-Yarmouk Street to St George’s Church and the Madaba Map and just 5 minutes further on to the Church of St John the Baptist – although the convenient city-centre setting means that there can be some traffic noise at night in some of the rooms that overlook the main road. The rooms themselves are in whitewashed stone and are decorated with the owners’ artworks, uniquely worked pictures and wall prints of local sites of interest. They all have air-conditioning, flat-screen TV and city views. The Family Suites are best, with a large double and a sofa bed (sleeping 4 together), plus room for an extra bed if necessary [JOD 20 per night, under-6s free], although there are also Deluxe Triple Rooms. Superior Double rooms can also squeeze in an extra bed. Room rates include a great buffet breakfast (Continental or vegetarian), and the hotel’s own restaurant is a good choice for dinner. The staff are extremely helpful, whether handling dietary requirements, dishing out local travel tips or dealing with late-night arrivals – Madaba is just 20km or so from Queen Alia International Airport and a common first-night stop on a tour of Jordan. Free private parking is available in a lot behind the hotel.

To reserve your stay at Mount Nebo Hotel, click here

For more images of Mount Nebo Hotel, see Booking.com

The palatial KEMPINSKI HOTEL ISHTAR DEAD SEA staggers down to the dark-blue waters of the Dead Sea, around 40km west of Madaba. This is a destination hotel in every sense of the word: its lobby looks like a wing from the British Museum; the grounds have been designed to resemble the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; and, most importantly of all for a family stay, the resort makes the most of its incredible location, overlooking one of the strangest natural phenomena on Earth. There are several beautiful swimming pools set among a shady mass of palm trees; one has bridges to swim under, another is an infinity pool with mesmerising views of the Dead Sea and the hazy shoreline of Israel on the opposite bank. From the wedge of russet sand that serves as the hotel beach, you can bob about in the salty waters and slather yourself in mineral-rich mud – or let the professionals do it for you, with a salt scrub and hot-mud wrap at the resort’s tranquil Ishtar Spa by Resense, one of the biggest in the Middle East. The Kempinski is separated into three sections, interspersed with flora and fountains and spread across a sizeable area, so although there are a lot of rooms here, it never feels crowded. And, unlike the other hotels along this stretch of the Dead Sea, the Kempinski doesn’t open its doors to day-visitors, so you won’t be sharing the pools with lots of non-guests. The rooms themselves are minimalist but good-sized and have balconies looking out over the Dead Sea (suites have outdoor terraces). Most of them can sleep 3, in a double (or king) bed plus an extra bed [JOD 35 per night; under-6s free]. Larger families are best off in the extremely spacious Family Duplex apartment, which can accommodate up to 5 people and includes child-friendly amenities such as a PlayStation 4, Netflix, a “Toys Tent” and free kids’ minibar. The Duplex also comes with complimentary access to the excellent Kids Club, which hosts outdoor activities and a variety of classes (cooking with the hotel chef anyone?). Whatever room you’re in, children aged 6 to 12 enjoy a 50-percent discount at lunch and dinner in one of the hotel’s five restaurants – choose between tapas, tacos, Mediterranean dishes and Lebanese cuisine.

To reserve your stay at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, click here

For more images of the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, see Booking.com

Reaching out over the cliff edge of rugged Wadi Dana, the dramatically sited DANA GUESTHOUSE blends beautifully into the surrounding mountains. Owned by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), it was originally built to house researchers working in the wadi but now serves as a comfortable base from which to explore Dana Nature Reserve, offering some of the finest wilderness views in Jordan in the process. Families can choose between Deluxe Quadruple Rooms and Triple Rooms; the former sleep 4 in two double beds, the latter 3 in three singles. They’re all fairly simply furnished, with comfy beds, locally made rugs and a small table and chairs. There’s no TV, but then who needs a screen when the views are this spectacular? There are also cheaper Economy Rooms available, but these share single-sex bathrooms. Extra beds[under-18s JOD 10 per night, under-13s JOD 5, under-5s free] are available for both types of room in both categories. All rooms have their own private terraces, but it’s worth paying extra for an en suite – there can’t be too many places where you can take a shower in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that afford views right down into the heart of the wadi. By day, you can wander among the old Ottoman houses of Dana Village or head out on one of half a dozen guided walks ranging from a 2-hour hike through the atmospheric Canyon of Feathers to a memorable full-day trek along the Wadi Dana Trail [guided walks cost from JOD 12 to JOD 20 per person]. By night, you can sit out on the terrace and listen to the call of nightjars in the wadi far below. It's also worth visiting the nearby RSCN-run workshops, where local women make dried-fruit goods and hand-craft jewellery out of silver. All meals at the guesthouse need to be booked in advance; a traditional breakfast of homemade hummus, labneh, jibneh cheese and halaweh is included in the price.

To reserve your stay at Dana Guesthouse, click here

For more images of Dana Guesthouse, see Booking.com

Location is key at the MÖVENPICK RESORT PETRA in Wadi Musa, the town that serves as the gateway to the spectacular Nabatean site. The hotel is right next to the Visitor Centre and the entrance to Petra, making it easier to be one of the first through the doors for an early morning visit and to also return in the evening for the candle-lit Petra by Night. The Mövenpick’s huge courtyard lobby, with its natural stone walls and carved wooden screens, sets the tone for some lavishly furnished public areas. Welcome drinks and snacks are served here, along with a (free) chocolate fountain in the afternoons, a well-earned treat after a morning’s sightseeing. There’s a small but lovely outdoor swimming pool, a rarity in Wadi Musa, while the other main area you’ll want to spend time in is the pretty roof garden, where you can catch the sun setting over the nearby hills and across town. Family Rooms, actually two interconnecting en-suite rooms, provide plenty of space and come with flat-screen TVs and a balcony for each room. They can sleep up to 5 with an extra bed [under-18s JOD 45 per night, under-13s JOD 35, under-8s free]. All of the hotel’s double rooms are large enough to also take an extra bed, if you’re travelling with just one child. Breakfast is generous, a buffet of Arabic and Western dishes and even a station where you can make your own falafel. There’s a decent choice for dinner, too, although you should really venture out into Wadi Musa and try one of the many very good restaurants the town has to offer, especially around the Central Circle.

To reserve your stay at Mövenpick Resort Petra, click here

For more images of Mövenpick Resort Petra, see Booking.com

The four-storey TOWN SEASON HOTEL in Wadi Musa bills itself as a “pleasant three-star”, but this amiable little place is so much more than that. The neat and modern accommodation is roomy and comfortable, featuring air-conditioning, a seating area and flat-screen TV (and with some rooms also benefitting from great views of the Petra mountains), while the friendly staff are always happy to help, whether serving tea in the lobby, offering advice on local activities or packing up your breakfast for an early start in Petra. The good-value Deluxe Family Rooms are the best options, room-wise, sleeping 3 in an extra-large double bed and a single, or 4 with an extra bed [under-13s JOD 15 per night, under-6s free]; the similar-sized Deluxe Triple Rooms can also take an extra bed. Kick off your days with a varied breakfast overlooking Wadi Musa and beyond, towards the Petra Valley. Petra itself is around 1.5km away, although the hotel offers free transfers, starting as early as 7am, to and from the entrance (it’s less than 5 minutes’ drive), handy if you don’t want to run the risk of trying to find a parking spot near there yourself. A shuttle bus also runs down to the Visitor Centre and back for the Petra By Night event [3 JOD per person round-trip]. There’s a little street-side terrace for drinks in front of the hotel, and the on-site restaurant serves local dishes, mixed grills and pizzas for dinner, but you’re only a couple of minutes’ walk away from the range of restaurants around the Central Circle.

To reserve your stay at Town Season Hotel, click here

To reserve your stay at Town Season Hotel, see Booking.com

At night, when the velvet sky above Wadi Rum is as dark as ink and peppered with stars, it is easy to see how the MILKY WAY BEDOUIN CAMP got its name. This remote and peaceful desert camp, set in the lee of a rocky outcrop in the middle of the Wadi Rum desert, is a fabulous place to stay. You could easily spend the day soaking up the panoramic views of terracotta sands and vast craggy escarpments through the near floor-to-ceiling windows of your luxury tent, but the camp organizes excellent jeep tours of this bewitching Martian landscape. It’s a short drive to Jebel Khazali, where you squeeze through the canyon to see ancient inscriptions in the rock, part of the standard but exciting circuit that also takes in the Um Frouth Rock Arch, Burrah Canyon and Al Ramal, where your kids will love sliding down the giant red sand dune. Camel rides can be arranged, a good morning activity on your way out of camp – they tend to start at Lawrence’s Spring and take you back into Wadi Rum Village. Book a Family Room with Private Bathroom to ensure the best bedside views – these newer tented rooms are nicely laid out, warm at night and can sleep up to 5 in a large double bed and 3 singles. There are also Deluxe Triple Rooms and a larger Family Room with Shared Bathroom, which has six single beds. The camp is well run by Mater and his friendly staff, who cook up zarb – a Bedouin dish that is traditionally cooked in a firepit under the sand – for dinner and serve it either in the communal tent or around an open fire. To get here, park in the car park at the entrance to Wadi Rum Village, where the road from the Desert Highway runs out, and a guide will drive you the 7km or so to the camp. Note that payment (for accommodation, meals and activities) is in cash.

To reserve your stay at Milky Way Bedouin Camp, click here

For more images of Milky Way Bedouin Camp, see Booking.com

The Red Sea is all about sun, sand and snorkelling, and the 5-star MÖVENPICK TALA BAY ticks all of these boxes with aplomb. Set on Tala Bay, which is closer to the coral than the hotels in Aqaba itself, it has its own stretch of beach and even its own house reef. Several good swimming pools include one that’s just for kids and one that has a fun water slide, but it’s difficult to stay out of the sea when there’s so much marine life within easy reach of the resort. The well-equipped, and highly regarded, Sinai Divers Aqaba are based at the Mövenpick and run a full range of dives and courses, including the Bubble Maker, a short introductory dive on the house reef (from ages 8 and over), which is known for its shallow coral pinnacles that are full of shrimps and pipe fish. Sinai Divers run snorkelling boat trips to Black Rock and other nearby reefs, while the superb snorkelling sites of the Japanese Garden, the Seven Sisters and Rainbow Reef are easily reached a little further up the coast. Above the water, SeaJet Activities, who operate out of a thatched shack on the beach in front of the resort, offer a variety of water sports, from tube rides and water-skiing to and parasailing. The best choice of accommodation are the good-sized Family Superior Rooms, actually two rooms – one with a double, the other with twin beds – that come with a sitting area, an en suite, and a balcony from where you can gaze across gardens, pools and sea to the mountains of Egypt on the opposite shore. Of the hotel’s eight restaurants and bars, Najel and poolside Sejan provide the convenience of all-day dining, while waiters in rollerboots add a novelty factor – although dinner is cheaper at the marina in Tala Bay, even more so at the restaurants in Aqaba, around 15 minutes’ drive away.

To reserve your stay at Mövenpick Tala Bay, click here

For more images of Mövenpick Tala Bay, see Booking.com