Basra Touristic Hotel

The roof has great views over Basra, and the staff are warm, lovely, and welcoming. The restaurant food is pretty good, with a nice range of traditional Iraqi and international dishes. Breakfast is okay, though there isn’t much variety. The hotel feels dated, and the stair banisters seem dangerous, so don’t lean on them. Entry security is reasonable, with an airport-style scanner before the foyer. A concrete blast wall surrounds the hotel.

There’s a nice little touch at reception: books on fiction, poetry, and other subjects that guests can take for free. Prices are reasonable, and the staff are excellent and helpful. The rooms are spacious and clean, and it’s a quiet, friendly, clean hotel. The spotless restaurant on the 16th floor has a beautiful view. Sadly, alcoholic drinks aren’t available.

The location and neighborhood feel secure, and it’s one of the cooler places in Basrah. My room was clean and tidy, and breakfast was good. The hotel is a decent place to stay, but I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant for lunch or dinner. The reception staff aren’t very professional, though they’re kind. Room service struggles with orders: they tell you to call reception, then reception sends you back to them. WiFi is okay, but I have to sign in again whenever I leave and return to my room or the hotel. It doesn’t keep me logged in automatically, which is annoying.

We slept well on the wide beds, and the sheets were clean. Breakfast had lots of different foods, and the service was very good. When we had trouble with the A.C unit, the staff fixed it in five minutes.