Ata Ali Hotel

The rooftop cafe has the best view of Petra, and the owner-manager is a fantastic host who makes a good omelet. My wife and I were treated like rock stars, and the service was better than at some five-star hotels we stayed at in Jordan. The rooms are more like three-star quality, but everything else felt five-star. Thank you.

The food was the highlight for me: it was tasty, and I enjoyed the range of dishes. The room itself was disappointing, though. It felt old and worn, and seemed due for renovation. The toilet was also unreliable, working sometimes but not flushing properly at other times, which was frustrating and uncomfortable during my stay. So my experience was mixed. I enjoyed the food, but the outdated room and toilet problems overshadowed that positive. The hotel should update the rooms and make sure the facilities are properly maintained.

We were given about 30 minutes of local tips by the friendly, helpful staff when we arrived, which was great. The room was small but nice and perfectly adequate for a short visit. Breakfast was included and served on a covered rooftop terrace. They don’t serve lunch or dinner, but can order food from several local restaurants. What we got, lentil soup and pizza, was good and reasonably cheap. Petra is 1.5 km away, walkable if you’re in good health. A great hotel for a short stay, recommended.

I paid 5JOD each way to Petra’s main entrance with Mohammad, an easy person to contact who was flexible about timing. Most taxis were asking 7-9JOD. The entrance is a 6-minute drive away. There’s also a nearby shop called the normal supermarket, where snacks for Petra are cheap. I had a lovely stay. The owner was kind and helpful throughout, and the rooftop views at sunset were lovely.