Wadi Rum Nights - Camp

Our holiday was meant to include a desert tour, but after what happened at check-in we couldn’t take the tour we’d planned. We had been excited about staying in the Capsule Hotel in the desert, and trusted Booking when we reserved. Instead, the fear and disappointment ruined our trip. We found another hotel through Booking, but were too shaken to sleep that night. We arrived at night, exhausted after more than a day on the road from Türkiye. Four of us women were taken to a reception desk, not shown to our room. The room had only an old empty table and two old armchairs. The 23-year-old owner said we had to pay 200 Jordanian dinars in cash because we hadn’t booked through Booking. We had a reservation and wanted to pay through the system, as our payment showed. He said we wouldn’t get a room unless we paid. We were confused and tired. He took our phone to see the reservation, then tried to cancel it on Booking. We panicked and asked why. He harshly said, “You want to stay here for cheap, I won't allow that.” We told him we wanted to go to our room, but he remained harsh. He called someone, and a second man came to see the reservation. I wouldn’t hand over my phone this time, but he still tried to press cancel. Later, we understood that they were trying to overcharge us by canceling the booking, then saying, “Look, your room isn't there,” and taking 200 dinars. I told them two men were trying to scam four exhausted women and that I’d report them to Booking. At first he ignored me, then seemed scared, but still insisted, “This payment is a condition; we have to.” We didn’t pay. We were frightened and panicked in the desert in the middle of the night, and a third man arrived. I’ll say it again: we felt threatened, alone in a dark desert in an Arab country. We said we’d go to the police and complain. They insisted they wouldn’t give us the room and said, “This booking fee is too low,” and, “I want 200 more dinars.” We loaded our belongings into the car and said we were going to the police. The owner followed and said, “Okay, pay the booking fee, I'll drop it off in your room.” We didn’t feel safe, so we drove to the police on the street. He then said, “I charge everyone an extra 200 dinars. Come, let me introduce you to other tourists.” It took us an hour to reach the police. They didn’t speak English well and said, “I can't help you. Go to the tourist spot.” We went there, but there were a lot of men. They told us to get out of the car and come to our room. Terrified, we refused and didn’t know what to do. We called the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs call center, explained everything, and they took notes and said they would pass it to the Jordanian embassy. We set off to find somewhere else and went to the police near Aqaba. We explained what happened, but they couldn’t understand English or help us. Meanwhile, the embassy contacted us on WhatsApp and said there was nothing they could do. We felt very vulnerable and scared. I’m asking Booking now: do you have anything to say about this? Surely this can’t be the first complaint about this hotel. These people said they do this to everyone. Hasn’t anyone complained before?

We went in mid-February and it was a bit chilly, though the heater kept the main part of the tent comfortable. I was glad I didn’t need a shower, since the bathrooms only get whatever heat leaks in, and that isn’t much. Meals were adequate rather than fancy, with a decent range of Jordanian buffet dishes. The setting in Wadi Rum is out of this world, and the camp turned out to be a surprise. It really is luxury camping. There are plenty of tent photos already, so I won’t describe them.

We had a great time in the bubble tent, and could see stars from bed. It’s pressurised, so there’s a fan, but it wasn’t too noisy. The location was lovely, the staff friendly, the food good, and the shower was epic, with loads of hot water. There isn’t shade for relaxing around camp unless you go inside one of the main buildings, where there’s no view. Since it’s half board, I think water should come with the meals. The tours are arranged with the Bedouin who bring you from the village, rather than through the camp. Reception had limited details about prices and itineraries, and we found the pickup times confusing.

The transfer from the visitor center was worrying too. The cars were so worn out they seemed ready to fall apart. Staff didn’t care about these problems and were rude when anyone mentioned them. The camp has clearly seen better days. The Full of Stars tents are worn out, half are dismantled, and the ones left standing have lots of repair marks and plastic badly damaged by the weather. I could only see stars at 4am. The wooden walkway has nails all over it and is basically a trap in the dark. WiFi only worked around reception and the restaurant. If you still want to stay here, choose the cheaper tents without hesitation, or go somewhere else.