Amman

Sultan Hotel
Next to roman theater

Salah Eldeen Str
Amman
Phone: 00962 7777 50112
Email: sultan_hotel@hotmail.com
Stayed there: May 21st to 23rd 2007
Rates: 6 Jordanian Dinars (about £4.50) for an en-suite 4-share dorm bed. Singles and doubles also available.

Two parts to this review – my first night and the rest of my stay. The hotel hadn’t replied to my email regarding which bus station they were near (their directions say “the main” one, and there are at least two “main” ones), so I had to rely on a dodgy taxi driver to get me there. For your information, it’s 2km or so from Albadi Bus Station where the Airport Express stops, and it’s not “next” to the Roman Amphitheatre, it’s about 400m away.
When I arrived, there were no English speakers around and one of the guests (a Georgian) was brought in to speak to me. The word “internet” was used and that’s how I’d booked. They implied that they could squeeze me in, which was strange seeing as I had a booking. I was shown to an acceptable double room which was confusing as I’d booked a 4-bed dorm.
After a trip to a cybercafe and returning with a printout of my booking, the man on reception called someone else who I assume was the hotel owner. He spoke much better English and told me to stay in the double for the night – at the dorm room rate – and I could be moved in the morning.
While in my “posh” room I noticed a distinct lack of internet access or wifi, and the same in the lobby area. According to their profile on Hostel World, these should have been available. I did have a fridge, comfy bed and cable telly (with a gazillion Arabic channels), though. However, I also had a soundtrack of Indian music from one of the other rooms all night, which the staff didn’t seem to give a toss about.
Another unwelcome addition to my experience was a huge poop floating in the squat toilet when I arrived. It took me about ten minutes to shift it with the small jug supplied. Not pleasant.
I was moved to the 4-bed dorm (on my lonesome) after a single room was offered but didn’t have the advertised fridge and cable TV in it. The dorm still lacked the fridge, but at least I could watch BBC World and it had a western toilet. Which I had to flush by lifting the lid off the cistern and pulling the plunger by hand. The tap in the bathroom barely trickled on “full flow” though the shower was fine and very hot given the chance
The advertised 24-hour restaurant is a bit of a swindle as well. I don’t know if they ever cook anything there, but when I ordered food at around 9pm, it took just over an hour to turn up and was ordered out and delivered for me. In fairness, it was damn good chicken.
Overall, if you’re prepared to live with the myriad faults to save some cash this place is just about passable. If it didn’t promise so much in the blurb on HostelWorld, I’d not have minded so much. It does fulfil all my criteria for somewhere to stay for a night, but it promised so much more which turned out to be lies.