Damascus Hotel Tips by TheWanderingCamel

A wonderfully comfortable room with all the amenities of a first class hotel are what you would expect, and will get, from Le Meridien in Damascus. The hotel is fairly centrally located, it's an easy walk to the museum, the Tekkiye Mosque, the handicraft souk and to the downtown area of Ave 29 May though you might want to take a taxi to the Old City and places further afield.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone who is looking for this level of accommodation.

Unique Qualities: The best thing about the hotel is the lobby. It's not the traditionally elegant apricot and black banded marble decor, or the comfortable leather seats in the club bar - nice as they are - but the exotic passing parade of guests and visitors to the hotel. A sheik and his entourage from a Gulf state perhaps, a big wedding party with drums and tambours to greet them, women in wonderfully flamboyant robes with henna-decorated feet.
Our travel agent got us a very good rate, just $75 for a standard room, considerably cheaper than the advertised rates.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Address: Avenue Choukry Kouatly
Directions: * ***With the enormous new Four Seasons Hotel newly opened just across the river, there are bound to be some good deals here.
Website: http://www.lemeridien.com/syrian_arab_republic/damascus/hotel_sy1644.shtml

Comfortable rooms, reasonable rates and a quiet and convenient location mean the Al Majed offers its guests both value for money and a pleasant place to stay. Beds are made up in traditional Syrian style, ie with cotton covers and only a bottom sheet, which may seem a little odd to Western guests, but they are always fresh and immaculately clean. All rooms are en suite, the hot water is plentiful, there is a refrigerator and television in every room, and when one of our party was ill and had to remain in the hotel for a few days with a companion while the group moved on, they were wonderful.

Unique Qualities: There is a restaurant on the top floor but it is the small, tree-shaded terrace, where during summer, breakfast in the morning, tea or coffee through the day and dinner in the evening may be taken, that is the real bonus of the hotel, as is walking into the cool green laneway that leads to it at the end of a day's sightseeing.

Unfortunately, the excellent Worker's Club restaurant across the way, mentioned in many guide books, is now open only to members.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: Off 29 May Street
Directions: Behind the Assufara Cinema
Website: www.almajed-hotel.com

I've only stayed once at the Carlton Hotel, and that was because someone else booked us in there. It was convenient for him, but not for us - like the nearby Sheraton, this hotel is a long way from the places that tourists would want to be in Damascus.
If you have business in this part of the city (the Canadian and Australian embassies are in this area but not much else) or don't mind getting taxis everywhere, then this is satisfactory, if boring, standard four star hotel. There is a swimmimg pool, several restaurants and a bar, a business centre, etc.

Unique Qualities: The view of the slopes of Jebel Qassioun is lovely at night and in the day the mountain seems very close, but I wouldn't say the view was worth the price.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: 17th Nissan Street
Directions: Al-Mezze district
Website: www.carltonhotel-syria.com