Highlights

• The best location in the city.
• Incredible rooms, all with sea views.
• Comprehensive facilities and excellent dining options.
• Service that will make a guest smile.

Experience

Aqaba, a city that has been inhabited since 4000 B.C. has always been an important destination. Today it is the largest on the Gulf of Aqaba and has developed to become Jordan’s seaside getaway. Luxury hotel chains are competing for the seaside locations and the Kempinski has one of the best sites. Not only is the Kempinski ranked #1 on TripAdvisor, but the property also has raving reviews, so we looked forward to experiencing it ourselves.

On arrival to the hotel, the security asked my name and immediately knew that we had a reservation. After a brief security check, we walked up to the reception and moments later we were offered a welcome drink and cold towel. A concierge member in red welcomed us and expedited our check-in process. We also met the manager, Oliver who warmly welcomed us and suggested we meet for dinner.

Then we were introduced to our room, an Executive Panoramic Suite. All 200 rooms of the hotel have views over the Red Sea and our room, as the name suggested, had sweeping views over the sea from the bedroom, bathroom, and living room.

On entering the room, you immediately have a view looking out of the balcony from the hallway. On the left is the entrance to the bathroom and a closet on the right. Walking into the living room, a rectangular couch set up faces the huge flat screen TV. On the coffee table was a large plate of fruit as well as local snacks and sweets. Next to the TV was a bottle of wine and some red and green apples.

The terrace is accessible from the floor to ceiling windows with a table and chair overlooking the pools and beach.

Connected to the living room is the bedroom with a king bed facing another TV and large windows.

A highlight of the room is the jacuzzi sitting right in the bedroom. The room has direct access to the bathroom through glass doors. The glass walls of the shower provides the sea view from every point in the bathroom as well.

With two sinks, a bidet, and toilet, the bathroom is very function.

After exploring the magnificent room, we decided on some snorkeling in the Red Sea. The concierge organized a tour with transportation to a diving center where we could snorkel around the reef. Warm waters and a beautiful reef were just a few minute drive away.

After the snorkeling in which we even saw a sea turtle, we returned to explore the hotel. On a tour, we saw some other room categories all which had incredible views. We visited the Fitness Center with modern equipment facing a window to the sea. The comprehensive spa, offered a number of treatments with additional features over massages like a sauna, steam room, and even a constantly renewed ice tray to rub on sore muscles.

We then visited the different dining outlets available. The AM PM Restaurant is the main breakfast restaurant for guests and offers an impressive buffet with several cooking stations as well as amazing service. A guest relations person walks around during breakfast to greet guests and make sure everything is going wonderfully.

Right on the beach, the Fish In Restaurant brings fresh local seafood to your table with a fine dining touch. The Walk Restaurant is also located near the beach and offers lighter fare, snacks and refreshments.

In the evening, the Aqua Lounge is a gathering place for travelers to mingle over a cocktail in the lobby of the hotel while the Black Pearl is located beachside and is becoming a new nightlife destination in otherwise sleepy Aqaba.

The property also has several options for organizing events including the Sawsana Grand Ballroom and two meeting rooms.

After the tour, we met with Oliver and walked over to the Fish In Restaurant where our tastebuds were treated to a seven course meal ranging from scallop lasagna and a sea bass main to the signature Kempinski dessert of the year, Siam Mango.

Oliver was an excellent host and as a fellow adventurer he had some incredible stories from around the world.

After dinner, we relaxed at the Black Pearl and enjoyed cocktails and a hookah seated at a table right on the sand of the beach. With a blanket of stars overhead in the clear night sky and the lights of neighboring Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia in view, the evening couldn’t have ended in a more spectacular way. With all the extremely diverse countries bordering each other, Aqaba offers a really unique vantage point.

We left the next day and our check out process was on par with the amazing service that we had received throughout the stay. The Kempinski Aqaba team doesn’t just work professionally and efficiently, but they do it with genuine care for the guest. The staff is very well trained and everyone we happened upon conducted themselves in a positive and proactive manner with a unique style.

If we didn’t have such a strict schedule, we would have loved the chance to stay another night. The Kempinski Hotel Aqaba not only met but well exceeded our expectations for the best property in Aqaba. With amazing rooms, comprehensive facilities and dining options, and service that makes the guest smile, the hotel was one of my favorite of 2014.

I can’t recommend enough a stay here and look forward to returning myself one day.

Contact
Kempinski Hotel Aqaba
Address: King Hussein Street ,P.O. Box 1441, 77110 Aqaba, Jordan
Telephone: +962 3 2090888
Website: http://www.kempinski.com/en/aqaba/hotel-aqaba/welcome/
Email: sales.aqaba@kempinski.com