Yemen Hotels

• SondraWilliams
• Reviews: 8

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The Ambassador Hotel: Western-Style Accomodations

One of the older, Western hotels in Hodeidah. Built 40 years ago, and shows it! Singles, Doubles and family rooms are all air conditioned, with Western private bathrooms. If you ask for a double with a large bed, you will get a room in the interior of the hotel, with no outdoor window. A better option is to ask to see all the rooms available---they all look different. You can take a room on the exterior with twin beds, and push them together to make a double---these rooms are bigger and have big windows. Clean, but old. Restaurant on top floor with decent food and good views of the city, although they are often out of ingredients. Great Yemeni foul for breakfast. Small drink shop and gift shop in lower level. Very popular with tours coming through the area. We paid $45 a night for a double.

Unique Quality: Western restaurant on site.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: Shara Al Sanaa, Hodeidah
• Phone: +967 03230850/230852
• Written February 12, 2008

In the hotel lobby

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• SondraWilliams
• Reviews: 8

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Husn Al Hajjarah Toursim Hotel: True Yemeni Hospitality

I've stayed here twice and enjoyed it immensely both times. Located in Hajjarah, just down the road from the popular Manakha. Much less crowded than the Manakha Tourism Hotel (owned by this manager's brother). This hotel has 2 floors of rooms, all with common baths. Rooms are large and sunny, with basic mattresses on the floors. Bring your own sheets, though, if you are picky about cleanliness! The best part is the food and dancing at night! They serve 3 meals a day for 700-1500 Yemeni rials a person ($3.50-7.50), and you get huge, delicious, clean meals. The bottom floor mufraj is the site of male Yemeni dancing and music each night, and is lots of fun. The hotel is just a short walk from the amazing rock city of Al Hajjarah. Guides at the hotel will take you on hikes during the day for a fee, or you can just wander on your own. There is a small shop near the hotel with drinks and snacks, but no other options for buying food there. They even have same-day laundry service. The only bad part we experienced was that they ran out of water one night, and didn't get it back in time for us take showers the next morning---it is rustic at times! If the power goes out, there won't be hot water. Prices: We paid 3,000 rials ($15) for a 4 person room which we used as a double. Our friend stayed in a smaller, single room for 2,000 rials ($10). Prices are negotiable with the manager, Ghalel Al Askary. This is a can't-miss place for any trip to Yemen!

Unique Quality: GORGEOUS Views. Great tour guides. Yemeni dancing every night.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Address: Al Hajjarah Village
• Phone: +967 1460210
• Related to: Historical Travel, Hiking and Walking, Backpacking
• Written February 12, 2008

Jambia dancing!

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• SondraWilliams
• Reviews: 8

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Burj Al Salam Hotel: Luxery in the Old City

This is a new 7 story hotel in the heart of Sanaa's old city. The interior of an old city building was gutted and rebuilt as a 4 star hotel. This is great for a night or 2 of comfort, but quite expensive compared to other places in the old city. Rooms are equipped with big beds, but if you ask for a double, you will most likely get 2 twin beds pushed together in a small room! Each room has a private, TINY bathroom, with hot water only long enough for a 4 minute shower. Each room also has cable TV, as well as a minifridge with drinks. We were there in Dec, and the rooms were very cold. The upper level has suites available, which apparently are just larger rooms with a mufraj, as well as the view of the city. The terrace cafe on the top floor, as well as the lower level restaurant serve excellent food, although the dinner buffet ($17 a person) is pricey for Yemen. The manager, Mirella Furlanello is an extremely helpful Italian woman. All the reception staff were very kind and spoke excellent English. Prices: Single $59, Double $99, Suite $199.

Unique Quality: Huge, delicious buffet breakfast included in room price, with hot food, assorted cheeses, macchiatos and fresh fruit. Great views from the top floor terrace and mufraj. Free, high-speed wireless Internet throughout the hotel!

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: Al Fulayhi Quarter, Old City Sanaa
• Phone: +9671483333
• Website: www.burjalsalam.com
• Written February 11, 2008

View from the upstairs terrace

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• jorgejuansanchez
• Reviews: 516

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• travelinxs
• Reviews: 168

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Old Palace Hotel: Sana'a - Budget Accomodation

This, as far as Ive discovered, is the only true budget accomodation in Sana'a. It's fairly basic with the requisite matress on the floor in large airy rooms and shared bathrooms. Usually there's hot water and electric, but occasionaly that pack's up. But compared to $25 for the Felix Arabia I think $10 is very reasonable. If you haggle you should knock that down to about $8. If you are studying in Sana'a and stay longer its cheaper again. I pay $5 a night.

Unique Quality: Being in one of the tallest tower houses in the old city it has magic views from the roof. There is a lounge area on the top floor often visited by better healed tourists. Can be a bit noisy with all the mosques at 4 in the morning - try to get a room without one outside. If staying longer would recommend the rooms on the 3rd floor rather than the 6th. (Not such hard work climbing those stairs every day either!!)

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Budget Travel, Backpacking
• Written November 20, 2007

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• traveldave
• Reviews: 1426

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The Al-Mahweet Hotel

I was pleasantly surprised by the Al-Mahweet Hotel. Despite the fact it is located in a small town high in the mountains, it was the best hotel I stayed in during my trip to Yemen. The hotel offers breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys, as well as old town Mahweet, which clings to a mountaintop above the hotel.

The hotel has only 22 rooms and two suites, but many of the rooms are located in a new wing in an adjacent building (which is attached to the main building). These new rooms are very spacious, and newly renovated and furnished. Each room has satellite television, air conditioning, and its own bathroom.

Unique Quality: The Al-Mahweet hotel has a good open-terrace restaurant which specializes in Yemeni cuisine. The restaurant, as well as the hallways and common areas, are decorated with traditional Yemeni arts and crafts, creating an old-time Yemen atmosphere.

And there is even a replica of the interior of a traditional Bedouin tent on a second-floor terrace, where guests can relax on the cushions, and enjoy mint tea or a smoke from a hookah.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Written October 16, 2007

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• traveldave
• Reviews: 1426

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The Al-Fakhama Hotel

Located on the corniche and facing the Red Sea, the Al-Fakhama Hotel is one of the best hotels in the port city of Hodeidah. Despite its four-star rating, the rooms are a little run down. Not all of the light fixtures in my room worked. The water pressure and water temperature in the bathroom were not consistent, and the fixtures in the bathrooms are ancient and did not always work properly.

Unique Quality: The Al-Fakhama Hotel offers 63 rooms and 14 suites. Each room is equipped with satellite television, air conditioning, and its own bathroom. There is also a restaurant which specializes in very good seafood from the Red Sea, and a coffee shop where guests can purchase drinks and a snack.

The hotel caters to local businesmen, and therefore has a business center and conference hall.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Written October 16, 2007

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• traveldave
• Reviews: 1426

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The Taj Shamsan Hotel

The Taj Shamsan Hotel is located in the heart of Bab Mosa, the medieval old town of Ta'iz. It is one of the most comfortable and well-appointed hotels in Ta'iz, which helped make it the winner of the Golden Award for Tourist, Hotel and Catering Industry in 2005.

Unique Quality: The Taj Shamsan Hotel has 64 rooms and eight suites. Each room overlooks a different part of Bab Mosa, with views of mosques and minarets, bazaars, and medieval buildings. All rooms come equipped with air conditioning, mini bar, direct-dial international telephone service, and satellite television.

Guests at the Taj Shamsan Hotel have several options for dining. The Panorama Roof Top Restaurant provides spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains, and offers Yemeni and international cuisine. The Al-Howta Coffee Shop also offers local and international food, and is even a popular meeting place for more affluent locals. And the Shamsan BBQ Terrace is a good place to enjoy a meal in the open air overlooking Ta'iz.

Other amenities provided by the hotel include laundry and dry-cleaning services; a boutique specializing in Yemeni fashions, jewelry, and handicrafts; a fully equipped fitness center; and an internet cafe.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Written October 16, 2007

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• traveldave
• Reviews: 1426

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The Socotra Tourism Hotel

Until recently, Socotra was closed to tourism, and was very difficult to get to. That is changing, as birdwatchers, eco-tourists, divers, and adventure travelers are starting to discover the natural wonders of the island. Because Socotra is still well off the beaten tourist path, such amenities as hotels and restaurants are very rustic, and do not meet basic international standards. Therefore, anyone traveling to Socotra must be willing to "rough it."

The Socotra Tourism Hotel is one of only a few hotels in the main town of Hodibo. Despite its name, the staff seems both unwilling and ill-prepared to cater to tourists' needs. The rooms are very basic, but are reasonably clean. Each room has a sink, shower, and squat toilet. The shower and squat toilet are in the same small room, so taking a shower basically involves standing in the toilet. Rooms are not provided with toilet paper, so guests must either provide their own, or request it from the staff, who may or may not have any on hand. And the hotel does not provide any towels either, so guests should be prepared to bring their own.

The hotel also has problems supplying water and electricity on a regular basis, but that may be a problem with the town as a whole. Often there was no water at all, or only a small trickle. And occasionally the power went out in the evening, so the staff would be outside trying to hook up a generator. Even when the generator was hooked up, the lights still flickered on and off.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Written October 16, 2007

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