Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 7275515; off University St; s/d/tr incl buffet breakfast from JD30/35/60; )
Located near the campus of Yarmouk University, Irbid's only midrange hotel has seen bet-
ter days - which to be fair is reflected in the budget price. Rooms are clean and spacious
but sparse, noisy (especially those by the antiquated lift) and tired. The good part is that
you don't have to go looking for nightlife - of an evening, half of Irbid pours into the
hotel's popular News Cafe, or the Al-Joude Garden Restaurant.
Omayah Hotel$
( 7245955; omayahhotel@yahoo.com; King Hussein St; s/d JD20/30; )
Good value
for money, this recently renovated budget hotel boasts satellite TV, as well as large picture
windows overlooking the heart of the city. The friendly proprietor is kind and helpful and
solo women will feel comfortable here. Rooms towards the back of the property are a bit
quieter - a good choice for light sleepers who don't want to be woken by the sounds of
honking car horns.
HOTEL
Al-Ameen al-Kabeer Hotel $
( 7242384; Al-Jaish St; dm/s/d from JD8/12/15)
The friendly management gives per-
sonal and attentive service at this city-centre hotel. Of course, this is very much a budget
option with basic concrete rooms and shared bathrooms, though the property is well ten-
ded and there's a reliable supply of hot water. Affected by the lack of tourist trade at the
time of writing, this family-run enterprise may well not weather the latest economic
storm. Call ahead to be sure.
HOTEL
Eating
It's hard to imagine how the restaurants along the length of University St all make a liv-
ing. Every other establishment along the 'Champs Elysees of Irbid' (so-called by the pro-
prietor of Al-Ameen Al-Kabeer Hotel) is dedicated to some kind of eatery or other. And
then you remember that there are 22,000 hungry students living just over the road. The
fare is pretty standard but the attraction is not the food but the evening vibe: after 9pm the
streets swell with gregarious crowds looking for a good night out and seeming to find it
on the promenade between roundabouts.
