The Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa is a panoramic resort in Jordan at the lowest point on earth, over 1,312 feet below sea level! The resort opened it doors in March 2017 and is set in the heart of the Jordan Valley, with direct access to the beach. Perfect to spend the day lounging on the sundeck of the floating pontoon on the beautiful waters of the Dead Sea. The resort is located on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea, right next to Samarah Shopping Mall and Water Park which is about 1 hour driving from both Amman Queen Alia International Airport and the city of Amman. Myself, I stayed at the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa for 2 nights during a recent trip to Jordan. In this review, I share my experience of my stay here.
Check In And Lobby
To my surprise, Jordan has Uber. I paid around 20 JOD (about $ 28 USD) for a trip from the airport to the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa. When I arrived at the resort at around 9pm, I noticed that there are fairly strict security measures since I was asked for my last name at the entrance. Also to enter the lobby, I had to pass security. Note that the resort has some rules. For example, you’re not allowed to bring any alcoholic beverages, food or shisha (hookah). The lobby is specious and is nicely designed with light decoration. I was kindly told that the reception was on my right hand side.
After I gave my passport, the agent welcomed me back as a Hilton Honors Diamond member. A few days before my stay, I booked the non refundable advanced purchase rate and paid 73 JOD per night (about $ 103 USD) which is a decent deal. Unfortunately, no more suites were available at this time. I was told that I would stay in a Deluxe Room on the fifth floor with a nice view on the Dead Sea. However, this room featured 2 double beds. A room with a view on the Dead Sea sounded great to me so I didn’t mind of the 2 double beds.
Deluxe Room With Sea View
The Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa has 4 buildings that are all connected to the main building. Myself, I stayed in room 508 which was a 3 minutes walk from the lobby. The Deluxe Room I stayed in features two comfortable beds with one small table in the middle. Between the actual bedroom and bathroom is a slide door.
On the furniture in front of the bed is a Samsung T.V. When turning on the T.V. I saw my name on the screen. Next to the T.V. I found the coffee and tea facilities as well as 2 bottles of water. The Deluxe Room also features a minibar that was well stocked with snacks and (alcoholic) beverages. Just behind the entrance is a closet nook with luggage rack, iron, safe and extra pillow.
At the far end of the room is a seating area with 2 seats and a table with glassing top. Unfortunately, the room doesn’t feature a proper working desk. However, I understand this as this is resort and not a hotel for business travelers. Here, I also found my welcome gift. The Deluxe Room features a small balcony with a nice view on the Dead Sea and Israël on the other side. The balcony itself is quite basic as there are no seats and tables or cloth gangers, something I would expect at a resort. Hilton provides free wifi to Honors members who are booking directly. Everywhere in the hotel, I was satisfied with the speed.
Deluxe Room Bathroom
I was quite satisfied with the bathroom as this featured almost everything I would expect in a Deluxe Room. On the single sink, I found amenities from Crabtree&Evelyn. There is a bathtub and separate shower cabin which offers both a hand held shower head and rain shower. However, the toilet is located in a separate area across the bathroom on the other side of the corridor. This can be annoying for some to keep this in mind.
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa Facilities
The Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa has a 24-hour fitness center and treatment rooms for aromatherapy massages. However these treatment rooms were closed during my stay. There are also 2 boardrooms, an event space, a souvenir shop and a concierge service in the lobby. There are 2 infinity pools and a supervised Kids’ Club. One of these pools also features a pool bar that can be quite crowded during high season. While January is in low season, the weather on the Dead Sea is good all year around.
What I really liked about the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa is the direct access to the beach with floating pontoon and sunbeams on the Dead Sea. You can reach the beach by either taking the stars or elevator. Here is also a beach bar.
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge is located one floor below the lobby. You can access the lounge when staying in an Executive Room or higher. Diamond member are granted access to the lounge anyway, regardless in what type of room they stay. The lounge is divided into different areas like a buffet with dining tables and a sitting area with view on the Dead Sea. In the middle is also a large table that more looked like a ‘bar’ with nice light decoration. Throughout the whole day, you can enjoy snacks and beverages in the lounge. I experienced an excellent service in the lounge. Every time I came back I was recognised and even approached by my last name!
Breakfast is served every morning from 7am until 10:30. I had here breakfast once and found the lounge much more quiet than the Spectrum restaurant. The lounge started to get more crowded later as happy hour is from 5pm until 7pm. During these two hours, you can enjoy a decent buffet with snacks as well as alcoholic beverages. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed of the buffet during happy hour so this is something the resort can work on.
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa Restaurants
The resort has 3 restaurants. The main restaurant is called ‘Spectrum’ and is located one floor below the lobby. Here is where breakfast is served every day from 7am until 10:30am. Guest have the choice to eat either outside or inside or outside on the balcony. I found a wide selection in food and beverages like croissants, pastries, bread and toppings that is presented in a nice way. There is also an egg station as well as a buffet for special Jordan dishes.
The second restaurant is called Bacchus and has an Italian cuisine. I decided to have lunch at the Lebanese restaurant called traditional Arabic called 1312 which is located one level below the Spectrum restaurant. I went for some meat along with French fries and a red wine. For dessert, I took an ice scream. Everywhere at the resort, I experienced an excellent service.
As I would leave the resort at around 5pm, I asked for a late check out. The agent informed me that I could stay in my room until 2pm but that I could move to the Executive Lounge later on.
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa Bottom Line
Before my stay, I read some negative reviews of the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa but seems like the facilities here have improved over the past few years. I had two enjoyable days here and I definitely like the setting of the resort with beach on the Dead Sea. The fact that the resort is located at 1,312 feet below sea level makes it even more special, it’s literally Hilton’s lowest resort on earth. Unfortunately, no suites were available during my stay and therefore I was upgraded to a Deluxe Room with 2 double beds. I found the room itself to be quite modern and liked the view on the Dead Sea. Also the bathroom turned out to be nice and featured all the facilities I would expect, not bad for a Deluxe Room. Only keep in mind that the bathroom and toilet are separated by the corridor.
I was surprised about the occupancy of the resort, knowing that it is low season in January. Everywhere at the resort, I experienced a friendly and proactive service, especially in the Executive Lounge where I even was approached by my last name. Unfortunately, the treatment rooms for aromatherapy massages were closed during my stay. This was because of renovation and this is normal to be happen in low season. Overall, I can recommend the resort to those who are looking for a resort on the Dead Sea. If possible, stay in a room with sea view as the views from other rooms are on the dessert or the building itself.
General Hilton Honors Tips
- Always check and register for the latest Hilton Honors promotions
- Check the complete guide for Hilton Honors to get the most out of the program.
Have you ever stayed at the Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa or are you planning to stay here? Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
