Petra Icon Hotel

Wadi Musa holds this hotel close against the edge of Petra, a short walk from the site's visitor centre and the sandstone gorge of the Siq. The town climbs the hills above the ancient city, and rooms here look out over rooftops toward that terrain. It is a compact stay, three storeys, built recently and finished plainly. Each of the rooms carries air conditioning, a minibar, an electric kettle and a flat-screen TV, with a private bathroom fitted with a shower and hairdryer. Double, twin, triple and family rooms are all on offer, useful for parties travelling together. The hotel has no pool or full restaurant of its own; breakfast and dinner are served instead at a sister property next door, under the same ownership, where guests can also use a rooftop terrace. The Obelisk Tomb and the Roman theatre lie within the Petra grounds, both an easy walk from the door. Check-in starts at 3pm. The setting is functional rather than scenic, wedged among a cluster of newer hotels, but the desert light on the surrounding cliffs at dusk is the real draw.