Bubble Luxotel Wadi Rum — Hotel in Aqaba

I stayed at the luxotel bubble rooms recently for a 1 night stay as part of a Petra visit.

Unfortunately the entire experience was way below expectations and i would not recommend this stay to anyone. We arrived to a 'holding' hut of the hotel, where they arranged a shuttle into the desert camp for us - we planned our arrival to the hotel to be inline with sunset - however nowhere was it communicated that we would need to go to the waiting area and then proceed to wait over 30 mins for the off-road shuttle collect us and take us to the actual hotel. Upon check-in, we then waited again for the buggy to take us to our room - by this time, we had missed sunset as total waiting time took 45 minutes plus additional 10 minutes in the shuttle. Upon check in, we weren't told that some of the electricity/heating would not work unless you add the room card in the door and this was not all that obvious given it was a bubble hut and not a regular hotel room. The hot tub in our terrace did not work for the ENTIRE night. The overall experience was awful - we asked them to heat the hot tub and we had to get them back 3 times in one night. the hot tub did not work so they drained the water, after this it still did not heat and they admitted it was broken. we spent the evening sat in our bubble hut overlooking and listening to maintenance men on our balcony trying to fix the hot tub, which was not the experience we envisioned. I called reception and requested a different room (over half the hotel was empty given off peak time), this took a lot of back and forth, with the receptionist telling me different things every time i called and then hanging up on me. I spent around 30-40 minutes trying to get confirmation that we would move room. After midnight we moved rooms to one that was worse than the one we were put in, so we moved again, it was 1am by the time we got in this room and the AC/heater did not work in the bedroom. In the morning due to the hot water being turned off at night the hot tub was not hot for sunrise but did eventually heat up by 9.30am. We left a complaint with the manager and he told us he would reach out to booking and do his upmost to rectify the dissapointing experience. We have not heard from him since. I have since sent follow up emails and received only a reply from the receptionist saying they will not do anything. I am not aware if my message has been passed on to the manager but i have not heard anything and it has been almost 2 weeks since our stay.

I would avoid this hotel at all costs, the service was terrible, the hot tub and heating did not work properly, even the toilet seats were uneven and on the verge of breaking. Given the hotel was far from full capacity, I would have expected much better service and to be put in a fully functioning room. Especially as before the trip, i emailed specifically to enquire on the hot tub and at the end of the day we did not even get to use this. Save your money and...

This was by far one of the most disappointing hotel stays we’ve ever experienced — especially considering the outrageous price of 250 JOD per night.

When we arrived at 5pm, three hours after official check-in, our room wasn’t even ready. The staff spent the next hour scrambling to fix what should have been prepared long before: the Jacuzzi was broken, the hammock wasn’t hung properly, and the extra bed we requested wasn’t set up. For a hotel that markets itself as a luxury experience, this is simply unacceptable.

The hammock that was eventually provided was in such poor condition that it was unusable, slanting dangerously to one side. The wooden deck on the porch was so badly maintained that three of us ended up with splinters in our feet — a basic safety hazard that should never happen at any accommodation, let alone one at this price point.

At night, we couldn’t even turn on the Jacuzzi light. We informed the front desk while having dinner, and waited two hours with no response. The next morning when we followed up, the staff brushed us off with the excuse that “the lights had been removed because some guests wanted privacy.” This is absurd — lighting should be optional, not removed altogether. In the middle of the desert, with no visibility, we couldn’t see a thing, which made the experience not only unpleasant but outright unsafe.

Breakfast was another disaster. The main tent was stifling hot, with no proper ventilation and the air conditioning deliberately set to 28°, making it feel like a sauna. When we raised this to the staff, they brushed it off, claiming the technician had been informed. We saw that same “technician” sitting in the lobby enjoying his coffee — no attempt was made to resolve the issue even after an hour of waiting.

Adding insult to injury, we were told there would be a 70 JOD charge for an extra bed. What we actually got was just a sofa in the room, converted into a makeshift bed — a complete misrepresentation, and a dishonest way to charge guests.

This hotel sells itself as a premium bubble experience, but in reality it is poorly run, poorly maintained, and delivers service that falls far below even basic hospitality standards. There are plenty of other bubble hotels in the region that offer far better value and respect for their guests. Save yourself the disappointment and...

This was the BEST "mistake" I EVER made!!!! My wife and I wanted to make reservations at a competitor's camp which was fully booked on the dates selected. Luckily for us we found "Bubbles" available at Bubble Luxotel Wadi Rum. This camp and the staff exceeded our expectations with their service and accommodations even before our arrival to the site. The site is located away from any highway or road that could potentially ruin the whole experience. Check-in: This was promptly completed by Ammar without any hiccups and were also given a friendly presentation about the additional activities we can partake at the camp. We opted for the Star gazing and morning camel ride (I'll give you the details a little later in the review :) The room: After check-in, we were driven by a golf cart to our bubble which was fully equipped with all the amenities that you would expect from a 5 star hotel. The mattress and pillows were some of the most comfortable I ever laid my head on.... This made the whole experience THAT much better falling asleep looking at the moon an stars above. Dinner: All guests are invited to witness the pulling of the Zarb (Bedouin BBQ) from the sand. This has been cooking for hours in the traditional manner. The flavors and seasoning of the meat and rice were simply mouthwatering and succulent. The camp also offers alot of vegetarian options as well. Star gazing: After dinner (at 22h00), we had the PLEASURE of attending a stat gazing session with Hadi. Hadi is passionate and entertaining with his approach that he made me want to quit my corporate job and move to Wadi Rum permanently. This experience was worth every penny and humbled us as human beings. Morning Camel Ride: If you are a morning person, you HAVE to try this because you will never experience a sunrise like this. We were led by a local guide and who made us tea that was enjoyed with the camels. Check out: The camp offers multiple time-slots to be driven back to your car as early as 8am. Finally I want to extend a HUGE thank you to the owner and his team for giving us a stay that will forever be engraved in our minds with the most professional approach that shows significant experience in the...