Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea by IHG — Hotel in Balqa

The below review was from 4 years ago, and nothing has changed! The staff of this hotel are as wonderful as can be. It seems being nice is a culture at a place, and the staff at this hotel are extremely kind! Each and every one of them! Other hotels staff make you feel that you are obliged to tip, and they wont do much of their job without knowing if you'll tip or not. We did tip generously while two staff refused the tip! They were just happy to help. We were two newly wed couples and we had the most amazing experience from check-in to checkout. We were checked in by the most polite and professional Ms. Yasmine Abu Samour. Yasmine gave us the connecting rooms and our check in was at 3:00 pm during a long weekend holiday. However, she was so kind to give us our rooms by 11:00 am!! We have travelled to so many countries and never experienced such kindness. We also met Mr. Rifae who was very keen to know how our stay was and what bothered us (if any). The bartender Ali was also great and so was Haitham from housekeeping! We did mention the issue which was also an issue 4 years ago, the pool towels! The pool towels were moist, did not smell good, their smell sticks to your body and hands, they were stained and worn out. I have changed them several times but then didn’t use any of them. Usually, one expects hotels to have something that is even better than what he has at home, and unfortunately that isn’t the case with the towels here. To be fair, the towels were washed because there was a light smell of detergent, however, the smell of moisture was stronger. I believe they were not dried or aired out. Or perhaps washed at cold temperature not 90 degrees ++ which is usually used to kill bacteria that gives off this smell. I would still give this hotel 5 stars because the towel issue wouldn’t affect their great staff, service, food and prices! 4 years later, and still a 5/5 !!

PS. We left the hotel a little surprise in the room in bed!! We just didn’t see their reaction, we wish we waited to see what they thought of it, I added it to the pictures 😊 Below the sheets was 3 Bathrobes (Haitham) got for us the night before!

4 Years Ago: I had the absolute pleasure meeting some of the finest staff at this hotel. Mr. Hothaifa was the receptionist at checkin and at chrckout. He was very polite and flexible. I also met Mr. Omar Shatnawi who is the quality manager for both Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. He was also very polite and professional, he dealt with customer issues professionally and took an extra mile to ensure our satisfaction. During my stay I also met amazing staff like Mr. Khaled Qaisiyeh from room service as well as Mr. Salem Jaarat and Mr. Ahmad (pool service) and Mr Ali (bartender).

The only comments I may have were the room TV was actually tiny, the pool towels didn’t smell so good.

Another comment I have was on the breakfast, however it is a rather different comment than usual. The breakfast was HUGE. A lot of food is served in huge quantities. One of the most generous hotels when it comes to breakfasts!

All in All, I would give this place...

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort in Jordan for 5 nights, from the end of April into early May, and I was thoroughly impressed by many aspects of the hotel.

The location is peaceful and slightly more secluded compared to other hotels along the Dead Sea. While this provides a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, it does mean there are only a couple of options within walking distance for food or snacks outside the resort. It's also worth noting that the hotel does not allow outside food or beverages to be brought in.

That said, the on-site facilities more than make up for it. The rooms are very tidy and well-maintained, with all the essentials provided. I was particularly blown away by the comfort of the mattress—probably the most cozy and restful bed I’ve ever slept on. There’s a mini-bar stocked with complimentary soft drinks that are replenished daily, plus tea and coffee making facilities, bottled water, and a good-sized TV with a variety of channels in different languages. The room also had UK power sockets and USB ports, which was extremely convenient. Housekeeping came daily, including towel changes, keeping the room fresh and comfortable throughout the stay.

Room service is available 24 hours a day at no additional charge, which was a fantastic perk. The pools were clean, with fresh towels readily available, and although the Dead Sea beach is within the resort grounds, it’s about a 4-minute walk depending on where your room is located.

The beach staff were extremely helpful, even volunteering to take photos for you, which was a lovely touch. There’s Dead Sea mud available, and the staff were great at guiding you through the proper routine for applying it and rinsing off in the sea.

The hotel food exceeded expectations. The buffet for breakfast and dinner had a wide selection, including freshly made pancakes, waffles, and omelettes. The on-site à la carte restaurant had a large menu, generous portions, and very reasonable prices. I was also very impressed with the cocktails—they were consistently delicious, affordable, and could even be ordered to your room.

One evening, I visited the Samara Mall, just a 5-minute drive from the resort. I highly recommend booking an Uber instead of using the hotel’s taxi service, which is operated by Enterprise. My Uber rides cost 1.8 JOD each way, while the hotel taxi quoted 10 JOD each way and said the price wasn’t negotiable.

Most importantly, if you have any concerns, queries, or feel disappointed by anything during your stay, the hotel staff and management are very quick to respond and eager to resolve any issues as soon as possible, which really makes you feel valued as a guest.

Lastly, the staff were outstanding—always friendly, attentive, and eager to help. A special mention goes to Chef Ahmed Aldeqs, whose meals were absolutely amazing—flavorful, filling, and great value for money.

Overall, I highly recommend the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort and will definitely be returning in the...

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort for two nights as part of our honeymoon trip through Jordan, and it honestly felt like a dream come true.

From the moment we arrived, everything was perfect. The hotel surprised us with an upgrade to a room with the most breathtaking view — it was the ideal setting for a romantic getaway. But what truly made it unforgettable was the love and care the staff put into every little detail.

Our room was decorated so beautifully with fresh flowers and heart-shaped touches — so romantic and thoughtful. And the magic didn’t stop there. Every time we opened the door to our room, it felt like a fairytale. One time there was a delicious cake waiting for us, the next time it was a tray of local desserts, and then refreshed flowers — it felt like we were being looked after by love fairies. The effort and attention to detail were beyond anything we expected.

The food at the resort was absolutely amazing, and the entire staff was so warm and kind. I wanna thank breakfast and dinner Chefs for this amazing food.. and all the kitchen and restaurant workers who are the heroes behind the scenes 🙏 A special thank you to Adham from housekeeping for making our room so special, and Yasmeen at reception for her warm and welcoming energy. And a heartfelt thank you to the lovely lady who organized all the honeymoon surprises — we didn’t catch your name, but you truly made our stay magical.

We also want to thank the wonderful lifeguards — they were incredibly caring and helpful during our time at the pool and Dead Sea. Their presence made us feel safe and looked after the entire time.

From start to finish, this stay was unforgettable. It was romantic, peaceful, and filled with thoughtful touches that made it feel like something out of a dream. We are so grateful to everyone at Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort and would recommend it to anyone — especially couples looking for the perfect honeymoon or...