My review of Fairmont Amman
For my visit to Jordan I’m spending most of my time in the capital Amman – unorthodox I know but I’m just too lazy! My original plan was to spend four nights at the InterContinental, costing a total of less than 70k points thanks to my Chase card.
I decided in favour of the Fairmont in the end, because:
- It is ranked #1 on TripAdvisor
- I’ve never stayed at a Fairmont hotel before
- The Accor Step rate is very attractive: 3-for-2 + breakfast + $100 spend and more
I booked a Fairmont Gold room for three nights for less than £500.
I arrived in Royal Jordanian’s chauffeur. Ride from the airport takes about 40 minutes.
Lots of festive decorations in the hotel, and many “Merry Christmas” greetings from the staff.
The lady at the front desk explained to me about the breakfast, welcome drink, and $100 credit. They don’t have a brochure about restaurants and facilities, which I think can be improved.
Safety is taken seriously in this country. Vehicles and guests must go through security check when entering the hotel. The key card is programmed to work for the public floor and your floor only.
Floor 14, 15 and 16 are Fairmont Gold floors.
I got no upgrade at all, despite being an Accor Gold member booking the Step rate. Considering I probably paid less than most standard-room guests, I will not complain.
It is a corner room though, so might be slightly bigger.
It’s got a small vestibule and wardrobe. They use the space fairly well and the room is very well appointed.
There’s even a small office at the back.
The TV set supports Miracast, not as good as Chromecast but usable.
The bathroom is spacious with separate toilet and shower cabins.
There are two nuisances though. Cover on the flush button is falling off, and there’s only one set of body wash and shampoo fixated to the wall in the shower cabin, which is a hassle when you are bathing in the tub.
Fairmont, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Sheraton occupies the four corners of the intersection. It is probably one of the most affluent areas of Amman.
Welcome amenity:
I was told about the closure of the Fairmont Gold lounge (for renovation) at check-in. It was neither communicated on their website or prior to my stay, which feels unprofessional.
Breakfast is served in the Lebanese restaurant Nur.
It is all buffet and no a-la-carte dining. I haven’t had the best experience in terms of breakfast in the Middle East, and Fairmont Amman didn’t change that. There are some international options such as chow mien and fried rice, but I’m not impressed by the quality either.
The egg station:
Afternoon tea is served at the Crystal Lounge, between 2pm and 4pm.
Happy Hour is hosted at the Caprice restaurant, between 5pm and 7pm.
The menu this time is very solid!
You’ve got multiple options for appetisers, mains and desserts. You won’t be short of alcohol supply either.
This kind of dinner easily sets you back £50+ pp in London, so Fairmont Gold pays off.
To spend the $100 credit I had two lunches in the hotel too. First one is Lebanese at Nur.
The lamb wrap is decent. Another meal is at the Asian restaurant Tsuki. The Korean fried chicken and lobster laksa are pretty good.
Spa and gym is at floor 3.
The outdoor swimming pool is closed in the winter, and the only spa facility most guests can use is a steam room. If you staying at the Gold floor however, there’s an exclusive VIP area reserved for you. You’ll find a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room in the changing room.
In the public area there’s another jacuzzi and a swimming pool.
There’s a also relaxation room with snacks and tea.
The spa (for Fairmont Gold) is great. Weather was pretty bad for my first two days so I mostly stayed in except for purchasing some essentials, and I spent a lot of time here.
The staff on the other hand, are lacking in profession. No one mentioned the Fairmont Gold spa to me at all, even when I inquired they mentioned only the regular steam room to me, without considering the possibility that I was on the Gold floor. Thankfully I asked a cleaner who was very keen on showing it to me.
When I asked about late check-out the front desk was also very rigid, saying that it would be upon availability on the day of checking out. On the last day however it was the (suspected) deputy manager who served me, and she was much more friendly and professional. She didn’t even look in the system before agreeing to my late check-out request, and proactively gave me half an hour more to “enjoy the lunch”.
When I saw a #1 hotel with top TripAdvisor rating I was expecting a flawless experience, but Fairmont Amman didn’t live up to that expectation. It is however still an upscale and decent property, on a par with some of the Waldorf Astoria and St Regis hotels that I’ve stayed at.
Free eSIM with 1GB data roaming
Just saw this deal on hotukdeals, which might be useful to our readers.
It is a promotion run by Better Roaming, a company that provides eSIM service. If you scan the QR code below with your phone, you will be redirected to installing an eSIM:
Once activated, the eSIM comes with a 30-day plan including 1GB data. The package is valid at 148 countries, full list here.
It is a pretty good offer (and most importantly free). If you need more packages, you could consider Airalo as well which I’ve been using extensively in the last two years.
IHG 30%-off secret sale in Europe, Asia and more
IHG started a pretty decent sale which covers many regions globally, and it could be suitable for your upcoming travel plans.
- Book by October 16th
- Stay between October 6th and March 31st
- Book at least 10 days in advance for two-nights minimum
- A 15%-discount off the Book Early and Save rate applies
- Non-refundable
The promotion runs in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia (Greater China excluded). Note that the 15% off is against an advance rate, which is already cheaper than the best flexible rate.
You MUST book via the promo page to see the discount. Here are some rate examples, compared to the best flexible rate:
- Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom £67 / £86 (22% off)
- InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay £175 / £235 (25% off)
- InterContinental Yokohama Grand £138 / £197 (30% off)
- InterContinental Rome £396 / £528 (25% off)
- Crowne Plaza Paris Republique £ 216 / £290 (25% off)
- Hotel Indigo London Leicester Square £252 / £319 (21% off)
- Holiday Inn London Whitechapel £132 / £177 (25% off)
- voco Dubai £152 / £204 (25% off)
As you can see, most of the time the saving is 25%, although it goes up to 30% in some cases.
It’s branded a “stay with us again” promotion and has been sent to select members who presumably haven’t stayed at an IHG hotel for a while, but anyone can book it and there’s nothing in the terms and conditions that is against it. The only caveat is bookings are non-refundable.
My review of Etihad First Class Lounge, Abu Dhabi
After the very impressive experience with Emirates First Suite a few months ago, I’m trying out the first class product of another Middle Eastern carrier – Etihad. Etihad occupies the entire Terminal 3 of the Abu Dhabi airport, and there are dedicated entrances for first class and business class passengers.
The check-in area is surprisingly, hmm, basic. Like many other emerging economies UAE is usually pretty good at infrastructure, and it’s fair to say the airport doesn’t leave a very good first impression.
The images above cover the entire first class check-in area. There are two rows of check-in desks but only one of them is open.
First class and business class passengers share the same fast track facilities for emigration and security check, after which you’ll see the first class lounge immediately. It is a small terminal.
There is nothing but a reception desk on the ground floor. You need to take the stairs up to enter the actual lounge.
The restaurant kind of brings me back in time to the 1990s.
The bar looks quite old-fashioned as well. Alcoholic drinks are still served during Ramadan, but there’s no menu – the bartender tells you what options are available.
The rest of the lounge sends out the same vibe. It feels more like a third-party contract lounge you often see at smaller European airports, and there’s definitely nothing lush about it…
I was trying to find a desk to sit down and write some stuff, but I failed. Trust me I checked every corner of the lounge and it’s not difficult.
The lounge prides itself in the name “Lounge & Spa”, except that the spa was closed during the pandemic and still hasn’t re-opened yet. Here are the kids club and gym:
I asked the staff whether there’s any quiet room to take a rest, and was told it’s chargeable. She brought me to a large dark room however which is free and looks like a mini cinema.
The famous cigar room that is mentioned in all the reviews:
I heard they used to gift all guests one or two cigars but it’s no longer the case. A friend of mine has some expiring Etihad miles and generously offered me to spend on the cigars. Then a member of staff explains about an ongoing IT issue that prevents them from accepting payment in miles…
Well, at least let’s have some free food! This has to be one of the ugliest and worn-out menus that I’ve ever seen in a lounge.
I don’t remember much about the food.
I’m take aback by how shabby Etihad’s first class lounge is. I understand that the terminal might be quite old and limited in terms of space and facilities, but Etihad could for sure work harder to cater to their most important customers. They could have put more effort into service and dining, instead of shutting down the spa centre and charging for everything.
I was complaining that Emirates’ first class lounge was lacking in inspiration, and after seeing how Etihad’s counterpart is I have to take it back. It’s weird to say but, even BA’s Concorde Room does a better job!
My review of The Abu Dhabi Edition
I went to Abu Dhabi in March because of Etihad’s €70 fare and I needed some winter (spring?) sun. It turned out to be a wise move – weather aside, you can find many luxury hotels here of top quality which are much cheaper than in Dubai.
Many hotels in Abu Dhabi offer in their respective VIP rate plans, e.g. Hilton Impresario, Marriott Stars and Hyatt Prive. Sofitel was the cheapest at £80 per night, others like Fairmont, Conrad, Edition, Grand Hyatt, Rosewood and Four Seasons were between £100 and £150. Remember that you are entitled to free breakfast, room upgrade and $100 credit etc courtesy of the VIP rates.
As I have never been to an Edition hotel yet, and the rate is so good, I booked the Abu Dhabi Edition for three nights. I used Airalo eSIM for data roaming in Abu Dhabi which I highly recommend.
The hotel is located at a small marina in west Abu Dhabi. It’s not central, but I find that you need Uber / Taxi to travel anywhere anyway so it doesn’t matter at all. The hotel has a residence section for long-stay guests.
Once you enter the lobby you are embraced by the signature Le Labo fragrance which is quite refreshing.
The receptionist is very familiar with Platinum and Marriott Stars benefits. Here is what Platinum members can choose as a welcome gift.
Very generously, they’ve already upgraded me to a suite on the fourth floor (it has six floors in total). The living room is massive. The blend of beige and brown colours resonates with the natural and simple theme that the Edition brand stresses.
I can’t figure out why they welcomed me with a cereal bar though…
There is a small bathroom to the left of the living room.
You can go out to the balcony from the living room, but there isn’t much of a view here due to the height and aspect. AI Hudayriat, an artificial island you can see at a distance, is worth a visit.
The bedroom also has that Scandinavian feel. I’m new to this style but I don’t diske it.
Surprisingly such a huge suite doesn’t even have a bathtub. Some friends of mine really like Le Labo and took away many bottles with them when they stayed at Edition hotels. However they’ve only got large bottles here and there are price tags attached to them…
They smell really good, but I don’t like the shampoo as it doesn’t foam at all.
The $100 credit is exchanged into 350 dirhams. The steakhouse looks way too expensive, whereas I’ve heard bad things about the other Mediterranean restaurant. By the way it happens to be Ramadan right now, but hotel restaurants operate as normal and as a tourist I don’t feel affected at all.
In the end I decided to try the room service instead.
They are certainly no delicacy, but decent enough for the price and to fill my stomach. The two meals didn’t use up all my credit so I packed some cakes from the dessert shop for my flight back.
Note that there’s no complimentary breakfast for elite members at Edition hotels, but thankfully it’s offered by the Stars program. I read some very positive reviews of the breakfast so was looking forward to it.
Conveniently the breakfast is served until 12.30pm, so you don’t need to worry about an early morning if you are suffering jetlag.
There’s both indoor and outdoor seating.
The service is a-la-carte only. I ordered the eggs benefit on the first morning which was nothing to write home about.
The cured meat is made from beef instead of pork, and I’m not used to the taste.
Then next day I ordered the chilli scrambled eggs, and I have to say it is so different to the other scrambled eggs I’ve had in the past! Very Instagrammable and tasty.
The outdoor swimming pool is pretty good but closes early at 6.30pm. There’s also a sauna room nearby inside.
There another swimming pool on the rooftop of the residence building. It’s smaller but with a view.
The gym:
It’s fair to say that my first close encounter with the Edition brand is quite positive, but by the UAE standard I don’t assume it would stand out. I would love to try out the Emirates Palace hotel some day, but either I’d need to earn more money, or Mandarin Oriental needs to allow me to spend my points…
BA sale: £600 Premium Economy deal, Silver for £800
British Airways has launched their end of summer sale, and as usual you can use the low fare finder to dig out the best deals.
I can’t see any particularly good Club World or First destinations, but there are genuine savings if you don’t mind travelling in premium economy. Here are some headline prices:
- Beijing £743
- Shanghai £721
- Tel Aviv £618
- Doha £636
- New York £636
- Toronto £747
And a couple of examples for China in Skyscanner:
- Beijing 03/10 – 24/10 £683
- Shanghai 23/01 – 05/03 £717
When it comes to Club Europe flights, we no longer see as many low prices as we used to. Here are some examples:
- Basel £198
- Bucharest £288
- Dublin £176
- Istanbul £312
- Luxembourg £148
- Pisa £198
- Sofia £212
The destinations in bold earn you 80 tier points per return whereas the rest earn only 40. Sofia is the one standing out (example 07/03 – 10/03), as you’ll earn BA’s Silver status after four returns which costs around £800.
BA’s Silver status, or in other words Oneworld Sapphire, comes with priority check-in and boarding, fast track, additional baggage allowance and business class lounge access.
15% off your Airalo eSIM purchase
I’ve been using Airalo for the past year when travelling abroad, and I’m very content with the product. It’s true that they aren’t as cheap as if your purchase a physical SIM card locally, but being able to sort it out before the trip without moving SIM cards in and out is a deal-breaker for me.
If you are interested in placing an order, Airalo just launched a new promotion with Mastercard. Up until April 30 2023, you can use the promo code MASTERCARD15 for 15% off all your purchases.
In theory it’s a deal for Mastercard users in Asia Pacific, however I don’t think any check is performed.
My review of the Falcon Gold Lounge, Bahrain
I’m flying Gulf Air for the first time and this article will look at the ground experience. Bahrain airport is located on an island in the north east of the country. In fact the island is so much nicer than the city centre that it almost feels like a resort itself.
The airport went through a major refurbishment in 2021 that cost over one billion dollars. The airport isn’t very big though. It’s got four entrances and Gulf Air premium passengers are invited to use Gate 1.
Gulf Air names their premium business class product Falcon Gold, and you can see this brand name everywhere.
You need to go sideways to find the check-in counters. I don’t think it’s a good design, as you couldn’t see which side is less busier.
After checking in you can use the two dedicated emigration desks, and then the fast track lanes for security check. Go up one level and you’ll see the Falcon Gold lounge!
There’s a business centre with desktops and printers for use to the right.
The lounge, although not huge or exclusive, has a modern design and is very new.
It is an open space on the mezzanine floor so overlooks the departure hall.
There’s a snack station at the centre of the lobby.
A mini cinema:
The bar is closed.
There are quite few entertainment activities though: foosball, pool, golf simulator and flight simulator!
Breakfast buffet:
And an egg station:
It is pretty much what you expect at a med-scale hotel in Bahrain, so not impressive. I think they used to offer a-la-carte dining and barista coffee before, but it’s no longer the case.
There’s a kids club too:
Gulf Air doesn’t have the best ground experience, and their Falcon Gold lounge has got nothing to write home about. Unless you want to try out their games, you don’t have to arrive early.