The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar gives you the opportunity to enjoy its riches where Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra once strived to unravel mystery. Situated gracefully on the shores of the largest spa in the world the Dead Sea, unique for its ozone-rich air, mineral sea water and ultra-violet filtered sunshine. Surely there is no region on earth where nature and history have more wonderfully conspired, where so exciting drama has obtained a so beautiful theatre.
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Nestled along the shores of a natural wonder, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is widely celebrated for its sophisticated atmosphere, complete with live music and chic decor that leave a lasting impression. Guests laud the spacious and clean rooms, though some have pointed out maintenance and booking discrepancies. The hotel's amenities, including the array of pools and the acclaimed spa, receive consistent praise.
Staff members earn applause for their exceptional service, contributing to the hotel's high marks for cleanliness and prime location. While the luxurious offerings are seen as good value by many, others express concerns over pricing, particularly in relation to dining and service.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Sophisticated
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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We had a wonderful experience. The property is huge, so many pools, bars, wonderful food, and hospitable staff. The Dead Sea experience is so much fun. The kids club is huge and the staff (Rachel) is so accommodating. The best part of the trip was how the staff was so friendly with the kids, especially Ivan and Khaled, they went out of their way to give us a wonderful tour of the property, and were so so kind to our kids. Truly a memorable experience.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastien Mariette, Owner at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Dec 8, 2024
Dear Valued Guest, We are delighted we had the opportunity to host you during your Dead Sea visit.We are glad that you enjoyed your overall stay with us and that our hotel facilities, dining experience and services met your expectations. We feel proud and grateful for your compliments on the efforts and dedication demonstrated by our staff members and would like to rest assured that we have passed on your comments accordingly. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back soon. Kind regards, Sebastien Mariette General Manager - Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Area General Manager Levant & KSA
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This was our third stay this year and as always excellent food, great service, and amazing rooms. The front desk is excellent and checking you in quickly and getting you the right room for the right price. Food is amazing, a bit pricey, but it’s worth it. The Dead Sea is only a few minutes walk down the stairs and there you find helpful staff providing towels and water. Same at the pools as the staff makes sure you feel comfortable. Hats off to the arigleh guy as he kept the coals coming even though he was working up and downstairs at the hotel. Just an FYI the resort is massive and each pool area provides a different vibe, which is great as it can fit your mood for the day. I recommend staying in Ishtar village and make sure you upgrade to at least a deluxe or terrace room.
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from C_Zschunke, Executive Assistant Manager at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Jun 25, 2020
Dear valued guest, Thank you for patronizing Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea; and taking the time out to share your experience on this TripAdvisor community. All of us are delighted that we could ensure a comfortable stay during your visit. We are very pleased to read your compliments not only towards the beautiful and magical place of the Dead Sea, but also towards the excellent hotel services delivered. It will be a great pleasure to share your praising comments to all team members. Thank you for staying with us and it will be our great pleasure to welcoming you again to Kempinski Hotel Ishtar during your future travels to the Dead Sea. Kind regards, Cornelia Zschunke Executive Assistant Manager
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We love living in Amman, but sometimes, you need a weekend away - especially in the winter! The Kempinski at the Dead Sea just became our new favorite spot. The grounds are absolutely stunning and there are so many places to seclude yourself away. The food, while pricey, is quite good. We were there for two nights and found enough vegetarian options for ourselves. The rooms are minimalistic, but quite comfortable, and anyway, why would you stay indoors? The only constructive criticism I have is for management to tell the cleaning service to close the doors while they're working. Staff left ours open (it was also open when we arrived) and they let in so many gnats. Luckily, it has an easy fix - close the doors! Otherwise, our stay was perfect.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Rudiger_C_Hollweg, General Manager at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Feb 15, 2020
Dear Ms. Ashley, Thank you for the excellent review! It was a real pleasure hosting you and we are happy to learn that your stay was pleasant in so many aspect. However, please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience you have encountered during you stay. We have addressed this straight away to our team members and escalated it to the management for immediate action to ensure that this incident will not re-occur. Again, thank you very much for staying with us, we look forward to hosting you again soon for another fantastic experience! Have a beautiful day! With kind regards, Rüdiger C. Hollweg General Manager
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This is the first time I stayed in the hotel and it is amazing, from arrival to departure.The public areas and facilities are amazing and there are many pools you can use.
The breakfast now is served in small portions, you need to wear gloves upon entering the restaurant. The cold items are served in small plates and there is only one live station for eggs and it is served to your table with a lid. The cutlery is wrapped. This procedure is more hygienic and less waste of food.
We were given a villa with a sea view which made the stay enjoyable, and also a late checkout.
The staff are amazing, helpful and always ready to assist no matter what. At the pool area, each towel is wrapped in a bag and is opened in front of the guest and you are given water at the pool.
Keep it up ......... will definitely come back.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Response from Haneen Abu-Asbeh, Revenue Management at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Jul 7, 2020
Dear valued guest, Please allow us to thank you for choosing Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea for your vacation and for taking the time to share your valuable feedback with us. We were glad to understand that you have had a pleasant time at our hotel, enjoying our pools and beach facilities. Moreover, it gives us great joy to find out that you were happy particularly with our COVID-19 safety procedures. Once again we thank you very much for sharing your feedback with us and in case of any future booking, do not hesitate to contact our Lady In Red Team to ensure everything is up to your expectations. With kind regards, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Team
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Where do I start? We checked in with Jamil who was so wonderful and professional, we were welcomed by Ahmad by the door who helped us with our luggage and his attitude and smile were just spectacular! The room was very large and very comfortable; we had everything we needed and more.
The pools were very nice and clean. The staff by the pool were hospitable. Abdelrahman was always there to assist us. When my friend fell on her foot, the staff quickly took care of her.
The breakfast on the second day was to die for! It was so well organized, with the staff and chefs helping by giving you the portions of food and helping you load up your plate! And not just the service but the food was really really good. I have one little comment about the coffee which I think was watered down but nevertheless it was all perfect. Yahyia in the restaurant kept us happy and smiling all morning, he really was amazing.
Ivan was just so amazing and professional and great! Honestly, him singing happy birthday to my friend was the highlight of our trip.
I would like to extend my thanks to all the wonderful employees whom I didn’t mention as I have forgotten their names but they were all beyond compare! Every single person we came into contact with was friendly and kind and above all knew the meaning of true hospitality!
Thank you again and we hope to see you soon!
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
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Response from Cornelia Zschunke, Owner at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Jul 11, 2020
Dear valued guest, Thank you for posting your candid review of your recent stay at our hotel. We are very pleased to receive your perfect rating and you found many aspects of our hotel and services beyond your expectation and that you were able to fully unwind and indulge the wonders of the Dead Sea. We were also glad that you like our spacious well-equipped room, our extensive breakfast buffet and the excellent service provided by our team. We will gladly share your praising comments with the team especially to those team members mentioned by name. Once again, thank you for your valuable feedback and for having a remarkable stay and hope to have you back with us very soon! Kind regards, Cornelia Zschunke Executive Assistant Manager
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It's my 6th day in this hotel. What a beautiful sight from the balcony window although We are not allowed to get out of our rooms due to the quarantine process. I was impressed how the staff received us with smiles and kept on comforting us . There was chaos all over the place due to the huge numbers of people and the front desk officers were under huge stress . However, They dealt with this challenging crisis with so much rationale. Everyday, We receive ,a high standard ,3 giant course meals that feeds three persons. The janitors pass by everyday and provide us with all what we need. Today was the peak of their generosity as they gave us flower and mousse cake on the occasion of mother's day. I salute every single employee in this esteemed hotel. Bless you all.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled solo
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Response from habuasbeh, Manager at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Mar 22, 2020
Dear Ms Hamidah, Happy mothers day ! We are happy to read these lovely words, thank you for rating your experience at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar. We are sure everything is going to be alright soon and you will visit us for leisure and enjoy our facilities in the near future. We are glad to read that you found the service provided by our dedicated staff to be of a high standard and please don't hesitate to contact them if you need anything. Stay safe! With kind regards, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Team
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Out standing hygienic process,since our arrival they sterilized our car beside the entrance. Everybody were wearing masks &gloves included lifeguard,housekeeping and reception every where. .they sterilized your seat &table once you moved. Outstanding service overall. Breakfast due to covid and precautions they put like small plates for houmous ,labaneh ,fruits,cheese i really liked them i found it more well organized than the big messy plates so benefits for precaution. Even the pool towels you got them in sealed bags very clean. I do advise about this hotel for the above experience and as it has more than 4 pools so no crowded pools you gonna find .
June/22 /2020 experience
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
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Response from haneenAbuAsbeh, Manager at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Jun 25, 2020
Dear valued guest, We are very glad that we had the opportunity of hosting you during your recent visit to Ishtar- Dead Sea. It was an absolute honor to have you as our guest and we are very pleased to know that you had an enjoyable stay and the team has made your stay very pleasurable. We greatly appreciate your feedback and hope that you will spread the word about our amazing property. With kind regards, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Team
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On our first visit to Jordan, we booked a 3 night stay at the Kempinski Ishtar on the Dead Sea. We are frequent Travellers and have been to many hotels around the world, yet have been SO impressed with the outstanding service we received at this beautiful resort! Upon arrival, we were upgraded to a much nicer room in the “villas” closer to the sea and can highly recommend staying there over the regular rooms in the main building. The rooms are clean and spacious, and offer great views over the Dead Sea. During our visit, Jordan was under strict 6pm curfew, hence we had to eat our dinners in the room. Despite this challenge, the team made us very comfortable and offered a great a la carte selection of our half board dinner to be delivered to the room. Breakfast was a buffet at the beautiful Obelisk restaurant, with amazing views from the terrace overlooking the resort, a true highlight. What made our stay super special was the extremely welcoming , and genuinely friendly staff. Every waiter was doing his utmost best to make us feel comfortable, always with the nicest attitude and smile on their faces. The star of the hotel however was the “gentleman in red” Ivan, who I nicknamed the sunshine. Ivan was just everywhere, greeted and welcomed us with the most positive energy, and literally anticipated our every need. After the first night, my husband and I were discussing that everything is perfect, but that we might prefer firmer pillows. During breakfast, Ivan came to our table to introduce himself , offering any assistance needed, and even asked if we were happy with the pillows or prefer another kind. We were wowed! This is true 5 star service, when you do not even need to ask for something, but your needs are anticipated! The hotel has a true gem with Ivan and its other employees, it truly made the difference! The minibar also comes with complimentary soft drinks which is a great bonus - sadly it didn’t include the only drink I like- well 1 phone call later, all drinks were replaced with my favorite soft drink! The resort overall is super well maintained and absolutely beautiful! You can float in the Dead Sea, apply your mud in front of a mirror, shower it off and enjoy some time in the shade on your subbed. The many stunning pools of the resort are just a dream, many of them heated which came in handy as we visited in March. We had a Picture perfect stay and can only recommend to stay at the Kempinski Ishtar if you are ever at the Dead Sea- you won’t regret it!
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastien Mariette, General Manager at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Mar 26, 2021
Dear Mr. Marlen, Thank you for giving us a perfect rating and for recommending our hotel to other travelers. Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to share your kind comments. That’ll put a smile on my face for the rest of the day! It was a pleasure to have you. The staff and I are so happy we could make your stay so wonderful. Customer service is everything to us, and it’s made my day to hear you had such a relaxing staycation. I will gladly share your praising comments with the team in particualr to Ivan. It's not surprising that Ivan took such a wonderful care of you and made you feel so valued. He is an important member of our team! Thank you once again for your review and for your patronage; and we are looking forward to welcoming you on your next stay with us. Kind regards, Sebastien Mariette Cluster General Manager
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Not sure where to start with this review as we had so many problems. The main areas of concern - When we checked in we were offered to pay for a room upgrade. The upgrade would include a large balcony with sunloungers, a quiet adult only pool and the room would be in a quiet location. The sun loungers clinched the deal and we agreed to pay. When we arrived at our room there were no loungers on the balcony. Fortunately we hadn't unpacked so declined the paid upgrade. After the porter made several phone calls they brought loungers for us. Then the DJ at the large pool, about 30 meters from our room, started playing exceptionally loud music, not the quiet location we had been assured of. At the adult only pool we had loud and badly behaved children running amok. Other guests and our friends did complain and eventually the family were asked to move. The most worrying issue however happened after a massage when we returned to our room to relax we found our room door open and suitcases (which were still half full) gone. This caused quite some panic and distress. They were returned after our frantic phone call, apparently being collected in error (never really understood why). The relaxation from our massage wasted. We went for pre dinner drinks ( which took an age to come) and we are convinced the cocktails didn’t contain any gin. We had to leave early for our flight. We were told we could either order a breakfast box or there would also be tea, coffee and croissants in reception to help ourselves to before we left. We didn't order the breakfast boxes as a coffee and croissant would be more than adequate. When we arrived at reception at 4.45a.m there were no croissants. In fairness, after complaining the hotel did refund the room upgrade and the price of the cocktails. So many more issues but I think that gives a good impression. On a positive the grounds are well maintained and the staff, with the exception of Reception were friendly and helpful. The Spa is brilliant with good treatments. We also loved the Lebanese restaurant. Unfortunately we cannot recommend this hotel as far too many issues.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastien Mariette, Owner at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Apr 13, 2022
Dear Mr. Pritchard, First and foremost, please accept my sincere apologies for failing to meet your expectations during your stay with us. I would like to thank you for sharing your recent experience at our property, although we were happy to read that you acknowledge some positive aspects of your stay with us, we were also saddened to read about the unsatisfactory experience you had whilst residing at our hotel, be guided that our guests’ comfort is given a high priority and your comments are of great importance to us. This is certainly not how we wish our guests to feel and we regret that this was the case. We missed the opportunity to create a positive experience. While it is never pleasant to receive unfavorable criticism, it is through such feedback we can isolate issues and areas in need of improvements and enhancements throughout the resort. I am very sorry that your recent experience at our hotel was not particularly memorable but rather disappointing. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the inconveniences you experienced. This is certainly not how we wish our guests to feel and we regret that this was the case. Please be assured that your comments are being addressed with my team, and we will take the necessary measures to improve future guest experiences. I hope that this incident does not taint our reputation and that you will allow us to serve you better in the future. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly at: ladyinred.ishtar@kempinski.com as we would like to take extra care of you during your next stay with us. We would be delighted to have you again with us. Kind regards, Sebastien Mariette General Manager - Kempinski Hotel Ishtar & Area General Manager Levant
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Everywhere you go you are pestered by hordes of flies. We were told this happens often in the fall after the first rain and because fertilization put on farm fields. You couldn’t pay me to go in the foul smelling Dead Sea and smear that suspicious black mud over my body. My travel mate did and was covered in hives afterwards. The hotel should consider putting a lanai or screens over some pools to control the flies. The property is massive with a confusing layout. Best to use one of the carts that transport you about. My friends paid double for an upgraded room that was supposed to include “cart service” but no cart showed up 30 minutes after we called so we traipsed to the Italian restaurant and they finally summoned one. We were awakened at 6am with a loud metallic clanking in the ceiling at our doorway. Several workrs came and went between 6:30am and 7:30am until finally someone took out a ceiling panel and sprayed Dw40. No compensation was offered until we demanded to speak to the manager and we got a meal voucher. This was the low point in our three week tour of the Middle East. Skip this and spend more time in Petra, Aaman, or Wadi Rum. The pool attendants, room staff, restaurant staff and even the sanitation workers were all cordial and eager to serve you. The only saving grace. But beware, the flies will drive you crazy.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sebastien Mariette, Owner at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Responded Oct 26, 2022
Dear Valued Guest, We are very sorry that your experience at our hotel was not a remarkable one. On behalf of the entire team, we would like to extend our sincerest apology that we’re not able to fully deliver on your expectation. We were also saddened to read about the unsatisfactory experience mainly because of the noise from your room's ceiling. We have taken note of your comment related to the flies in the outdoor area and, unfortunately, those spoilt your experience. Is a very limited and seasonal occurrence and resulted from the nearby agricultural areas in the nearby Jordan valley region. We do our best to keep the inconvenience caused by those flies to a minimum but the occurrence is also very weather-related. We are sorry that this has tarnished your comfort. On a more positive note, we feel proud and grateful for your compliments on the efforts and dedication demonstrated by our staff members and would like to rest assured that we have passed on your comments accordingly. We hope you would give us another chance to provide you with a flawless stay. We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Kind regards, Sebastien Mariette General Manager - Kempinski Hotel Ishtar & Area General Manager Levant
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the beach close at sunset. bear in mind that take off mud and salt with showers located in the beach is not sufficient and there is not a changing room there. perhaps in the main building (far from the beach) you can find a changing room provided with showers and hair dryers. ask at the reception when you check-in
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates23 contributions4 helpful votes
Hello.. The highs are in the low 20’s and the lows are around 12 degrees.. Try to book the new rooms that are next to the spa area.. They’re very nice.. Enjoy!
There are more places to choose from in the Sweimah area.
PRICE RANGE
$211 - $238 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
kempinski hotel amman
LOCATION
JordanDead Sea RegionSweimah
NUMBER OF ROOMS
345
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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