Jordan's best-resolved Dead Sea resort: 345 rooms in an architectural homage to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, nine pools terraced down the slope, the Ishtar Spa by Resense, and a private beach on the lowest dry land on earth.
"The one Dead Sea resort that takes its own reference seriously: nine pools terraced down the slope to the lowest beach on earth, and a spa that understands what the mud is actually for."
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar sits on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea at Sweimeh, about 60 kilometres from central Amman and 45 to 60 minutes by road from Queen Alia International Airport, on the shoreline that is the lowest dry land on earth at roughly 430 metres below sea level. Kempinski has run the resort for close to two decades, and the design brief was explicit: an architectural homage to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The terraces step down the slope in stages, and the nine swimming pools set at successive elevations, linked by water channels, are the conceit that carries the whole scheme. It is the one resort on this coast where the architecture is a reason to book rather than a container for the beach.
There are 345 rooms and suites, or 331, depending on which page of Kempinski's own website you read: the resort's home page says 345, its "Our Hotel" page says 331, and the hotel has never reconciled the two. Take the larger figure as the marketing number and the smaller as the one likelier to reflect keys actually sold. Kempinski's own room chart starts at 40 square metres for a Superior and runs up to the Ishtar Royal Villas at 475 square metres, and the gap between those two ends is the widest of any hotel on this shore. The entry rooms are generous and unremarkable: king or twin, sitting area, balcony or terrace onto the gardens, the pools, or the water (the sea view is the paid upgrade, and it is the one worth paying for). The Royal Villas are a different product entirely, with three bedrooms, two living rooms, a full kitchen, an outdoor jacuzzi, a private infinity pool, direct beach access, and a butler and chauffeur attached. Décor throughout is Mesopotamian-inflected, sandstone panelling and deep reds and brass, executed to a contemporary five-star spec rather than a themed one.
Where to eat: Rehan is the Lebanese kitchen and the table to book for dinner; Blu Mediterranean Flavours is the a la carte alternative; Akkad Pool and Grill handles the daytime beside the pools. Jordan has no Michelin Guide, so judge the kitchens on the plate.
Kempinski's current restaurants-and-bars listing names five venues, and it is worth reading it before you arrive, because the older reviews of this resort are out of date. The Obelisk, the buffet room that most write-ups still cite as the half-board default, is no longer on the hotel's own list. What is on it: Rehan Lebanese Cuisine, the mezze-and-grill kitchen and the best cooking on the property; Blu Mediterranean Flavours, the a la carte alternative; Akkad Pool and Grill, which covers the daytime at pool level; and The Edge Social Lounge and the Sumerian Terrace for drinks and the long afternoon. Confirm which room serves your half-board when you book, because the answer has moved. And the honest food note for anyone planning a trip around the table: this is competent resort dining, not a destination culinary programme. Book Rehan, keep expectations level elsewhere.
The spa is the property's real proposition, and its correct name matters because the resort is often miscredited: it is the Ishtar Spa by Resense, roughly 10,000 square metres, which makes it one of the largest hotel spas in the Middle East. The count that matters to a booking is 20 treatment rooms with private showers, six outdoor treatment and relaxation areas, Tepidarium heated lounges, a dedicated Dead Sea pool, and a hydro-pool. Dead Sea mud and salt protocols are the core of the treatment list, which is the point of coming: the Dead Sea basin is a recognised destination for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and the mineral content of the water and mud is why. If you are booking this hotel for one reason, this is the reason.
The sea itself is why the hotel exists. The private beach is a straightforward, well-kept stretch of shoreline with mud on hand and staff who will tell you how long to stay in the water (the answer is less time than you think). One practical warning that reads as pedantry until it happens to you: do not shave the day you float, keep the water away from your eyes, and rinse immediately afterwards. For a wellness stay, a Levant honeymoon, or a family week anchored on the Amman, Dead Sea and Petra triangle, this is the strongest single address in Jordan.
The Ishtar Spa by Resense, at roughly 10,000 square metres and 20 treatment rooms, is the largest wellness facility on the Jordanian shore. Book five nights, take the Dead Sea mud and salt protocols daily, use the Tepidarium lounges between treatments, and float in the late afternoon rather than at midday. The day pass, if you are staying elsewhere on the strip, runs about 65 JOD per adult and 35 JOD per child in 2026.
A sea-view room is the sane honeymoon booking; an Ishtar Royal Villa, with its own infinity pool and beach access, is the milestone version. The resort pairs naturally with nights at Petra and an Amman stop either side, and the concierge desk is used to assembling that itinerary. Do not plan a July or August honeymoon here: the heat is punishing.
The cascading-pools terrace is the most family-functional pool environment on the Dead Sea, nine pools at different elevations means children of different ages can find appropriate water without occupying the same space. The kids' club, the small water-park area, and the property's safe private beach (children must stay out of the Dead Sea itself; the salinity is hazardous) are the practical points.
Swaimeh Dead Sea Road
Sweimeh 11194, Jordan
(P.O. Box 941806)
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), 45 to 60 minutes by road; central Amman about 60km
345 rooms and suites (the hotel's own "Our Hotel" page says 331)
Superior from 40m²
Ishtar Royal Villa 475m² (3 bedrooms, private infinity pool, butler)
Rates move sharply with season; check the live rate before you commit
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Sweimeh, about 60km from central Amman
45 to 60 minutes from Queen Alia International (AMM)
On the Dead Sea shore, the lowest dry land on earth
Nine pools, private Dead Sea beach
Ishtar Spa by Resense, ~10,000m², 20 treatment rooms
Dead Sea mud and salt protocols
Five venues: Rehan, Blu, Akkad, The Edge, Sumerian Terrace
Seven event venues; largest seats 600
Spa day pass ~65 JOD adult / 35 JOD child (2026)
WiFi throughout
High season runs October through May, and it runs that way for a reason: the Dead Sea summer is genuinely punishing, 40°C and up, and the terraced pools become a survival strategy rather than a pleasure. Book six to eight weeks ahead for the cool months, and further ahead for the Royal Villas, which are few. Rates move with season and occupancy, so take the live rate rather than any figure quoted on a review page, including this one.
Compare Room Rates →Kempinski's current listing names five venues: Rehan Lebanese Cuisine, the mezze-and-grill kitchen and the table to book for dinner; Blu Mediterranean Flavours, the a la carte alternative; Akkad Pool and Grill for the daytime beside the pools; and The Edge Social Lounge and the Sumerian Terrace for drinks. Note that The Obelisk, the buffet room most older reviews name as the half-board default, is no longer on the hotel's own list, so confirm your half-board venue when you book. Jordan has no Michelin Guide, so no kitchen here carries a star.
Yes. The resort is operating and taking bookings through 2026 at Sweimeh on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea, about 60 km from central Amman. Status re-verified against Kempinski's own site in July 2026.
It sits at Sweimeh on the eastern (Jordanian) shore, about 60 km from central Amman and 45 to 60 minutes by road from Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). The shoreline here is the lowest dry land on earth, roughly 430 metres below sea level. Petra is a straightforward onward drive south, which is why most itineraries pair the two.
It is the Ishtar Spa by Resense, not an Anantara spa, a confusion that appears widely online. At roughly 10,000 square metres it is one of the largest hotel spas in the Middle East, with 20 treatment rooms with private showers, six outdoor treatment and relaxation areas, Tepidarium heated lounges, a dedicated Dead Sea pool and a hydro-pool. Dead Sea mud and salt protocols are the core of the treatment list.
Yes. Kempinski Ishtar sells a day pass, quoted at about 65 JOD per adult and 35 JOD per child for 2026, which is the usual way guests staying elsewhere on the Sweimeh strip get access to the pools and the private beach. Treatments are charged separately.
Rates move sharply with season and occupancy, so take the live rate rather than a figure quoted on any review page. High season is October through May; July and August are 40C and up, and the heat is the single biggest reason a stay disappoints. Book six to eight weeks ahead for the cool months, and further ahead for the Ishtar Royal Villas, of which there are few.
The full editorial ranking of luxury resorts on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea.
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The pre- or post-Dead Sea night, with the Citadel, the Roman Theatre, and the city's best contemporary Levantine restaurants.
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