The House Boutique Suites, Amman

From the comfort of our bed on the 6th floor of The House Boutique Suites, we’re enjoying the best view in the city. As though back in our star-gazing bubble in Wadi Rum, we’ve left the curtains wide open and are taking in the city lights of Amman, glittering as far as the eye can see in the darkness.

The House Boutique Suites is located steps from Amman’s Second Circle in the Jabal district, which is situated on a hilltop and boasts some of the best views of the city. This is also one of the oldest parts of Amman, just a short walk from the downtown area where tourists flock to the famous Rainbow Street. It is also where the city’s most luxurious hotels can be found, among them The House.

The hotel itself stands out against the Amman skyline with its waterfall structure, cascading from the penthouse suites on the top floor to leafy urban streets below. As the name suggests, this is not a traditional hotel but rather a complex of luxury suites, each complete with a sleeping, sitting and eating areas. The Grand, Royal and Superior suites are miniature apartments with separate rooms for living and sleeping, where the studio suites have everything in one space. It’s a hotel designed to be equally suitable for short hotel visits as for extended stays in the city. This flexibility results in a mix of clientèle: families with children, couples, older groups of friends, and people travelling on business.

We stayed in a Superior Studio Suite on one of the hotel’s higher floors. Our room was located on a corner, with an incredible 180˚ view of the city from both windows, guaranteed to stop you in your tracks. It’s difficult to imagine the true scale of Amman – a city of 4 million people – until you’re looking at it from this height.

The design throughout The House is sleek, functional and modern. Where many studio hotels fall into the trap of looking overly functional, the bedrooms at The House are primarily designed for comfort and to maintain the relaxing experience of a hotel stay. The House opened its doors in 2017 and was awarded a five star rating shortly after. The upkeep has been impressive – everything in the room still looks new six years later. Adjoining the bedroom, the bathroom is a generous space with double rain shower and large vanity sink. While electrics are perhaps not the most exciting talking point, we were impressed by the convenience of multi-plug sockets throughout the room, negating a need for clunky adaptors.

And on the subject of more practical features, guests also have access to a laundry room on the third floor free of charge – a very necessary add-on for longer term stays.

Everything at The House has been designed to make the most of that incredible view, and the rooftop pool and relaxation area is no exception. In the summer months (the pool is closed in winter) this must be the perfect place to cool down while taking in the sights and sounds of the city below. Although our stay takes place in winter when the area is not in full use, it’s a unique experience to stand on the rooftop at dusk as the call to prayer reverberates from tens of mosques around the city.

The House is decorated in a sleek palette of gold and black with art deco-style panelling and warm lighting throughout. Next to the reception a huge lobby area of velvet couches creates a relaxed space for a business meeting or to stop for a coffee. The ground floor is also home to the hotel’s restaurant and breakfast area. Room rates at The House include a generous buffet-style breakfast with the option to add any style of eggs from the kitchen. As with most places in Jordan, guests have the option to choose from local breakfast specialities such as bean stew and labneh, as well as a more international menu of pastries, cereals and other continental options.

The House Boutique Suites provides a unique offering. It’s the first apartment-style hotel we’ve stayed in that also manages to provide a five star luxury experience, and is equally well-suited to short weekend trips as longer stays.

Its Second Circle location makes the House an excellent jump-off point for Amman’s main sights and nightlife, and that view from the upper floors…! We would love to return in summer to see the pool terrace in full swing, guests enjoying a refreshment with the sprawl of the city as the backdrop.

It could be argued that The House is trying to be all things to all people – there is an element of this that rings true, and this risks creating a generic experience. However, when you’re standing on that roof terrace and taking in the panorama of the city at dusk, ‘generic’ is the very last word that springs to mind.

There is a huge variety of accommodation options to choose from in Amman. The House occupies a unique place in the market and is the perfect way to support a locally-owned business and enjoy true Jordanian hospitality without compromising on the comforts of a luxury hotel experience.

We stayed
in a Superior Studio Suite, priced from around 105 JOD per night including continental breakfast.

This was a media stay. All opinions are our own.