Where to stay and how to pay

Three things work differently here: booking, payment and electricity. All three are worth knowing before you set off.

Booking

International booking sites cover Syria thinly and many hotels are not listed on any of them. The common method is to hold a room directly, by phone or message. Prepayment is usually not asked for, because there is no channel to take it through. In high season and around holidays it pays to arrange something in advance; otherwise finding a room the same day is not difficult.

Payment

Cash. Cards are not accepted and there is no paying online. Some hotels quote in foreign currency, some in pounds; settle which one, and the total, as you check in. Prices vary widely by city and season, which is why no record on this site carries a fixed nightly rate.

Registration

The hotel takes your passport at check-in and registers it. This is a requirement, not an unsettling exception, and the entry stamp is what they look for. Your passport may stay at reception for a while — carry a photocopy separately.

What kind of places there are

In the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo there are small hotels converted from courtyard houses: few rooms, a cool courtyard, everything within walking distance. In the newer districts the hotels are more conventional. On the coast and in smaller cities the choice narrows. This site recommends no venue that serves alcohol, and the same measure applies to choosing a hotel.

Which quarter to stay in

In Syria the quarter matters more than the name of the hotel: city centres are walked, and staying on the wrong side turns an hour of your day into taxi rides.

Damascus. In the old city — Bab Touma, Qaymariyya, Shaghour — there are small hotels converted from courtyard houses: few rooms, a cool courtyard, the Umayyad Mosque and the markets within walking distance. The lanes are narrow and a car cannot reach the door; the last hundred metres are on foot with your luggage. In the newer districts — Shaalan, Abu Rummaneh — the hotels are more conventional, the streets are wide, and the old city is fifteen minutes away. Old city for quiet, new city for convenience.

Aleppo. Jdeideh is the equivalent on the old-city side, with its courtyard houses and repaired lanes; the citadel and the souq are walkable. Aziziyah is in the newer district and busy in the evening.

Tartus. Stay near the corniche: the Arwad boats leave from the jetty there, and catching an early one is easier for it. The old city inside the fortress is also within walking distance.

Hama. The city is small; staying in the centre by the river is enough, with the wheels and the Azm Palace on foot.

Homs and Latakia. Both are used as bases — Krak des Chevaliers from Homs, Saladin Castle from Latakia. Staying central makes finding a car in the morning easier.

Palmyra. Choice is thin; most visitors go for the day from Homs. If you plan to stay, ask in advance whether there is a room at all.

Five things to ask before you hold a room

All of them have one-sentence answers, by phone or message: what hours the generator runs; whether the hot water depends on it; which currency the price is in and what the total is; whether the room is in the old city or the new; and whether the street is noisy at night. Anyone who knows those five walks into the room without a surprise.

Power and water

Grid cuts happen daily and the hours shift. Most hotels run a generator; outside generator hours there is no lift, no wifi and often no hot water. Ask at check-in when the generator runs — that answer will serve you better than the view from the room.