[Review] Memories Aicha Luxury Camp in Wadi Rum: Luxury Hotel with Dome Tents (Jordan)

My hotel choices have been heavily influenced by my girlfriend H., who loves beautiful things, luxury, and watches Instagram reels of beautiful hotels. She recommended Our Habitas in Hegra, and now Memories Aicha Luxury Camp (Booking link) for our stay in Wadi Rum.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

After seeing this photo taken by a drone, I’m very interested. Sure, there are many dome tent hotels in Wadi Rum, but after looking closely at the photos, I get the impression that the tents at Memories Aicha Luxury Camp are built differently. They seem more “custom-made” than tents that you buy ready-made, or worse, completely transparent.

We opted for the “panoramic luxury tent” category. Be careful: there are “panoramic tents” in the inner circle, and despite the price, you’ll have a lot of vis-à-vis. After booking, remember to send a polite email to request one of the panoramic tents on the outer side, without vis-à-vis; it’s the same price.

The price is very high and this time we can’t soften it with miles or points. After discussion, JB decided to treat me to this experience anyway because it’s our wedding anniversary, we won’t be traveling for a long time, and we never give each other Christmas gifts, so let’s say it’s an excellent excuse to treat ourselves.

After Petra, we drove non-stop to Wadi Rum. Everyone must stop at the Visitor Center to either pay the 7JOD entrance fee per vehicle or show their Jordan Pass and enter for free.

We continue driving (7km) to a reception building of the Memories Aicha Luxury Camp hotel, located in the village, where we park our car and get our stuff out. A hotel employee tries to sell us excursions, but we already have an excursion planned with another agency the next day, so we tell him we’re just there to enjoy the hotel. A few minutes later, a jeep arrives and takes us to the hotel (free of charge).

It’s better this way because the hotel is in the desert, and with a normal car, we risk getting stuck in the sand. So this jeep has to come pick us up from the village. Only 10 minutes later, we arrive, hair in the wind, at Memories Aicha Luxury Camp.

Despite our early arrival (before noon), not only did we get our room right away, but we were also upgraded to a higher category, with no vis-à-vis. The manager admitted that there are only 30 of us tonight, out of a capacity of 120.

We promised to promote Jordan to our friends. That it’s a very safe country despite what’s happening around it. Boycotting Jordan is like not going to Thailand anymore because of what’s happening in Myanmar. It’s totally unfair.

Our tent is number 10. In this photo, it looks tiny, but it’s very spacious inside, very cozy, and well equipped.

A large part of the dome is protected by a real ceiling in fake marble, which distinguishes it from other hotels in the area. 1/3 of the dome is glass, which prevents us from being burned by the sun. The glass part can be covered with large curtains. The ultimate luxury: a chandelier on the ceiling!

Behind the bed is the bathroom. The shower is very hot, with good pressure, a real luxury knowing we’re in the desert.

Several blankets are provided, and the AC is reversible because it’s hot during the day but very cold at night. We get several bottles of water. They give us several faux wool coats (for the cold at night). And we also have a private balcony with two chairs for stargazing at night.

JB really likes to alternate between the two sofas because it offers him different views. Meanwhile, I make myself a tea and just watch the scenery from the bed. From the bed, I see the desert but also the mountain next door. It’s grandiose!

We explore the hotel facilities a bit. There’s also a huge dome tent, which is the dining room when there are many guests.

But we are few at the moment, so the restaurant is in this very cozy and original “cave”, where breakfasts and dinners are served (we are all on half board).

In front of the cave, there’s a small area where tea is served after dinner, and of course, there will be a fire. Perfect for warming up and stargazing at the same time.

There’s an arrow pointing to a “trail” leading up. I regret going all the way because the view from halfway up the trail is already very satisfying. The rest seemed very steep and dangerous, I ended up on my butt, paralyzed by the slightest movement. Luckily we didn’t go up there for sunset, because I wouldn’t have been able to come down in the dark. From above, I hope you better understand the layout of the hotel. You need to be in one of the dome tents on the outer side, not in the inner circle.

In the evening, we meet our neighbors: a few couples but mostly families. How lucky to be a teenager and have access to this kind of hotel at such a young age.

For me, it’s a real experience, absolutely unforgettable and striking. I’ve always dreamed of sleeping in a dome tent like that, but I always hesitated because of the lack of privacy. But in this specific case, there’s no problem. The hotel is almost empty and no cars appear in my field of vision. Due to the location, the food doesn’t quite match a 5-star rating, rather 4-star I’d say, but the staff are discreet, attentive, and very caring.

After dinner, we linger a bit by the fire to be served tea (very fragrant and delicious!). Then, we simply sit on our balcony and watch the stars. The hotel lights seem a bit too bright to me, so we can’t see them very well. But the sky isn’t completely dark either because the moon, although not visible, still lights up the sky. JB ventures deep into the desert to avoid light pollution, but he can’t see the Milky Way any better. I find the sky seen from the Sahara was much clearer. But that didn’t stop me from seeing a shooting star. I’m thrilled!

We quickly watch the movie “Lawrence of Arabia” because part of the film takes place right here in Wadi Rum. The film, which received seven Oscars in 1963, including Best Picture, hasn’t aged well in our opinion. It’s very long (3h42!) and boring, but the landscapes are grandiose and do justice to Wadi Rum, I think.

We’ll leave the curtains open all night so I can watch the sky from bed. I sleep poorly at night because I instinctively get up every hour to watch the sky and see if I can see the stars better. From midnight, the moon is omnipresent and I can barely distinguish anything.

The next day, we check out quite early to join our other excursion agency in Wadi Rum. A jeep drops us off at the village. As we leave, another family (who had the bad idea of coming with their own car) asks our driver to drive slowly because the father got lost in the desert on the way, unable to keep up with the jeep. Our driver tells them he can’t slow down. If he slows down, he’ll get stuck in the sand. The other family doesn’t argue anymore, and by following the pace of our jeep, their car also manages to get out of the desert without difficulty this time.

We pick up our car and head to our agency Wadi Rum Nomads.

Part 2: Practical Tips

• I think one night is more than enough. Despite the luxury of this hotel, life in the desert is tough, so your skin, hair, eyes… will feel better if you spend less time in Wadi Rum.
• Drop off your car at the village at Memories Aicha Camp Parking Activities (search on Google Maps) like everyone else.
  • If you plan to come to the hotel by yourself and have a 4×4, you need to deflate the tires a bit before driving on the sand.
• I still recommend the hotel’s jeep, which is free and available all the time; there’s no need to come with your own car.
• You can book the Memories Aicha Luxury Camp hotel on Booking (link), we paid 360 euros per night for the “Panoramic Luxury Tent” category and were upgraded to the “Deluxe Panoramic Suite” category. Half board. I’m aware it’s a hefty budget, but I don’t regret it at all.