The plant-filled patio at the Bonita Inn, in Amman, Jordan
In Amman, the Bonita Inn may be best known as a destination for drinks and small plates, serving Spanish-inspired tapas in a plant-lined outdoor dining space. But upstairs, this family-owned inn has good-value guest rooms that provide an alternative to the large international chain hotels in Jordan’s capital city.
Here’s the scoop:
The Bonita Inn is sandwiched between the city’s larger towers.
The Bonita Inn, Amman, Jordan
The Bonita Inn is located in the Jabal Amman district between the second and third circles, on a side street off of Zahran Street, a main east-west artery through the city. Traffic whizzes by on this multi-lane boulevard, but just around the corner at the inn, you’re sheltered from much of the city’s commotion.
It’s a short walk from the inn to Nebo Coffee Roastery, a cool modern coffeehouse that draws a mix of Jordanian and expat clients, and to Shawerma Reem, a tiny takeaway with perpetual line-ups for its meaty sandwiches. A couple of small markets selling water and other drinks, fruits and vegetables, and snacks are located around the corner.
You can also walk to popular restaurant-lined Rainbow Street — stopping, perhaps, for a snack at the long-standing Falafel AlQuds, another always-busy takeout eatery. If you don’t want to walk all the way to the city center, you can easily find a cab or Uber for the ride, which, traffic permitting, is less than 15 minutes by car.
An upstairs hallway leads to the inn’s guest rooms.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
The Bonita Inn’s guest rooms are located on the building’s second floor. While not large, they feel contemporary, with good Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, small safes, and air-conditioning.
Bathrooms with walk-in showers are also compact and have been updated.
Rooms come in several different options with queen or twin beds. There’s also a smaller, less expensive single room with one twin bed.
There’s no view — my room looked onto the roof of an adjacent building — nor do the units have amenities like coffee makers or refrigerators, but the rooms offer a cozy cocoon from the hectic city outside.
One of the guest rooms at the Bonita Inn
Most Jordanian hotels include breakfast in their room rates, and the Bonita Inn is no exception. My breakfast tray, which I enjoyed with coffee on the restaurant patio, was an ample assortment of cheese, yogurt, omelet, fruits and vegetables, and breads.
An ample breakfast tray at the Bonita Inn
If you don’t need the amenities of a large hotel — swimming pools, fitness facility, concierge services — and you’re looking for a good-value lodging in Amman with a location that’s convenient and relatively central, consider the Bonita Inn. For me, my short stay at this friendly property was muy bonita.
Double room rates at the Bonita Inn start at about US$85/night, including breakfast and Wi-Fi. You can also reserve your room at Booking.com or Expedia.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. The Jordan Tourism Board and the Bonita Inn hosted my stay for review purposes, following the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s Elevate Near East event.