Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Saraya Aqaba

Al Manara was the Luxury Collection's first property in Jordan and anchors the Saraya Aqaba development on the Red Sea shore. The architecture borrows from Nabataean and Ottoman precedent, with native stone walls, vaulted ceilings and courtyards that keep the scale from feeling corporate.

There is direct access to two beach areas and a waterfront infinity pool, plus a Heavenly Spa running Dead Sea rituals and a full treatment list. Three restaurants cover Mediterranean and regional cooking, with poolside dining for the lazier days.

Aqaba is Jordan's only coastal city and the diving on the reefs just south of town, including the deliberately sunk aircraft and wrecks, is genuinely good. Wadi Rum is about an hour inland and Petra roughly two, which makes this a natural end point for a Jordan circuit. The airport is fifteen minutes away.