Al Fares Hotels

A historic masterpiece

Al Fares Hotels stands on Cinema Street in Bahsa, a block from the shops and cafés of Shaalan and a short walk from Yusuf al-Azma Square. Part of the Al Majed group of hotels, it is best known for its entrance: a lantern-lit lane of hand-carved Damascene woodwork that leads past small restaurants into a lobby of black-and-white marble and arabesque panelling. The rooms are plainer than the lobby and honest about it — deluxe doubles and triples on the upper floors look out over the city, each with air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a flat-screen TV, an in-room safe and a direct-dial phone. For longer stays the hotel also runs serviced apartments a few doors away, each with a bedroom, a sitting room and a kitchen. The front desk is staffed around the clock by multilingual receptionists, with a restaurant, room service, laundry, currency exchange, luggage storage, parking and airport transfers on request. A practical, good-value base in central Damascus, with more character at the door than the price suggests.