ufo luxotel & bubble luxotel

★★★★★

Absolutely a fantasy come to life! Imagine being transported into the middle of the Jordanian desert, surrounded by nothing but sand, mountains and LUXURIOUS BUBBLE HOTELS! I can 100% confidently say that this is an experience so special and unique that it is a must-do when visiting beautiful Jordan. The UFO Luxotel and Bubble Hotel are two different designs that have differing views of the valley and a few amenity changes, but offer the same restaurant, hookah and activities to make your stay even more memorable.

Location: Imagine glamping where they filmed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, because this is it! Not kidding! Wadi Rum, known also as the Valley of the Moon, is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan and this property is simply tucked away so absolutely remote you seriously feel like you’re on the planet Mars. This type of unique, almost seemingly uncharted location sets you in a place so far away from the real world and allows you to relax underneath the moon and the stars. It is truly a one-of-a-kind location for a stay and has become a bucket-list destination for many tourists.

Arrival: Getting there is the best part and is definitely a bonus for the adventurous. We took the route of renting a car through our hotel in Amman. We immediately made contact with a representative of the Luxotel once our booking was confirmed, in order to understand how we get there. We were told how to locate a nearby gas station that we could wait at and a driver would meet us there so we could follow him to the parking lot to drop off our car. *Side note: We stayed in contact with the hotel through WhatsApp because we did not have cell service abroad and they were extremely communicative and helpful the entire way. The driver arrives in a truck that’s been re-upholstered with seats and a cloth-covered top in the truck bed. Elliot and I eagerly jumped in the back and the drivers assistant put our bags and insane amounts of booze (the hotel does not have alcoholic beverages on premise… bring your own!) with us and we rode out. It was about a 15 minute drive towards our hotel which wasn’t even in site until the last few minutes. This ride was not only necessary, but such a unique opportunity for us to ride in the back of a truck, decked out in Arabian cloths, hauling ass, kicking up sand, heading towards the secret hiding spot of the hotels. Upon arrival, you are blown away by how COOL these UFO style bubble hotels look in this Mars-like location. A man came to pick us up in a golf cart (since now you’re on a brick road) to take us to the lobby bubble. Within seconds we pulled up to the main bubble which hosted the dinners every evening as well. We were greeted with smiling faces and the notable friendly Jordanian attitude. They explained to us what time to arrive for the dinner buffet and they went into detail about the amazing activities they offer on-site. By far, this was the most incredible start to a hotel stay we’ve ever had.

Stay (UFO Luxotel): It took us a minute to get over how exclusive it made us feel to even be here and then to arrive at our very own, private bubble hotel was unreal. The UFO bubbles have a large window for you to gaze over the valley as well as a skylight to stare at the stars from the comfort of your bed. Our bubble had a large porch with tables and chairs which we found ourselves enjoying wine at every night under the stars. Inside was glamping at it’s finest! The walls were covered with a plush fabric (for privacy) and the decor was modern and very cozy. The room was not small by any means! The bathroom area was equipped with all the necessities and a storage area for our clothes. The shower was brand new, with a rain shower head and hot water. My favorite part of this hotel was the view from the bedroom. It was incredible to watch the sunrise in the morning over the valley right from our pillows.

Stay (Bubble Luxotel): The owner, Mo, had become our friend overnight and offered us the opportunity to try out the Bubble Hotels next door (which are also owned by him). We couldn’t resist! The Bubble Luxotel offered views of the valley from the coziest living room chaise lounge and a larger view of the stars at night because the bedroom is separate and has the entire top half of the bubble exposed. This particular bubble came with a hot tub… BONUS! Even though we were unable to utilize the hot tub because this was a brand new unit and it wasn’t fully functional at the time, it was still pretty awesome. The decor was very comparable to the UFO units and the bathroom was the same as well. My favorite part of the Bubble hotel would have been the hot tub and probably still was only because this whole experience is already so unique, what wouldn’t be cool about saying you drank champagne in a hot tub in Wadi Rum?! Just sayin’.

Restaurant: Here’s where you get to encounter something very exclusive. The restaurant hosts a famous Jordanian dinner every night called, Zarb, which is prepared in a submerged oven called a, “Taboon.” This is considered a delicacy in the Bedouin parts of Jordan. The dish consisted of meats and vegetables prepared with seasonings. It wasn’t the only dish served for the buffet, but it was definitely the highlight. There was so much offered and plenty to go around for all of the guests. We were able to arrive early for a demonstration hosted by Mo and the Chef, which really made the experience authentic. The staff knew that it was our honeymoon and they surprised us with a Jordanian song and a delicious cake. This was top-notch service from this lovely team. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN! I can’t forget to mention that we had trouble getting back in time for dinner and even the truck transport on our second day because we took too much time at Petra. This can be a tricky situation due to the nature of where this hotel is located. Mo, the Owner, picked us up himself to get us back in the dark AND had the Chef put us aside 2 plates of food for us to eat since the kitchen was closed. This amazing display of hospitality will never go unnoticed and is basically unmatched.

Stargazing: 5 Stars for the enthusiastic tour guide, Hadi! The stargazing experience is not to be missed! Hadi is an extremely educated astronomer and comes with the most like-able personality. Elliot and I were visiting during a full moon so we thought it was kind of pointless, but we figured we’d give it a shot anyways. We were so happy we did because we were not disappointed! The clarity of the moon was (no pun-intended) out of this world! The views from the telescope were incredible and Hadi was able to capture a shot of the moon from the telescope lens with our cell phone, so we will have that forever. To this day we look up at the stars and can point out our favorite called, Capella. Hadi also offers to take “Star-Wars” style photos with green lazer pointers that look like light sabers… and just like that, the little kids inside of us had a blast pretend fighting as good versus evil :) Thank you Hadi for the unforgettable experience.

Overall: WOW!!! What an incredible memory! From start to finish everything was perfect. The Wadi Rum Luxotels have to be the most unique hotel destination in the world. If I had one complaint, it was that I wish we had more time there. Even though I can check it off my bucket list, it’s back on there because I want to go back so bad.

***Special “Shout Out” to Mo and his Brother. Mo is the most accommodating and hospitable manager we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He reached out to his Brother who owned a restaurant near Petra in the case that we wouldn’t make it back in time for dinner. We were still unable to make it to his restaurant due to the extended time we spent inside the walls of the lost city. We appreciated the hospitality and the effort on both of their parts to make our time in Jordan the best. Choukran!