Syria's first luxury hotel, built in 1950 and named after the legendary Assyrian Queen Shammuramat, the builder of Babylon, has been recently brought up to date, with comfortable rooms and modern art throughout. On the rooftop there's a pool, gym and terrace with great views. The 7th-floor Tawabel restaurant is where guests enjoy breakfast, and where everyone is welcome to sample excellent Syrian dishes for lunch and dinner. After 22:00, the shisha pipes light up here, and you can also enjoy a smoke in the Cigar Lounge. The Marco Polo restaurant is currently the only place in Syria for Asian fusion food, open daily for dinner. The city centre location, overlooking the main road toward the old town, means you can easily walk to most historical sights. The hotel's website has a fascinating page dedicated to the history of the hotel, the area, and tourism in general in Damascus. Indicative room rates, including 12.5% tax: singles from $461, doubles $495-562, suites $788.