Damascus has a surprising number of accommodation options, from beautifully renovated Damascene courtyard houses to high-end tower blocks and cheerful hostels in the souk. Finding a good hotel in Damascus is easy. Finding a bad one is easy too! Thankfully, we've made a careful selection of excellent places to stay, both in and around the Old Town.

Tourism was quite well-developed in Syria in the 2000s, and many hotels have miraculously made it through the crisis years without a scratch – but many are in need of renovation and investment, so it's worth doing some research into which one best fits your budget, comfort requirements, and mood.

Read our feature articles with linked accommodation reviews for: 

• The top luxury hotels in Damascus
• The best mid-range hotels in Damascus
• The best budget hotels in Damascus
• The best backpacker hostels in Damascus
• Online accommodation booking in Damascus

Syrian hotels often quote their rates and accept payment in US dollars (crisp, undamaged notes from recent years are preferred) but naturally take Syrian pounds too, though you may need a small wheelbarrow to pay for your stay. Euros are often also accepted at the rate of the day; it's good to check in advance what payment methods are accepted. It's expected that credit card payments will be possible in the upmarket hotels from May or June 2026; until then everything is cash-only.

Traveller numbers in Syria are still very modest, so away from some high-end hotels and luxury old town options that may be booked out by international organisations, it’s often perfectly feasible to arrive without a reservation; you can simply walk around to compare a few places. Damascus hotels are known to be open to bargaining, so if you have a good proposition for a lower price, perhaps in combination with a longer stay, by all means see if the hotel agrees. 

Like many other countries in the Middle East, regulations forbid unmarried couples from sharing a hotel room without providing a marriage certificate, but foreigners are usually exempt from this rule. 

Finally, if you’re visiting in winter, keep in mind that heating and insulation are often problematic in budget and some mid-range options – check in advance that the heating and hot water work and if they have extra blankets at hand. 

تصبح على خير
As the locals say, tisbah ‘ala kheir; may you wake up to goodness.