Marriott International to open first luxury hotel in Jordan

by Melanie Nayer on


The Marriott International hotel group will open its first luxury hotel in Jordan in 2013.

The 264-room JW Marriott Hotel Aqaba will sit on the northern beach of the Gulf of Aqaba and provide easy access to top tourist spots including Petra and Wadi Rum. Marriott is boosting the “stylish, contemporary JW Marriott Hotel Aqaba will complement its exterior environs with public areas that offer space, light and excitement. It will feature a wide range of food & beverage offerings, including an informal, vibrant lobby lounge; a pool bar with a covered terrace; an all-day casual restaurant; a specialty steak outlet; a restaurant connected to the marina and a Champions sports bar.”

Other amenities include on-site WiFi and Internet access, an executive lounge, a book shop, spa (featuring a Turkish bath), retail outlets and a business center.

The Abercrombie & Kent online sale starts now!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You looking to go to Botswana next year? Or, maybe Chile? Now’s the time to book your trip. Abercrombie & Kent, which sends its guests on the road in style, is starting its rare online-only sale now. The discounts start at 5 percent off the itineraries’ usual prices. Every half hour, another 5 percent is chopped off. Six hours from now, any trips that are left will be discounted 60 percent. Patience can be rewarded, but greed can leave you stuck at home.

So, if you’re looking for the chance to travel well beyond your means, this is it. This is only the third online deal A&K has offered this year … which is the first year it’s done it at all. So, click with caution, but don’t sit too long.

A&K’s deals are on trips to Eastern Europe, East Africa, Chile, Galapagos, Egypt, Peru, Botswana/Zambia, Jordan and Turkey.

Photo of the Day (12.4.2009)

by Aaron Hotfelder on


This shot from Gadling favorite Nestor Lara-Baeza was taken in the super-buoyant Dead Sea, located between Jordan (in the distance) and Israel. With its incredibly high salt content, the Dead Sea allows swimmers to float effortlessly– and even kick back with the latest edition of OK! Magazine to get the latest on Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Want your photo considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Submit your best shots to Gadling’s Flickr group.

Get ready for the next A&K online sale

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Get ready for another hot online sale from upscale travel provider Abercrombie & Kent. The rules haven’t changed: you still have to book online, and the discount structure’s the same. Starting at 10 AM (EST) on December 10, 2009, nine itineraries will go on sale at a 5 percent discount. Then, every half hour, the price will drop another 5 percent. By the end of the event at 4 PM, the trips will hit the maximum discount of 60 percent. That’s a hell of a bargain … if there are any trips left by then. Inventory is limited, so sitting on your mouse means rolling the dice. It’s just like the deal run back in February.

This time around, the itineraries being offered are: Eastern Europe, East Africa, Chile, Galapagos, Egypt, Peru, Botswana/Zambia, Jordan and Turkey.

The Longest Climb: from the Dead Sea to the summit of Everest

by Kraig Becker on

Many adventurers are driven to go to extremes. They visit remote places and seem to revel in the challenge and suffering that goes along with those expeditions. Back in 2006, a team of climbers from the U.K. took that philosophy to new limits, when they set out on an expedition that began at the Dead Sea and ended on the summit of Everest.

The team began their adventure at 1385 feet below sea level on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan, where they climbed aboard their bikes and proceeded to ride all the way Everest Base Camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain. The journey took more than six months to complete, and they faced about every type of weather imaginable along the way.

Upon reaching Everest, their challenges were just beginning of course. They still had to face the tallest mountain on the planet, and all of the difficulties that that entails. In the end, they reached the summit, located at 29,029 feet, having chalked up 30,414 feet of elevation gain along the way.

To get a taste of their journey, check out the video below, as the team goes from the lowest point on Earth to the highest, completely under their own power.