The story of Taybet Zaman is a timeless tale…
Once upon a time, an ancient village called Taybeh found itself on the brink of extinction, unable to find its place in the modern world. Yet the local mayor, Abu Firas, never lost hope.
In an attempt to retain Taybeh’s rich heritage, as well as secure the livelihoods of its remaining families, Abu Firas presented an astonishingly progressive proposal to transform his village into a world-class resort: establish a cooperative relationship with a developer who would lease the village’s land and buildings, and allow the locals to participate in its growth.
Situated just 12 km from the city of Petra, Taybet Zaman enjoys views of the Sharah Mountain Range, as well as endless vistas of the valley and sky. Taybet Zaman achieves a balance for those who wish to experience the spirit of the 19th Century style of living without sacrificing modern comforts.
True to the style of the village homes in which Taybeh’s original inhabitants once lived, each of the 102 guest rooms offer a minimum comfort which I rated “three stars” and surely not five. An old TV monitor, a broken shower, old furniture, thick wool bed covers and no internet in the rooms.
Constructed of thick stone walls that magically keep cool through the harsh summers and warm during the winters, the houses’ windows and doors are adorned with rustic shutters of weathered arrowroot wood. Inside, supporting arches are still blackened by fires of long ago.
All of Taybet Zaman’s climate-controlled rooms feature private bathrooms with hairdryers, satellite televisions with remote control, direct-dial telephone service, well-stocked mini-bars, 24-hour room service, and access to secure safe-deposit boxes.
You are promised:
- Shops… that are always closed
- Night entertainment… that never happens. At 10 the place transforms into a haunted city
- The website promises magic… Read it and you’ll imagine coming to Disneyland resort for a night; nothing of that happened
Here we are, arriving at 11pm to Taybet and straight to the room. There was nothing else to do since the restaurant has closed, no entertainment or anything else to discover. I went down to my room, an old style room with two beds sticked one to the other, old furniture… To make a long story short, a three star hotel style and not close to a five star. The most disturbing thing is the dust. It looks like the room hasn’t been visited for a decade. My friend who reviewed a newer room tells me the same about the dust.
The next morning was breakfast before anything else. Anyway, there is nothing to do in here other than eat and sleep. The shops were closed, the pool not too appealing and the billiard room dark and scary. The breakfast was so bad that it doesn’t even deserve an article of its own.
I had to start a day with an empty stomach. All plates were covered with nylon wrap which is really not appetizing at all. Bread is dry, eggs super oily, the choices mediocre… Anyway, inside this dark space under the arcades and a staff that looks at his watch by the minute, standing in front of you watching your every mood. I left running away for another hour of sleep before the bus departs.
I’m not sure why someone would want to come here. A scary place for me, too dangerous for kids with all its stones and hidden spots, no entertainment is offered, food is not tasty, internet doesn’t cover all the camp… I personally prefer to stay close to civilization or far from it, somewhere with a scheduled entertainment like the camps of Wadi Rum.
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