There's not much I can add to previous correspondents' paens of praise. This is a world class hotel, with world class rooms, service and food. But - and it's a big but for now - be aware the hotel is currently adding five rooms to its magnificent stable of suites. The work, we were told, will go on for a year. It is major, major construction work and involves - as you'd expect - a great deal of noise from builders between 10am and 5pm. Most people will no doubt be out and about during this time, but if not, bear it in mind. The work is taking place above the Iznik suite - going for the Byzantine will make sure you're better insulated.

We spent 3 nights at this hotel during a tour of Syria, and it was one of the best stops. Service was above reproach; the hotel was extremely beautiful, clean and comfortable, and had great character and charm. Each room is decorated in a different theme, and it is both exotic and comfortable, with all of the amenities. There are many stairs to negotiate, but that is true of all of the boutique hotels that have been created out of old palaces. Breakfast was not a buffet, but served individually, but the plates covered our entire table top with choice goodies! We dined one night in the candle-lit courtyard, and the meal was not only romantic but also delicious. It is also possible to reserve the Hammam (Turkish Bath) for yourself alone, which we did one afternoon, and it was terrific having it all to ourselves. We appreciated the free internet available in the library. The hotel is located in the old city, and we felt very comfortable wandering around on our own in the souk.

This is a truly well restaured palace in the old city of Aleppo . The interior design is ecclectic Middle Eastern undoubtly by a French interior designer, but historically very sensitive and tasteful. We had four rooms all of them were different in style (one even was decorated like a bedouine tent) but all very comfortable and large with ample bedrooms. You are in an old city in one of the most authentic souks of the Middle East, so a certain lack of infrastruicture quality needs to be accepted (trying to take a hot bath in the marble bathtub proved to be impossible because the water was brown) . The hotel has a private hammam and pool
which is reserved for private use at extra cost. The dinner is table d´hote style , set menu but absolutely delicious one of the best meals I ever had in this part of the world. The hotel manager is very friendly so is the entire staff and as you sit in the authentic Syrian
Patio sipping a glass of Lebanese white wine you feel like a private guest in a princely residence.

When we were there there was some noise from the adjacent building which was acquired by the owner to extend the nine rooms hotel to a 20 rooms property. For any visitor who wished to indulge in Middle Eastern opulence this is the perfect place to go. It is worth the 400 euros a night (dinner included) per room.

My wife, twelve year old son and I had a most enjoyable stay at the Mansouriya Palace Hotel in March, 2010. I highly recommend it other travelers.

As I began to put together our trip to Syria, I struggled somewhat in trying to choose among the boutique hotels in Aleppo, The guidebooks offered what I thought was somewhat out of date advice, and the hotel websites varied highly in terms of quality. So, I put an even higher level of trust than normal on the Tripadvisor reviews. I was not disappointed in relying on the favorable reviews of the Mansouriya Palace.

Unfortunately, the Mansouriya’s website – as it existed when I was making my booking choices (it has since improved significantly) – didn’t offer as much as one might have hoped in terms of pictures of the rooms. So, I relied heavily on the pictures from the hotel’s reviews here on Tripadvisor. I reached one conclusion – I thought I’d be happy in any of the rooms, other than perhaps the Bedouin Room. So, I booked.

My research suggested that trying to find the hotel on my own (especially with a 10:30pm arrival time) would be a nightmare, so I arranged for the hotel to pick my family and I up at the airport. The pickup and transfer were flawless – we were met by an English speaking driver (who turned down a tip, to my surprise), who drove us to the Qinnesrin Gate of the Old City. There, a porter with a luggage cart walked us down the narrow pedestrian street to the hotel’s unmarked entrance. Very romantic, in a traveling sort of way.

We were warmly greeted by the evening staff (plenty of English spoken), and then escorted to our room – naturally, we had the Bedouin Room.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Suffice it to say, even though I was pre-disposed not to like the room, I found myself enchanted. We had a writing desk, a low sofa, three closets and a half bath downstairs, and then a large bathroom upstairs, with separate soaking tub and shower, with two sinks. All the craftsmanship was of the highest quality. The bathroom opened to a private patio (alas, one innocent of anywhere to sit).

The nature of the Bedouin Room – being at the top of its own landing on the upper floors of the hotel – made it very private, so we could open our windows without sacrificing any privacy. The room (and hotel) was very quiet – save for the periodic calls to prayer (there seems to be a mosque very near the hotel, so the 3:30 am call to prayer managed to wake me every night).

The bedding and linens were of high quality, and I found the bed very comfortable.

Breakfast is included – which is served in a basement room with high windows to the central courtyard. It was a Syrian breakfast, mainly – cheese, meats, fruits, figs and dates, nuts and bread. Eggs were cooked to order. I enjoyed the breakfasts – but was ready to move on after our 4 night stay. The service was friendly and efficient.

The public areas of the hotel were very nice. The main courtyard is bordered by an iwan (kind of an open air living room) on one side, with an indoor living area on the other side. Every spot within the hotel – rooms, public areas, hallways, etc. – were immaculately clean. The seating, both in the iwan and in the living room, was very comfortable. The staff was promptly available when needed to provide refreshment.

My wife and son enjoyed the hotel’s hammam.

The highlight of our stay was dinner at the hotel. It was our first dinner in Syria, and set a high standard. We had an array of mezze to start (the thyme, white cheese and sweet lemon salad still makes me smile), followed by a wonderful main course of lamb, fruit and rice. The service was excellent, and professional. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have eaten at the hotel two or three times instead of once.

The hotel had wireless internet, which was handy since there is no Blackberry service in Syria. There was also a slow wired internet connection on a guest PC.

A few quibbles and cautions:

1) This is an expensive hotel for Syria. If price is an object, one can stay elsewhere for less money. That said, I thought the Mansouriya Palace delivered good value for what it charged.

2) Having to pay for use of the hammam is a bit annoying. The hotel should reconsider that charge.

3) If you decide to try to find the hotel on your own, note that there are no signs. See my picture of the unmarked entrance.

4) As one of the critics of the hotel noted, the hotel quotes its prices in Euros, but charges the credit cards in Dollars (due to Syrian law). That can mean some exchange rate risk – although I found the rate used to be competitive.

In booking the Mansouriya Palace, I hoped to plant the family squarely in as foreign a location – the Old City of Aleppo – as possible, while retaining the comforts of a small boutique hotel. The Mansouriya more than satisfied that hope. I strongly recommend it.