KEMPINSKI HOTEL ISHTAR DEAD SEA

This grand resort can certainly claim to be one of the most prestigious hotels set along the banks of the Dead Sea; a vast, palm-studded complex filled with waterfalls, lagoons, olive trees and nine freshwater swimming pools. Guest rooms and suites are split between a central building and a string of low-slung villas built from local stone. All feature a balcony overlooking the hotel's man-made sandy beach providing direct access into the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea. The majestic spa is one of the largest in the Middle East, offering an impressive array of steam rooms, saunas, hydro pools, hammams and treatments using mud and salt taken from the lowest point on earth. A range of excellent restaurants offer Lebanese, Italian and international cuisine, while the Babylonian-inspired Sumerian Terrace is a lovely spot to watch the sun slowly dip into the water at the end of the day.