Cairo Hotel in Hama, Syria

[Canadian Bacon]

A private room in this "hotel" was, I think around 400 SYP, which works it self out to $8. The room had a TV, fridge, fan and air conditioning unit.

Can't say I met too many people here, although it is a backpacker fav, according to lonely planet.

It's about 4 floors, and you can sleep on the roof for 100 SYP ($2), they have a spacious roof and I ended up hanging with a guy who did that - but you must be prepared to be woken up early in the morning by the call to prayer from nearby mosques.

You'll need to take a cab from the bus station, that shouldn't exceed 25 SYP ($0.50)

Cairo hotel also organizes "tours" to nearby ancient castles and other sites for a fee. A "tour" is a private driver who takes you someplace, and waits until you're all done, then drives you home. Since I was one of the few backpackers during low season, I paid the whole cost myself, which was 1500 SYP ($30) for a private driver to Krek des Chavaliers, which was totally worth it. You have to people the cost is cut in half, and so forth.

All in all, good experience, it is centrally located, within a 5-10 walk to everything you really need including the giant water wheels.

Hama doesn't have too much to do anyway, since the government seige and following Hama massacre in the 1980s destroyed much of its old city and historical sites.

[BrianSimon]

Great!!!!