The Hotel Palmyra, built in 1874, is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the Middle East and a remarkable time capsule. It sits a short walk from the temple complex and has barely changed in a century — the high ceilings, the carved stone walls, the antique furniture in the sitting rooms, and the accumulation of objects left by famous guests over the years give it a quality that no modern hotel can replicate.
Whether you stay here or not, it is worth stopping in for a coffee or a look at the lobby. The proprietors are the same family that has run it for generations, and they are generally happy to talk about the history. The guestbook and various historical photographs and artefacts are on display.
Staying at the Palmyra is a genuinely unusual experience — comfortable but not luxurious, atmospheric in a way that only genuine age and continuity can produce.