Boutique hotels in the Middle East are a fairly new concept. Tired of the homogenized franchise hotels, travelers look for authentic cultural accommodation in the countries they visit. Syria is a leader in offering such unique, personalized accommodations. Of course, there are the brand names — Sheraton, Four Seasons, etc. — but tucked within ancient city walls are restored traditional houses and palaces that will delight travelers’ desire for the exotic.

Syria is jeweled with ancient and classical architecture, and as in much of the Arab world, hospitality is a keystone of life. So it is not surprising that Syrians have channeled their natural tendencies in business and hospitality by restoring rather than destroying centuries-old homes and protect their cultural heritage. Today, visitors to Damascus and Aleppo — two of the oldest inhabited cities in the world — looking to stay in a boutique hotel have a variety of sixteenth- through eighteenth-century courtyard houses and palaces to choose from.

Located midway between the Mediterranean and Euphrates River, the desert city of Aleppo was the northern trade capital of the ancient world. Today, Aleppo is renowned for its bazaar, towering citadel, and the best cuisine in all the Middle East; it is here that momentum for boutique hotels began.

Walking through the medieval gateway, Bab Qinnisrin, in Aleppo’s old quarters, one might think that directions to this palace were wrong. Alleyways diverge and there are no signs. Only by inquiry will you find a dimly-lit, narrow passageway leading to a humble metal-studded door. Leaving the twenty-first century outside the thick city walls, enter into Mansouriya, a sixteenth-century white stone palace. A small entryway opens into an inner courtyard called sahn, with a central pool shaded by bitter orange trees and lined with sweet basil. Facing the courtyard is a large iwan (raised platform or estrade) used as an outdoor living room in the summer.

Across from the iwan is a domed, ornate reception room that is decorated with colored marble masonry and particularly fine painted and gilded woodwork. Each panel represents flowers and fruit grown in Aleppo, the antithesis of the barren desert. The nine suites have themes corresponding to the eras of Syrian history. The Greco-Roman room is painted in royal hues with frescos and marble statues, while the Byzantine Suite is rich in brocade silks and a hand-painted ceiling, and the Iznik Suite is lined with beautiful blue and green tiles. If lounging like royalty is not enough, Mansouriya has its own spa with Turkish hammam inlaid with Iznik tiles.

Beit Wakil, Aleppo

Aleppo was the first Syrian city to open boutique hotels, Beit Wakil and Dar Zamaria, in the 1990s. The traditional houses of the Jdaydeh neighborhood line a labyrinth of alleyways. Behind a high-walled, windowless exterior, designed to secure the inhabitants from heat, noise and dust, a small entrance leads onto a spacious, sun-drenched garden with marble fountains, an elevated iwan and chambers around all sides. Geometric designs and Qur’anic verses cover the walls of the rooms upstairs overlooking the courtyard. It is an exotic and evocative experience.

Beit Wakil may not be the most luxurious of the boutique hotels but this sixteenth-century palace is an example of Aleppine architecture at its best. It combines two houses with beautiful courtyards, decorated with masonry art, colored marble floors, and superb arabesque woodwork. In the qaa (central reception) wooden ceilings with cornices surround a suspended dome with colored arabesque glass. Cellars form a maze of tunnels, one connecting to the Citadel of Aleppo.

The nearby Dar Zamaria, the first Arabic printing house established in 1705, opened its doors as a boutique hotel in 1997. Neighborhood courtyard houses were bridged by the house to create three secluded gardens and a decorated iwan. The restaurant has a superior breakfast of fuul, zaatar, olives, omelet, and homemade apricot and cherry preserves — fit for a sultan.

A four-hour driver south of Aleppo, Damascus has historically been a meeting point for trade routes from the East to the Mediterranean. The famous “Street Called Straight” of the Bible — the city’s main commercial street — is the location of many magnificent boutique hotels.

(Lesley Lababidi/Egypt Today) Beit Zaman, Damascus

In 2005, Damascus opened its first boutique hotel, Beit Al Mamlouka; originally a seventeenth-century merchant’s house, it has original stone features and a 230-year-old Christian fresco on the ceiling of one of the eight bedrooms. The rooms are decorated in traditional Arab styles using local Syrian products. In August 2008, Beit Zaman became the latest boutique hotel to open its doors. This 28-room establishment took five years to restore and connects three seventeenth-century family homes. The tranquil, citrus tree-lined courtyards have 300-year-old fountains and geometric, colored marble tiles covering the floor. Each room is decorated with traditional Syrian furniture, wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and hand-made floor tiles.

Locally owned, Beit Rumman (the House of Pomegranate), is an intimate, beautifully restored seventeenth-century house, located in the heart of the Christian quarter. After the Rumman family bought the house in 1998, they visited a number of rich Damascene houses in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim quarters of Damascus’ Old City to study the original decorations and Oriental architecture. Traditional housing in Damascus is positioned from north to south in a 20-degree angle toward the west, allowing the stones to absorb the southern sun and avoid the northwesterly winds.

The house was built between 1850 and 1912, and its current owners coaxed it back to its former glory over five years. The result is an exquisite showcase of traditional Damascene craftsmanship and architecture, giving visitors an insight into the old Syrian lifestyle. The owners say their goal was to restore, rather than renovate the property, preserving the historical importance of the house as an example of Damascus’ heritage.

It did not take craftsmen working on the project long to discover a number of hidden treasures. Under layers of cement and paint lay riches such as delicate stone mosaics and ablaq masonry, a technique traditional to Syria in which alternating bands of light and dark stone (in this case white, black and yellow) are used.

The priority at this petite, six-bedroom gem is for guests to experience Syrian hospitality. The owners extend their love for Damascus to their guests. Ghimar Deeb, one of the owners, adds, “if Old Damascus was a woman, I would marry her.”

Lesley Lababidi Mansouriya Palace, Aleppo

As the massive wooden doors open onto the central courtyard, horizontal stripes define the windows, doors, inlaid stone and arches. The colored stripes surrounding the iwan symbolize concentric circles of life that link to heaven through the center point of the pool and fountain. These decorative elements shape the splendor of the atmosphere and reflect the efforts of the owner to accentuate the serenity of this Damascene boutique hotel.

One of Beit Rumman’s strongest points is the balance it strikes between historic ambience and modern comfort. The owners have maintained the property’s authenticity by tucking out of sight the luxury amenities such as air-conditioning and heated floors. Beit Rumman is intimate, discreet and tranquil. The hotel is an oasis of calm in the bustle of the Old City and an ideal point from which to visit historical Damascus.

If after a long day of exploring Damascus, a night away from the hustle of the Old City is more pleasing, the Art House is the place. In the outskirts of Damascus, situated next to the Barada River and beside the Kasioun Mountains, this 400-year-old mill has been turned into a sumptuous boutique hotel. Renowned Syrian architect Ghaith Machnok restored this magnificent building with an appreciation for every detail of Damascene architecture. The high-ceiling vaulted interior provides a space for art exhibitions and music recitals. Windows line the floor, allowing guests to view and appreciate the ancient foundation. Each of the 10 suites is named after one of Syria’s famous writers, artists, or musicians. There is a pool on the roof, or if the weather is cold, the indoor swimming pool and Turkish hammam will soothe any soul.