One of the best budget places to stay in Damascus, the hotel inside the modern St Elias Monastery, part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, comes recommended by many travellers for its welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, cleanliness, reasonable prices, safe parking, hot water (possibly limited to certain hours) – and, especially, the effective heating in winter. As it's a monastery, the gates close at midnight when you need to be inside. Find it 1 km or 15 minutes walk south of the old town's eastern Bab Sharqi city gate. Single rooms $20, doubles $25.