Where to Stay

Joseph and Mary may have had a hard time finding accommodation in neighboring Bethlehem, but with more than 8,000 hotel rooms to choose from, Jerusalem has more accommodation to offer than any other city in Israel.

In a recent survey, Jerusalem was ranked the world’s sixth most expensive city for business travelers to stay in. A room in the presidential suite in the historic King David Hotel may cost hundreds of dollars per night, but, at the other end of the scale, it is only NIS20 to sleep on a mattress on a rooftop hostel in the Old City.

Old City

On the subject of budget travel, for those on a shoestring, the Old City is the place. Not only are dorm beds cheap, but you get the chance to linger a while in this fascinating place and soak up its history and bustle.

You could stay in Casa Nova, Custodia di Terra Santa, a 100 year-old Franciscan pilgrim’s hospice in the Old City. It is worth noting that there will be a curfew in lodgings for pilgrims, and unmarried couples may not be able to room together. Religious Jewish travelers will be spoilt for choice as most of the major hotels are both Kosher and Shabbat observant, and some, like the King Solomon, are Glatt Kosher. Jewish travelers who want to explore their roots can stay for free in St. Mark's Heritage House, a dorm in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City where participants are hooked up with seminars and meals in the homes of observant families.

Hostels, such as the Tabasco Tea Rooms, are in the winding alleys of the souk. Guests in the Lutheran Hospice will sleep in a vaulted Crusader cellar, and the view from the roof of the Petra Hotel & Hostel is so awe-inspiring that non-guests pay to climb the rickety stairs to look out over the domes, crosses, and stones of the Old City. For less than the price of a box of muesli, travelers can have a mattress on the roof and wake up to an Old City sunrise and the sounds of church peals and the muezzin calling worshippers to prayers.

West Jerusalem

The historic King David Hotel in West Jerusalem is a historic landmark. The British army used it as a base during the British Mandate period, and in 1946 the Jewish Underground movement blew up its south wing. Today, it is a favorite of diplomats, heads of state, and celebrities. Afternoon tea on its marble terrace has a distinctly colonial feel.

The Jerusalem Hotel Association has 35 hotels on its books, which it recommends for business and upmarket leisure travelers. Of architectural note is the YMCA Three Arches Hotel, possibly the most opulent YMCA in the world, which was built by the man who designed New York’s Empire State Building. The David Citadel Hotel, which is an airy blend of Jerusalem stone and marble, is a competitor for the same big-name clientèle, with recent guests including Hilary Clinton and Madeleine Albright.

Surprisingly, none of Jerusalem’s upmarket accommodation lies within the Old City. The nearest you will get is the Dan Panorama, whose glass façade looks onto the bricks of the Old City Walls across the street. However, hotels such as the Sheraton, the King Solomon, and the Regency are located on or near Mt. Scopus.

For the Millennium, two new upscale hotels were built on the borders of East and West Jerusalem. These are Novotel and the Olive Tree Hotel. The latter is a theme hotel, popular with tour groups and pilgrims, where the staff dress up in ancient Middle Eastern costumes and the floors of the hotel are named after the gates of Jerusalem.

Another cluster of hotels, popular with both tour groups and business travellers, is in the Givat Ram area. This location is close to the International Conference Centre, government offices, the Givat Ram branch of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Central Bus Station. The Knesset Towers, Renaissance, and Crowne Plaza are all here. This area, which is at the entrance to Jerusalem, is criss-crossed with major roads and is a little removed from the heart of the city.

East Jerusalem

In East Jerusalem, the American Colony Hotel, a favorite with journalists and aid workers, is the palace of a former pasha and has an elegance of times gone by.

For those seeking a cheaper stay, there are many smaller hotels in both East Jerusalem and in the roads around Ben Yehuda Street and Zion Square in West Jerusalem. And who says you have to stay in a hotel? The Home Association of Accommodation in Jerusalem has Internet listings of 51 bed and breakfasts in locations ranging from Ein Kerem to the Old City. The Christian Information Centre has a list of churches that have lodgings attached.

To avoid Joseph and Mary’s predicament you may want to reserve ahead of time if your visit coincides with a major religious holiday.

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