Moriah Classic Jerusalem

The hotel has underground parking and is in a convenient location. The staff were friendly and helpful except for the evening desk manager -- he was a little surly -- well very surly. When I returned in 2006 he was gone and replaced by a much nicer mannager.

Unique Quality: It was a standard business hotel. Very clean it had a pool I did not use it. The bar staff were tremendous and they were informative and poured lovley pints of Maccabee beer.

Directions: American Colony

This has to be the worst hotel of its type I have stayed at in Jerusalem. It's huge (300+ rooms), totally impersonal and decidedly tatty round the edges.

A monolith of concrete and glass is the first experience of this hotel, built as it is on the borders of East/West Jerusalem, a stone's throw from the American Colony and Attar Hotels and part of a block of 3 brand new chain hotels (the Novotel being far and away the biggest and ugliest). The foyer/reception is huge and wholly impersonal - a swathe of polished marble disappearing to the rear and the lifts (which is the beginning of the shabby aspect of the hotel). Upstairs, long corridors a Kafka-esque reminiscence of faceless bureaucratic government buildings - door after door leading into the distance in both directions, shabby carpets and rooms that are nothing more than functional (although to be fair, the rooms are fairly large and have opening windows - at least on the 7th Floor they do - this was the so-called Executive Floor but couldn't quite work out why!). It's very popular with large groups and, whilst the breakfast offered is very good (a huge spread), it does mean that unless you get there early, you can end up queueing for some time).

Unique Quality: A large outdoor oval swimmimg pool is on offer, the location offers a different experience of Jerusalem (St George's Cathedral is amost opposite, the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City is less than 10 minutes walk away) and there are deals to be had that can make this an attractive price option (US$110 including breakfast) in a city with overpriced hotels. But cannot say that I would recommend this to anyone.

Directions: Just off Road Number One heading north of the Old City