Jerusalem City Break: Best Hotel in Town?

While in Jerusalem, I stayed at the Arthur Hotel. This fairly new 54-room boutique hotel located in a pedestrianised street near to many of the city’s most popular attractions and historical sites was at the time of my visit the top ranked Jerusalem hotel on TripAdvisor. Did it live up to all those online raves?

Disclosure: I’ve been doing a pretty hefty amount of freelancing for TripAdvisor over the past several months and will continue doing so in the foreseeable future … but the Jerusalem trip and my blogging about it have nothing to do with that gig.

As mentioned previously in my Jerusalem City Break series, I was in town on a press trip. The choice of hotel hadn’t been mine to make. Originally, I was supposed to have stayed at the considerably more upscale Inbal Hotel (where Obama stayed his last time in Jerusalem). So when the itinerary changed and I was booked in at the Arthur (no room at the Inbal?), I was a little bummed out. However, I ended up really loving the Arthur and (without having ever stayed at any other hotel in the city) could see why it ranks so highly on TripAdvisor.

The Arthur certainly met my basic criteria for quality accommodation: clean room with a comfortable bed, spacious shower with plenty of pressure and hot water, and a strong WiFi signal in my room and throughout the hotel available for free to guests. Plus, the hotel served a truly delicious breakfast buffet with lots of breads and loads of fresh made salads. It did a “Happy Hour” too every evening with a spread to snacks and free wine for guests. Once I got my bearings, I found the Arthur to be an excellent base for exploring Jersusalem – especially the Old City (Jaffa Gate was super close) and Mahane Yehuda Market.

“Carefully designed to reflect the diverse cultural influences that have been made on Jerusalem throughout the ages,” the hotel’s décor was pleasant with an air of (not too much) nostalgia. My room had a nice little balcony (the view wasn’t all that scenic but I didn’t mind it). Power outlets were adequate but I wish there’d been at least one more. The members of staff I encountered were polite and helpful. I got a kick out of hearing the Cowboy Junkies being piped through the hotel one morning when I was making my way to breakfast.

I would be pleased to stay at the Arthur again and have no qualms recommending it. I don’t think you’ll find a better situated hotel for sightseeing in Jerusalem, and I doubt you’ll come across any better options without having to spend way more money.

The Arthur Hotel is located at Dorot Rishonim Street in the newly refurbished pedestrianised area of Ben–Yehuda. Find out more at atlas.co.il/arthur-jerusalem.

More to come soon in my short series of posts recounting my Jerusalem City Break.