Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem

My 17th stay at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem reaffirmed why this hotel is the pinnacle of luxury in the Middle East. Even before arrival, Gilly’s email response to my custom requests set the stage for a perfect visit. Stepping through the grand entrance, I was greeted by George (I like his new beard) and Ghoul, whose smiles set the tone for perfection. Check-in was super smooth, thanks to Alexis at the front desk—he personally checked my room before assigning it, ensuring everything was flawless. A special shoutout to Ihab from the front desk, who helped me before I even asked! The number one standout star was Maître d’Hôtel Maamoon, who personally took care of my custom needs every single day of my stay. Maamoon’s attention to detail and warm professionalism made me feel like the only guest in the hotel. His presence elevated every meal and moment. The breakfast this time, I was mesmerized by the freshly baked, huge oval-shaped Jerusalem bagel (otherwise known as the Bagel Yerushalmi)—golden-crusted delight. Pair that with the new delicious in-house baked Cheese Danishes. These join the other Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem breakfast classics, making every morning a feast to savor. Arriving at the table for the Shabbat Friday night dinners, I was greeted by a chilled slice of salmon, atop a crisp bed of lettuce, drizzled with a yummy dressing. By Sabbath day, the buffet dazzles with two new types of salmon, each a succulent masterpiece. The corned beef and entrecote steak slicing station still anchors the meal, its juicy, perfectly seared slices I’ll never tire of. Hassan, also in the dining room, went above and beyond to accommodate my custom requests. Special thanks to Hanna, Romano, Gus from the dining room. Smooth checkout by Karim. After 17 visits, the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem doesn’t just impress; it enchants.

We spent one night in this hotel first impressions are excellent with a warm welcome on arrival and a friendly and efficient check in baggage handling was equally well handled with minimum delay .Our rooms (615 and 607 ) were reasonably spacious for a city centre hotel and were presented in a very clean condition ,in the whole hotel appears spotlessly clean throughout ,the rooms were elegantly furnished with a small balcony. The bathroom was very well equipped with jack and Jill basins and a full range of average quality toiletries, the shower was excellent with instant hot water and superb water pressure , the towels however although plentiful looked and felt as though they had seen better days. Sleep quality was excellent on crisp white sheets .Housekeeping was also very good supplied by vert friendly and courteous staff. There is a breakfast option which is a standard combination of buffet and Ala Carte items was again excellent although i found the service which was very polite to be rather intrusive on occasion . Externally there is a fantastic indoor pool with a sauna and steam room as well as a superb spa which my wife enjoyed in short we have stayed in a number of high end 5 star hotels such as the Mandarine Oriental , Ritz Carlton etc and felt the Waldorf ranked very well in comparison.

First of all, the hotel is excellently located. Walking distance to both the old city and the center of Jerusalem. The building itself is beautiful and impressive. When you enter the hotel, you feel the history and spirit of Jerusalem. However, this is the first hotel of this class where when I arrived no one took my suitcases, I dragged them to my room myself, no one even escorted me to my room. Also, although I sent an email with a request for transportation from the airport to the hotel, no one waited for me, due to their internal error in communication, they overlooked the email. I was offered a bottle of wine and an apology for the inconvenience. Both things unacceptable for this brand and class of hotel. I will ignore the tattered carpets and chairs in the breakfast area as well as the bar, as well as the service that depended on employee to employee, some excellent, some just the opposite. I take into account the war they were going through. The rooms are fine, the bathrooms spacious and with wonderful Israeli cosmetics. Room cleaning excellent. Breakfast is also excellent.

I can’t even remember how many times I’ve stayed at this hotel over the past decade but I’ve been here for Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot and numerous Shabbat stays. I was also here in March of 2024 and it was definitely quieter post October 7th. I was pleasantly surprised that during our stay this past week the hotel seemed pretty busy, with excellent service and it was packed over Shabbat. I can’t remember her name but I had a super sweet lady at both check-in and check-out and her service was flawless. We ate a couple of times at the dairy cafe and the food was excellent. The breakfast was amazing as usual and since our flight out was very early they proactively offered to prepare us breakfast boxes to take with us and they had them ready and waiting at checkout. I’ve stayed at a number of hotels in Israel and I truly think the Shabbat dinner at the Waldorf is by far the best I’ve ever experienced anywhere in Israel (and probably the world). I always loved that instead of a buffet, they served a sit down dinner with numerous fish, soup, entree and dessert options and they still have all of those things. They have now ALSO added numerous buffet stations with made to order sushi rolls, carving stations, a fish and salads buffet section and also numerous other offerings to keep everyone happy like meatballs, schnitzel, couscous and super yummy pulled beef Bao buns! If you are at all wondering whether it’s worth travelling to Israel, Jerusalem and the Waldorf Astoria in particular, please don’t hesitate as they are open for business and better than ever!

Just got back from my 16th visit to the impressive Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem. I sent an email before my arrival and within 45 minutes, Gilly confirmed receipt of my email and Ihab approved our special requests. Had a smooth check-in by Alexi from the front desk and he assisted me from the minute I stepped in to the gorgeous Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem lobby until I was completely settled in my room. Great to see George, the smiling Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem doorman back at the Hotel with his warm welcome for every guest. I have been going to hotels over 40 years, yet I have never met a professional, dedicated and caring person such as Maamoon, the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem Maitre d’hotel. Thank you to Hassan, Hanna, Malek ,Taysir who remembered our custom requests from our prior visits to the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem Hope to be back home at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem very, very soon.