The road to a vacation at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem is deceptive. On one side of the street are the giant housing blocks in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of northern Jerusalem, and on the other side are the tin-roofed shacks and awnings of Palestinian refugee camps that have turned into neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. But from the moment the hotel gate opens, all the tense Jerusalem nerves go at attention and enter a realm of beauty and quiet magic. From the lush vegetable gardens to the majestic Arabic arches and mosaics woven through the hallways, to the traditional English tea ceremony in the afternoon patio – one disconnects from the bustle and noise outside and feels like taking a small leap abroad.
"International glam" right from the start
There aren’t many hotels in Israel with such a glorious history, and perhaps that’s what makes it resilient and impervious to the complicated Jerusalem winds surrounding it, like a multi-layered archaeological mound that survives the test of time, with each layer peeling back a piece of the past. The Ottoman palace built in 1860 for the local pasha and his daughters became a hotel in 1902 and has since survived the Ottoman rule, the British Mandate, Jordanian control, and since 1967, it has been part of united Jerusalem. However, the hotel takes care to preserve its unique identity and not identify with the Israeli government. To this day, it belongs to the descendants of the American-Swedish Christian commune that settled in the neighborhood at the end of the 19th century with dreams of utopia and redemption in the Holy Land, and it is managed according to the principle of neutrality for the three religions.
Indeed, the American Colony’s gem is known far and wide, and a distinguished board filled with names of famous and renowned guests who have stayed there over the years welcomes visitors in the hotel lobby, exuding "international glam," Hollywood, and royal vibes for a vacation right from the start: Jane Fonda, Bob Dylan, Sting, Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, Natalie Portman, Richard Gere, Prada, and Armani. Fans of great leaders and commanders will find names like Churchill, Gorbachev, Allenby, and Lawrence of Arabia in the "name-dropping."
They want Israelis
The history and the strategic location on the seam line have also given the American Colony a role in attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hosting some of the preliminary talks of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. It’s easy to imagine diplomats and negotiators sitting around the coffee tables in the lobby or at the dim basement bar, wracking their brains about how to bring peace, as well as Fonda and Sting sunbathing by the poolside patio.
Indeed, most of the hotel’s guests are foreign and international, many of whom are regulars or returnees who request the same room each time or want to try another one of the 85 rooms spread across four buildings, each with unique design and eclectic style. In the past year, 41 rooms have undergone extensive renovation, adding luxurious bathrooms and outdoor balconies to the spacious rooms with high ceilings—rare in most Israeli hotels.
At the American Colony, they want these rooms to be occupied not only by the celebrities and foreign journalists who come to Israel mainly during wars but also to expand the scope and open the gates to local Israeli vacationers, who sometimes hesitate because of the location on the seam line of East Jerusalem, wondering if they’ll have to pass through a checkpoint (the answer: no). However, the hotel is opening its doors wide over the next two months with indulgent packages in colonial and oriental flavors—featuring English tea time and a Middle Eastern dinner with royal culinary delights, as is customary. And so, we were invited to experience it, at their expense, full disclosure.
The American Colony is known as one of the best boutique hotels in Israel, and the friendly and warm service is felt everywhere. The room we stayed in was spacious and luxurious, with a classic four-poster bed, preserved antique armchairs from a sultan’s palace, and a heavy wooden table with a scent of the Mandate era. Among the blend of ancient and eclectic items, there was a slight lack of modern touches, but staying in the room felt like being thrown into a chapter of a prestigious historical novel from World War I. The packages also include historical tours between the hotel’s buildings and the vegetable gardens with architect Michael Schwartz, who, beyond the architectural stories of the hotel, provides sensational details about some of the celebrities who stayed there in the past.
Another highlight of the weekend packages is the oriental meal at the Arabesque restaurant, accompanied by live Arabic music, with stations preparing fresh pita and kanafeh, alongside a lavish buffet featuring the best of Palestinian cuisine: tabbouleh, fattoush, stuffed eggplant with nuts, shish barak, and musakhan—chicken with caramelized onions, tahini, sumac, and fresh oven-baked bread. Don’t miss a drink at the basement bar in one of its charming, dim-lit corners, from where you can drift into the realms of imagination for a scene from a historical movie. But the American Colony speaks not only to nostalgia, romance, culinary, and history lovers, but to anyone who wants to disconnect for a day or two from everything happening outside and, without stamping a passport, take a leap to another country.
Package prices:
29.1.25 - 31.3.25 - A couple’s package including afternoon tea for two, overnight stay, and breakfast midweek—starting at NIS 1,199.
30.01.2025 - 31.03.2025 (weekends only) - An oriental package including a couple’s dinner at the Arabesque restaurant, with two glasses of wine, overnight stay, and breakfast—starting at NIS 1,399.
The writer was a guest of the American Colony Hotel.