King David Hotel

Description:

• The luxurious King David is Jerusalem's status address, built in 1930 as a regional companion to the legendary Shephard's Hotel in Cairo. Shephard's was destroyed during anticolonialist riots in the early 1950s, and the King David, too, has suffered the trials of history. In 1946, its south wing, housing British military headquarters, was blown up by a Jewish underground organization. The entire wing of the building was rebuilt, but if you look closely, you can see differences in the stone.

  The King David continues to be a perfectly maintained symbol of a bygone era (including a rather formal staff), but its reputation and list of diplomatic and celebrity guests continues to grow. The lofty Egyptian-esque/Canaanite Art Deco public rooms should be experienced for their own sake; the view from the gardened swimming pool and terrace (where Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint had a rendezvous in the 1960 film Exodus), offers great vistas toward the walls of the Old City.

  Guest rooms were completely redone in 1997 and 1998, with the total number reduced so that individual rooms are now larger. Furnishings are of dark-grained woods that suggest the lavish tropical veneers of the 1930s; many bathrooms sport a glass-enclosed shower as well as a tub. You pay extra for rooms with Old City/garden views, but they're definitely special. The gigantic breakfast buffet is justly famous; nearby exclusive tourist, Judaica, and jewelry shops await King David guests. Discounters and package tours can get you into the King David for considerably less than the rack rates.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010