Middle East - Anthony Ham [225]
Austrian Hospice (Map; 627 1466; austrianhospice.com; 37 Via Dolorosa; dm/s/d/tr €18/48/78/108) If you’re looking for a location to imagine chain-rattling ghosts or Christian Crusaders, this sometimes eerie but otherwise terrific castle-like guesthouse is the cavernous place for you. The front porch and leafy garden are nice places to share a beer with your fellow guests, while the Viennese café whips up a awfully mean apple strudel.
Gloria (Map; 628 2431; www.gloria-hotel.com; 33 Latin Patriarchate Rd; s/d from US$80/100; ) With comfortable, airy rooms, a well-stocked bar and a friendly reception, this is a good, solid choice for midrange digs in the Old City.
East Jerusalem
BUDGET
Faisal Hostel (Map; 628 7502; faisalsam@hotmail.com; 4 HaNevi’im St; dm/d without bathroom 25/80NIS; ) Political opinions run rife in this Palestinian-run guesthouse, making it a popular meeting point for freelance journalists, political activists and wannabe anarchists, who come here for the company and the chat, rather than for the comfort level. There’s free internet access, so you can stay connected to your NGOs while sipping on your complimentary cuppa.
Palm Hostel (Map; 627 3189; 6 HaNevi’im St; dm/d without bathroom 25/80NIS; ) The Palm, reached through a small vegetable stand, is cleaner than its neighbour Faisal, but dimly lit, with less sociopolitical talk and consequently less character. There’s free internet, though, and the dorm beds are a bargain.
TOP END
American Colony (Map; 627 9777; americancolony.com; 23 Nablus Rd, East Jerusalem; d from US$325; ) Offering luxury and class like no other hotel in Israel, this place is in a league of its own. Despite its high-brow status, it remains unpretentious, a rendezvous point for journalists and scholars as well as a temporary home for visiting celebrities. Former guests include Winston Churchill, Mikhail Gorbechov, Jimmy Carter, Bob Dylan, Ingrid Bergman and John Steinbeck. If the sky-high room rates are too much, head here for a courtyard lunch, afternoon tea, or to prop up the Cellar Bar, like so many notables before you.
New City
BUDGET
Kaplan Hotel (Map; 625 4591; mznet.org/kaplanhotel; 1 HaHavatzelet St, Zion Sq; s US$35-45, d US$45-65; ) One of the few budget hotels in the city centre, this small place has a great location next to Zion Sq, and gets good reviews from travellers for its worn but very clean rooms. With free internet and the use of a small, shared kitchen, it might not be exceptional in any way, but nevertheless makes for a comfy night’s stay.
B-Green Guest House (Map; 566 4220; www.bnb.co.il/green/index.htm; 4 Rachel Imeinu Rd, German Colony; s/d US$50/60) A simple but lovely choice in an attractive, lively area 15 minutes’ walk or a short bus ride from the Old City. Each fan-cooled room has private facilities and a kitchenette, while futons are available for a third guest at no extra charge.
Allenby 2 B&B (Map; 052 257 8493; www.bnb.co.il/allenby; 2 Allenby Sq, Romema; s US$25-55, d US$35-70; ) A comfortable, friendly nine-room B&B, a convenient two minutes’ walk from the central bus station. The irrepressible owner is a font of knowledge on the city and beyond, as well as a delightful host. Rates include breakfast and use of the communal kitchen.
MIDRANGE
St Andrew’s Guest House (Map; 673 2401; www.scotsguesthouse.com; 1 David Remez St, Yemin Moshe; s/d/tr US$85/115/135; ) With colonial charm aplenty, you’ll be expecting to run into a bagpiper at this ecclesiastical hospice, which has a nice quaint feel, thanks to the fireplace, novel-stuffed reading room and old-world, wicker-heavy café. The guesthouse also has a well-equipped apartment sleeping four, from US$225 per night.
Avissar House (Map; 625 5447; jeru-avisar-house.co.il; 12 Ha’Mevasser St, Yemin Moshe; apt US$81-243;