Olive Tree Hotel

For the traveler who wants to be near the Old City of Jerusalem without sacrificing quality lodging, the Olive Tree Hotel is hard to beat: a large and modern four-star hotel with all the expected amenities only a short walk away from the Damascus Gate. An access alleyway running parallel to Route 1, which was the border between Israel and Jordan until 1967, St. George St., part of the American Colony neighborhood, was built as a row of hotels in anticipation of the millennium tourist boom.

The Olive Tree Hotel is among the finest of this crop of modern-day American Colony hotels. Completed in 2000, the eight-story hotel boasts 304 rooms, ranging from single rooms to luxurious executive suites. The hotel lies about halfway between Damascus Gate and French Hill (roughly a ten minute walk to each), as well as quite near to the Orthodox enclaves of Meah Shearim and Maalot Dafna. There's no pool, but the Olive Tree Hotel does offer free wireless internet access and a safe in every room. The hotel offers dining options (including daily Israeli breakfast) in both the main dining room and the pleasant garden courtyard, and a fully-equipped bar for guests.