We stayed over the weekend/Shabbat, and it was our second visit in the past three years. I was using a voucher for two that I had been given, so I cannot comment on price or value for money. The overall design is pleasant and minimal. It reminds me more of a European city hotel where you expect a clean room and minimal luxuries because the Palace has a great location center of town and is not a 'destination hotel' with many activities at the hotel and luxuries to waste your time in the room. Since the hotel caters mostly to Jewish Orthodox patrons, the tv (as of Jan 12) was a smallish CRT tv with the free local channels as well as BBC, CNN, and Israeli kids' channel . If you are Jewish and do not watch TV, ask the staff to remove the 'box'.
Check-in was pretty quick, and we also did pre-checkout. The hotel offers regular keys for the observant Jew on Shabbat. The food was plentiful and fine, even bordering on great for some dishes. While the meals were buffet-based, the waiters did visit our table and anticipated cleanup and water refills. The mashgiach (kosher supervisor) was very nice grandfather-type who spoke at least three languages and updated the guests at each meal with times and guidelines. We sat nearby during the meals and he ate in gulps between speaking with guests, some singing, and overlooking the dining room and kitchen staff.
Shabbat prayer services were fine, and I assume because of the wide variety of guests, somewhat simple and 'non-denominational' without much singing at all. I think most guests came for both evening services, though it seemed many chose to visit other synagogues in the morning.
We only had one problem we noticed minutes before Shabbat of the room safe having a low battery, and it was rectified promptly by an older maintenance man who was nice. When he noticed that he could not fix it after a few minutes, he replaced the entire door to save time and tinkering. I was really impressed with the entire situation because I has been downstairs at the front desk when I remembered to complain (admittedly late) and the maintenance man was already at our room when I got back upstairs.
I think our walk to the old city took 25 minutes. Though HaNeviim St is more historical and architecturally interesting, if you are walking to the old city, I recommend going by Yafo St, which is now closed to wheeled vehicles due to the new tramway, because it is more direct and you avoid the downhill and then uphill part on HaNeviim.
We would gladly stay again.
In reply to a previous guest, I think that the Shabbat timetable handed out now had some English translation as well.
- Prima Palace Jerusalem
