The American Colony Hotel - Small Luxury Hotels of the World

This hotel has a charming history and a fantastic pool in the back. It’s a bit puzzling why it closes at 6 p.m., as I’ve seen similar closures in other places in Israel. We had a wonderful suite with a terrace that was perfect for our three-person group. The courtyard is amazing for breakfast, and the restaurant is lovely, nestled among the greenery. More attention to details and service would be recommended for the staff. Location is outside of old city but worth it - good 20min stroll to the Jaffa gate.

Beautiful historical hotel in beautiful gardens. My room was upgraded, amazing old architecture. Staff was very helpful. At night I had dinner at the restaurant. The food was amazing. I highly recommend this hotel it is the best one I stayed in Jerusalem.

An exceptional historic hotel. Feels like a combination of a palace, a museum, and a hotel. We enjoyed it very much.

We spent 6 nights at the hotel, apx. a year after trying it out for the first time. We checked in at 9:30 PM. As Diamond members, we were upgraded from the Comfort room we booked to a Balcony Pool view room, and were allocated room 307. Parking is free of charge. We had to remind the receptionist to register our car license plate so we could come and go as we please. Now, I use the word "upgraded" loosely, as the balcony was a hanging balcony of apx. 3 square meters and the "pool view" was of a fences off dirty pool, which was closed. At least we got front row seats to the loud speaker of the Muaazin of the adjacent mosque. The room featured 2 twin beds, a desk and chair and a small coffee table and chair. There was also a minibar and a tiny safe (not big enough even for a small tablet). The a/c of the room was set to heat throughout the hotel and we had to keep the window open in order to cool the room to comfortable temperatures. We reported this issue but were told that nothing can be done. The bathroom (which has no vent!) featured a sink, a toilet and a shower with a very powerful water pressure. There was no bath tub, unfortunately. Furthermore, the shower itself was cover with disgusting mould. The bathroom amenities were a cheap and generic kind in dispensers. Breakfast at Arabesque was embarrassing. Due to the low occupancy (apx. 30%), there was almost nothing to choose from and the buffet was minimal. I've written a separate review about it. The hotel was seriously understaffed, which must relate to the low occupancy (about half of the guests were long staying journalists, NGO's etc.). Bottom line - this is certainly not a luxurious hotel, as other than its "old world charm" look (which you either like or not), it does not offer anything even remotely similar to luxury - neither food nor other services.

We held a private event at the American Colony Hotel on 28 August 2026 for approximately 50 guests. Unfortunately, our experience was negatively affected by the behavior of the employee responsible for the hotel gate and vehicle entrance, Estoury. Our reservation included complimentary parking, but upon arrival, Estoury refused to allow us entry with our vehicle and displayed a very poor and unprofessional attitude. The issue could have easily been handled politely, particularly given that we were guests who had made a significant reservation at the hotel. Unfortunately, the situation did not end there. Upon our departure, Estoury again displayed an unacceptable attitude toward the ladies leaving the event. Even more concerning, despite the agreed complimentary parking arrangement included with our reservation, one of the vehicles was charged ₪122 for parking. This was extremely disappointing and left a very negative impression, especially after we had chosen the American Colony Hotel for an important private event. If there was any misunderstanding regarding the parking arrangements, it should have been clarified professionally rather than resulting in an unexpected charge. That said, I would like to give special recognition to Jiries and his team, who provided us with outstanding service throughout the event. They were professional, attentive, welcoming, and extremely helpful. Their efforts contributed greatly to making our event successful, and we genuinely appreciate the excellent service they provided. It is unfortunate that the excellent work of Jiries and his team was overshadowed by the experience we had at the entrance. I hope the hotel management takes this feedback seriously and reviews this incident, including the ₪122 parking charge, as well as the manner in which Estoury interacted with us and our guests. The American Colony is a beautiful and prestigious hotel, and we expected a level of hospitality consistent with its reputation from the moment we arrived until the moment we departed.