Avital Hotel

The staff were professional and really helpful, and the place felt like a private apartment. It was surprisingly quiet at night despite being by the noisy market, with the light rail stop right outside. The kitchen was roomy, with a mini fridge and microwave, and the bathroom was spotless. The shower was great, though its very tight space made it hard for me to lift my legs to wash them. A larger person might not fit. The bed was comfortable, and the long blanket helped when the bedroom steam kept switching off after a few minutes and I got a little cold. The living room was very warm. It’s a great location, and prices are pretty good for a place like this. There’s no elevator, so wheelchair users or people with disabilities would need to stay on the ground floor. No free breakfast, but the market is less than a minute away, so food wasn’t a problem. I was very happy here and would definitely come back. Highly recommend it for a few days of relaxing.

I’m careful about giving perfect ratings or shaming anyone, and this is the first review I’ve written that’s fully negative. The hotel is more like a motel, though it’s well located. There’s no parking or elevator, and I’m not sure how suitable it is for kids. My experience was negative in every way. The staff were rude and unpleasant in person and over the phone, leaving a lasting impression. I didn’t expect much from the facilities, but I did expect basic sanitary conditions. The room had a strong damp smell, and it felt like the hosts didn’t care about their guests.

For anyone who collects old cars, this is a one-of-a-kind hotel. There’s art inspired by collectible cars everywhere, plus striking old-school vehicle decor on the lobby roof. Some rooms are cars, and an artist has hand-painted canvases on each door and wall. It’s family-owned, and the two sons of the owner cook a world-class shakshuka for a beautiful breakfast. The rooms urgently need updating, and plans are in place, but the place is so unusual and art-driven that it still gets five stars from me.

Four days before I was due to arrive, the property canceled my reservation without explanation beyond “due to overbooking.” I’d booked four weeks earlier and had received confirmation. They offered no compensation and didn’t help me find another place, so at short notice I had to take what was available and ended up somewhere pretty bad. The cancellation pretty much ruined my Jerusalem vacation. If I had canceled that late, I’d have had to pay the full accommodation cost. In my view, a property that overbooks without compensating affected travelers is not running its business acceptably. A reservation here doesn’t seem worth anything if the property can cancel at the last moment while travelers can’t cancel without paying the full price. I’ll book elsewhere next time, and you should too.