Dona Gracia Hotel

Part hotel and part museum, this is an unusual place. The hotel tells some of the story of Dona Gracia, who lived here during the Renaissance. The building has been renovated since then and shows its age, but the air conditioning and shower worked fine. The shared spaces are furnished very nicely, while the guest rooms are more practical. Be aware that some rooms look into the inner courtyard and don't have an outside window.

The tour is a pleasant way to spend about an hour. It costs 30 NIS and takes you from exhibit to exhibit, explaining the life and history of this remarkable 16th-century woman, who could be seen as the first modern-day Zionist. It's given in Hebrew and Russian, and maybe English, though I'm not sure. Call to check. Before it begins, you can put on Renaissance clothes to get into the spirit of the museum.

We came to the museum, not to stay at the hotel. It tells the life story of Dona Gracia de Mendes, an impressive woman who lived through the Inquisition in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It's hard to believe she managed to dominate the spice import business in such difficult times, while spending her life and fortune trying to help Jews flee the Inquisition's persecution.

There was hair on the bedsheets, so we changed rooms, but found more hair on the sheets there too. I got “food” poisoning from the cafeteria drinks, so avoid the juice from the machines. *edit* I also found hair in the baked goods at breakfast. Actually disgusting.