Lev Yerushalayim Apartment Hotel

A colleague and I stayed for 5 nights at the hotel in May 2019 prior to joining a tour group. I've stayed here at least a dozen times in recent years, the last in the fall of 2018. What Lev Yerushalayim lacks in amenities it makes up by being in one of the best locations of downtown Jerusaelem. It's on King George Street, with a large number of bus lines at the stop in front of the hotel, and a couple of blocks from Jaffa Road with its light rail. It's a 10-minute walk from the famed Machane Yehuda shuk (market). It's across the street from the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. If you choose not to have the decent but unelaborate hotel breakfast there are plenty of coffee shop equivalents within a couple of blocks radius. Because the hotel was originally built as a timeshare, the rooms are slightly larger than the older, standard hotel rooms in the area, with a separate living room, bedroom and bathroom. Given today's power needs, it's handy to bring with you (or buy at a hardware store a few blocks away on Agrippas Street) a 220-volt electrical extension cord with 4 or 5 outlets. The noted Yeshurun Synagogue is less than 10-minute walk away on King George Street, and the Great Synagogue a couple of blocks further. There are convenience stores with long hours within a couple of blocks. For your laundry, go to the Hamerkaz laundromat/dry cleaner on Keren Hakayemet Street 11, about a 12-minute walk from the hotel, with Sunday through Thursday hours 8 am - 6 pm, ending earlier on Friday. I've consistently paid 50 shekels for a regular laundry bag full of clothes over the past 5 years, and if you bring it in early it will be ready after noon; credit cards accepted. Rooms on the King George side are noiser, with all the traffic. Ask for a room on the plaza side (facing Eliash Street). If you snag a first floor room, you'll get a balcony (which you may have to clean a bit if the birds got there first). If you arrive by taxi or shared van, the driver should let you off on Eliash Street, since they can't stop on King George Street, and it's two flights of outdoor stairs anyway to the front door, but level from Eliash Street.

We carefully researched hotels in Jerusalem, near the Old City, to suit our budget and the Yev was our best choice. We specifically asked in advance for a refurbished room facing the Plaza at the rear for quietness (as advised on tripadvisor feedback) and we’re very pleased that the hotel responded positively and gave us exactly that. I don’t know if there are still any unrefurbished rooms and what the other rooms are like, but the bathroom had recently been complete refitted, the wardrobe doors had been replaced and the TV and the beds looked new. The room doors and other fittings looked a bit old and worn, but everything had been recently repainted. What is unusual about the Yev is that our room was a small apartment, with a sofa bed and small kitchen area, with a fridge, m/wave, hotplate and sink, but not one pan, utensil, plate or bowl. The WiFi was great all over the hotel with speeds around 35mb/s and the heating worked well. It was quite cool when we stayed so I don’t know if there is air con. The Yev is within walking distance of the Old City or the tram is about 100 metres down the road. There are loads of shops, a pharmacy, buskers and take-away or restaurants nearby and there is a Deli that sells beer at street level of the hotel. The reception area and dining room were very good, staff always on hand and (mostly) friendly. The buffet breakfasts were very good with a large menu and only spoiled by some peeling paint above one of the food serving benches. I would definitely stay at the Yev Jerushalayim again!