Mount Zion Hotel

Mount Zion is an adequate tourist hotel, located just 5 minutes by car or bus from the gates of the old city. Let's start with the good news: good location, good breakfast and an easy walk to the restaurants in the old train station (now a restaurant/neighborhood entertainment zone.) The bones of the hotel are good, but the hotel is in need of renovation both of the decor and the mechanics. While we were there the power went out and the elevators went out, in separate events. I suspect that the hotel stays full with group travelers, which reduces the incentive for the owners to spend on the property, but they have now put it off too long.The rooms and the pubic areas need refurbishment. Among the smaller problems is that pick-up and drop-off by car or cab is difficult and could be unsafe. The hotel faces a main and hilly road. There is a gated pull-off, but the pull-off is there for tour buses only (understandably considering the street) but is closed off by the gates to other vehicles. Even our driver from the airport remarked that he never knows where to drop people off for this hotel. Also note that although there is a ramp at the front, this would be a tough property to navigate for those in a wheelchair. There is a small bar in the back of the lobby with nice views of the valley.There is a pool, which was closed for the season during our stay. Also know that Jerusalem hotels are expensive, so value is a relative term.