The Waldorf Astoria

My sister and brother in law decided to spend their wedding anniversary in Jerusalem. When my sister went to me a picture of the Waldorf Astoria lounge, I thought it would be lovely to surprise them with a small attention. This was the best decision ever! I called the hotel, told them the situation and in less than 7 minutes, they received a fabulous treat and kept on enjoying the caring and perfect service they have had so far. This is not only about perfectly trained staff members: the difference at the Waldorf Astoria is that each one of them is welcoming guests with generosity, kindness and passion for their profession. Thank you and well done!

We just returned from a Shabbat at the Waldorf. We had looked forward to this treat for a long time. The greeting and service at check-in was professional and courteous. The room and the amenities impressive -- all the little touches were wonderful. The food, however, was extremely disappointing. We recognize that there are limitations (table service instead of a breakfast buffet) because of COVID, however, the selections were underwhelming, the food bland and the "hot" dishes barely warm. Later in the day we ate the Shabbat lunch. We cannot recommend this to anyone! First, again it was barely heated. Second, there was an underwhelming variety of dishes (most of which was little bowls of the components of the traditional Sabbath beef stew - cholent -- beans in one, meat in another, potatoes in a third). The portions of chicken and meat (actually tongue) had been so over-prepared, they practically disintegrated when touched by knife and fork. We could not recommend ordering the Shabbat meals at the hotel. Finally, we must mention that one of our fears was actualized. This was the first time since the onset of the pandemic that we decided to vacation. We were concerned about being in an environment that we could not control. It disturbed us to see that other than a few token symbols (hand sanitizer dispensers) there was not a vigilance to public standards. There were no indications by the elevators as to passenger limits and no enforcement of mask wearing or social distancing at prayer services (there are other examples, as well). Beautiful hotel but a somewhat disappointing experience.