מלון גלוריה

Most any of the hotels within the walls of Old Jerusalem will focus on tour groups, I suppose, so be prepared for large groups, particularly at breakfast. The Gloria Hotel is adequate, but could use some updating in its furniture, bathroom, breakfast room, and wi-fi technology. Given the number of tourists that they have to deal with, the staff are probably overwhelmed and weary of dealing with the public, which means that many of the staff members can sometimes be a bit distant and abrupt. Location The Gloria Hotel has a prime location just a couple of blocks inside the Jaffa Gate, on a side street, which, fortunately, minimizes noise from the busy main street. Guests enter through a lovely, but small, outdoor courtyard, where you can have a drink from the lobby bar, if you’d like. Check-In The check-in process takes a bit of time, while the guest fills out what seems to be a lot of information on a paper form and the hotel staff member takes photocopies of passports. There are two elevators down the hall from the lobby, but the wait can be long during “guest rush hours.” Lobby While the check-in desk area can best be described as functional, it’s not particularly welcoming. However, just off to the side, there is a lovely bar and lounge area – a great place to have a refreshing beverage after a day of touring Old Jerusalem. Rooms Built in a large square layout, each floor has lots of rooms, so if mobility is an issue for you, request a room near the elevators. The rooms themselves are functional, but not particularly attractive and in vast need of updating. We could hear guests’ conversations or television programs in the adjoining rooms, so there is little soundproofing between rooms. The bed was reasonably comfortable, and there was an electrical outlet conveniently located at each bedside table. Nonetheless, we were glad we had packed mini-multi-outlet extension cords in order to power multiple electronic devices. There is a small desk, and its surface area is crowded with the telephone, television remote, coffee service items, and a lamp. Consequently, we had to squeeze most of these items in the corner of the desk in order to have working space for a computer or writing. The other guest had to use the guest chair and lean over to use the bed as a working space for a computer. There were two pieces of luggage-rack furniture, which helped with handling luggage and providing storage for both of us. Complimentary instant coffee and tea were provided, but no water was provided for guests. There are small grocery stores and tourist shops nearby that sell water, so you’ll have to stock up at those outlets (at somewhat inflated tourist prices). Bathroom The bathroom was small, but there was a ledge above the toilet where we could put our personal toiletry kits. The shower size was standard, but the water temperature could vary greatly, particularly when most guests were getting ready in the morning, creating a large demand on the hot water supply. Wi-Fi Despite the walls between the guest rooms being rather thin, the hotel building had thick walls and floors, which interfered with the wi-fi signal. At peak times when a large number of guests were trying to access wi-fi, the signal would drop completely or be painfully slow, to the point of being unusable. The hotel needs to install stronger wi-fi booster throughout the hotel. Dining There is a somewhat large breakfast room on the top floor. Given the large numbers of tour groups, the breakfast room is nearly always crowded and very noisy. Given that Old Jerusalem is a must-see for Christian Holy Land groups, there were frequently pastors who were practically delivering loud sermons to their groups. As individuals who were staying at the hotel, we were amused to hear and watch the conflicting interpretations of the Christian testament. As for the food, well, it was just best to stick with fruit, yogurt, and bread since most of the other dishes were gloppy and flavorless. Overall I would have rather stayed elsewhere with more up-to-date facilities, but that would have meant staying outside of the walled city of Old Jerusalem, where most of the tourist and religious sites are located. So, for a couple of days, I would tolerate the quirks of the Gloria Hotel if I were in Jerusalem again.