Waldorf – Astoria in Jerusalem

While most media attention was focused on Holyland this week,

I would like to share some photos from a different major building project.

image Waldorf, photo doorman, picture man in top hat

The new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel, has opened its doors.

Since Passover time, a doorman in a top hat has been on duty.

I have been fascinated by the progress of its construction,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo WAldorf

from a shell in November 2010,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo hotel

 February 2011,

image hotel being built, Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem image. picture hotel

and April 2011.

Not only by day, but when it was lit up at night,

image Waldorf at night, photo Waldorf Jerusalem, picture Waldorf Astroia

as in September 2010,

image Waldorf Jerusalem

January 2011,

image Waldorf Jerusalem, photo Waldorf Astoria, picture Waldorf Jerusalem

and as recently as in January 2014, I had to stop.

image Waldorf, photo hotel

For years one had to walk in the street as in April 2011,

on or on the other side of Agron Street.

DSC09183b

Once they built a cement wall, but then quickly removed it.

image working on hotel, photo Waldorf under constrution

So much work and so many workers,

image working on Waldorf, hotel under construction

on scaffolding and in windows.

image new hotel Jerusalem,

Sometimes I’d wonder what they were thinking,

image Waldorf construction, photo hotel,

and what they were doing.

Waldorf under construction photo.

Since the summer of 2010, the residential apartment building

image Waldorf Jerusalem

and the adjacent hotel structure,

IMG_0104b waldorf Jerusalem

 have slowly risen (September 2011)

view of Waldorf Astoria Hotel

 and slowly progressed (May 2012).

The decades-old original facade was cleaned up and remains,

photo inside Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, Israel

while the inside of the atrium and other details have been upgraded to the max.

image Waldorf Hotel, photo inside Waldorf Jerusalem

Twice I have gone inside and have had a hard time

just getting past the beautiful flowers displayed near the entrance.

People are wandering in to look, to sit and have a drink.

Weddings are scheduled,

and conferences are being held in the Waldorf-Astoria luxury hotel.

Other Jerusalem, Israel, hotels have started upgrading their facilities,

as everyone has to go up a notch now.

photo no bus sign, image Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, Israel

FYI, Top hats and wonderful service yes,

but NO buses allowed in front of hotel.

If you have a few spare million dollars lying around,

there are still flats for sale in the building next door,

just across from the Mamila Mall and minutes from the Old City.

0 thoughts on “Waldorf – Astoria in Jerusalem

  • May 15, 2014 at 4:57 pm
    Permalink

    I really enjoyed seeing the progress and the end results..fascinating

    On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 4:26 PM, The Real Jerusalem Streets wrote:

    > therealjerusalemstreets posted: “While most media attention was > focused on Holyland this week, I would like to share some photos from a > different major building project. The new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in > Jerusalem, Israel, has opened its doors. Since Passover time, a doorman in > a top”

    Reply
    • May 18, 2014 at 9:25 am
      Permalink

      Suzanne wrote a great comment with valuable information that I did not include, but she had trouble posting:”While it IS beautiful and being called “Waldorf Astoria” makes it seem new, the hotel was originally built in 1928 by a consortium of Arab investors led by none other than the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. It was called The Palace and was THE deluxe hotel in Jerusalem prior to the building of the King David Hotel, just up the street. The “shell” as you call it is the original part of the hotel. It had a grand staircase leading up to the mezzanine level and a beautiful dome up above.
      After the King David Hotel opened, the British took over The Palace and used it for administrative purposes and storage. When Israel became a State in 1948, the Israeli government took it over and most recently (well before the new construction started) used it for the Ministry of Industry & Trade (when Natan Sharansky was minister of that department – that’s where he had his office).
      Up until it was purchased and renovations began, there was still the British barbed wire on some of the lower windows (I used to take tourists by there just to show that to them)! One of the interesting things about the original design was that all the decorative touches on the facade were only on the street side, where they could be seen, while the back/hidden parts were very plain. I guess that saved the original builders a lot of money.
      While the name “Waldorf Astoria” does give it “clout”, I rather wish it was still called The Palace.”

      Reply
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