Living as we do in the heart of the Holy City, my husband Coby and I don’t often spend Shabbat as tourists – preferring shmoozy foodfests with friends and family, and sacking out on our comfy couch with a true crime tell-all (me) or a quirky self-help book (Coby).
Yet, we spent the weekend at the newly renovated Beit Shmuel this June – Friday night through Saturday, with all our meals at the hotel – and it was of the more memorable Shabbatot we’ve had in Jerusalem in a while. A little of a love-at-first-suite situation, if I’m honest.
A bit of background
Beit Shmuel is fairly new to the market in its current form; it went through a major, multi-million-shekel renovation and reopened under new management, with 56 rooms across a few categories – from standard rooms up to family-sized suites and a private 11-room complex for groups, to hostel-like rooms with bunk beds suited for travelers or young kids.
It’s run by Eli Danon and Momi Dahan, with Adi Ben-Shitrit, a well-known Jerusalem name, as general manager. Ben-Shitrit described the goal as offering a high, tailored standard of hospitality authentic to Jerusalem – and the investment shows. The property feels genuinely new rather than freshly painted over an old shell, more “reborn” than “refreshed.”
The room
We stayed in one of the hotel’s suites, part of a recently launched complex that provides the Jerusalem holy grail: directly facing the Old City walls. It didn’t feel like a hotel room so much as a small, well-appointed apartment: a proper separate bedroom, with a comfortable bed, full-length mirror, the right amount of drawers and closet space, and a spacious en-suite bathroom and shower with good water pressure and delightfully scented products.
The living area offered ample seating space, sunshine, and a massive TV, and a full kitchen with a dishwasher, oven, coffee machine, and glasses of all shapes and sizes. Moreover, there was a safe, an iron (which Coby appreciated; I haven’t ironed in years), and the air conditioning was strong enough to make the June heat a non-issue. The finishes throughout were clean and modern, with lively local art on the walls lending an air of personality.
The balcony was the real standout, and honestly, a little bit of a showoff. We stepped out Friday afternoon and just stood there for a minute taking in the view – the cradle of three religions right there, like Jerusalem decided to perform just for us. Sharing a pre-Shabbat glass of wine, whiling away a few hours outside, even getting dressed – it made the whole stay feel special.
The public spaces
The rooftop boasts a similar sweeping view, and a few different art-bedecked lounge and lobby areas are spread across the lower floors – including a nice open space on the third floor – that gave us places to sit, read, and talk over Shabbat without it feeling like we were stuck in our room.
An inner courtyard was perfect for meandering afternoon conversations amid a bit of greenery. Come evening, it shifts gears, with the option to order from the bar and just hang out. Beit Shmuel had even set up a big screen for World Cup watching.
The atmosphere throughout was relaxed rather than stiff; despite the hotel clearly being set up to also handle large events and conferences, it didn’t feel corporate when we were just there for Shabbat. Indeed, we got to chatting in the small lobby with the friendly French family next to us and their well-dressed brood.
The food
This is where the hotel really delivered. Throughout, the spread was heimish, generous but not over-the-top – just right to feel comfortably well-fed but not that we disgustingly overdid it (as one often is tempted to do at such a buffet). Friday-night dinner was excellent – the salatim stood out in particular, with homemade-tasting tehina, perfectly seared eggplant, and lemony tabbouleh, different types of Moroccan fish my Ashkenazi palate has grown to love over the years, and well-cooked meat and chicken mains and thoughtful sides for both adults and children.
We were still full when breakfast rolled around, but just had to sample the fresh spread that I wished would be available all day so I could go wild when I was actually hungry again. Shabbat lunch was just as strong and included a delicious meat-and-pastry concoction that Coby couldn’t get enough of, and authentic hamin.
Desserts were varied at every meal; we didn’t leave a single course wanting more, and there may have been a small, undignified tiff over a shtickle of cake we brought back to the room. Nothing about it felt like standard hotel catering – it tasted like real, homemade effort had gone into it.
Friendly and responsive, staff throughout the hotel were quick to help with anything we needed, without hovering.
Beyond the hotel
Experiences off-site shaped our Shabbat as much as the hotel itself did. Friday night, we walked over to the community center on Ahad Ha’am Street for the Kabbalat Shabbat singalong at Minyan Mabua, which caters to all observance levels with sections for men, women, and mixed. It was genuinely moving, the kind of davening that stays with you and follows you quietly into the rest of the weekend.
Shabbat morning, we went to the Great Synagogue and stumbled upon thundering, beautiful hazzanut as part of a special service. Neither experience is technically “part of” the hotel, but if you’re staying at Beit Shmuel for Shabbat, they’re worth building your schedule around. On Shabbat afternoon, we took a long, lovely, leisurely stroll to visit our neighbor – the Western Wall.
Location
Being a short walk from Mamilla, Jaffa Gate, and the city center meant we never had to think about transport. Everything we wanted to do over Shabbat was reachable on foot, making the whole weekend feel unhurried – a rare gift in Jerusalem, which often has other plans for your schedule.
One thing to consider: Bring those personal odds and ends that make your day, like soy milk for the room – which was super expensive when we ran out to get it at the makolet opposite Mamilla Hotel.
Events and conference space
Worth noting for anyone considering Beit Shmuel beyond a Shabbat stay: The hotel also runs a full events and conference operation under the “Walls Events” brand. The main venue, Blaustein Hall, seats up to 380 and has glass walls looking out on – you guessed it – the Old City. It’s used for weddings, bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, brits, and corporate events alike. The Hirsch Theater (FRIENDS Hall) holds 350 and is geared toward performances and conferences.
There’s also the aforementioned inner courtyard space – known formally as the Jerusalem Patio – which can hold gatherings of up to 300, with several smaller rooms for workshops and meetings. The kosher certification, from the Jerusalem Rabbinate, covers both the hotel and the events center, with a higher Mehadrin standard available.
A final word
Beit Shmuel is a genuinely comfortable, well-run hotel with a view that’s hard to beat and food that exceeded our expectations, at a price that won’t require a second mortgage. It’s clearly been designed with care post-renovation, and it shows in the details. Ahead for the future: A pool and spa.
We’d go back without hesitation, and probably argue over a slice o’ cake again.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.