David Citadel

Facing the ramparts of the Old City, the David Citadel Hotel gives many of its rooms a direct line of sight to Jerusalem's walled centre. Stone, oak parquet, and marble bathrooms recur through the suites, a material palette that ties the interiors to the city outside. The Royal Suite, named for former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, runs to 148 square metres with a 63-square-metre terrace, a separate living and dining room, and a kitchenette with its own staff entrance for service. Designer Piero Lissoni fitted it with vintage artwork and Carrara marble. Rooms elsewhere range from Alcove Deluxe doubles to Presidential and Signature suites, several with partial or full Old City views. It is a five-minute walk to Jaffa Gate. Meals are served on a garden terrace, and the hotel keeps one of the larger gyms in the city alongside a spa and wellness centre. You can walk from the lobby to the Old City walls in minutes, then back for a swim or a treatment. Mamilla Mall sits within the same short radius, useful for anyone splitting a stay between markets and monuments. The hotel has run events and functions for over two decades, a detail that shows in the scale of its public rooms. Check-in is straightforward, and the location does most of the work.