Montefiore Hotel by Smart Hotels

I stayed for 4 nights. I have to qualify the review by saying that I spent very little time in the hotel (just sleeping and breakfast). The room served mainly as a staging area for all my activities outside, and as such I did not need any amenities more than a clean room and good breakfast. The cost for my stay was $99 per night, which was a very good price considering the location, and the very nice breakfast. The rooms are small, but comfortable. The breakfast is awesome featuring many hot dishes and also an array of salads and cheeses (really more than a normal person needs to eat every day). Probably I didn't each much lunch or dinner because the breakfast was almost a whole day's meal. (I didn't stay for Shabbos, so I can't comment on that.) The location is right in the center of the city. It is a few blocks from several synagogues, including The Great Synagogue (Hechal Shlomo), Machane Yehuda, Ben Yehuda Street, and a short walk to Yafo Gate in the Old City. The only *minor* problem I experienced was parking. The hotel has an agreement with a very small private lot, which is about 3 blocks from the hotel. The lot is only attended from about 9 am to 6 pm (?). It can be very full, so you are not guaranteed a spot whenever you arrive (especially if you arrive after hours on a night when it is full). One night I wasn't able to get a parking spot at all. It turned out however, that at night, on-street parking in the area is not so hard, and it does not cost. So if you have a car, be prepared for a little bit of chaos around the parking. Overall, I enjoyed my stay very much, and even switched from the Leonardo Hotel (St. George) back to the Montefiore because the value, atmosphere, and location were so much more enjoyable.

We were very pleased with this hotel. If you are on a budget and want a place that is basic, clean and in a GREAT location, this is your hotel. The hotel room is not luxurious but does the job. We weren't planning on spending a lot of time in the room anyway! The price was right and we loved the location. Maybe since we were there 6 nights, we were surprised one night with fruit, jam, and bottled water, and another night with a bottle of wine! The breakfast was typical Israeli style-very good and complete with Cappuccino machine! Would definitely stay there again!