King David Hotel

The King David has been Jerusalem's stage for state visits, peace talks and society weddings since it opened in 1931, and its guestbook of presidents, monarchs and prime ministers is part of the city's modern history. Built of locally quarried pink limestone with a lobby of painted ceilings and Phoenician-inspired motifs, it occupies a ridge on King David Street with the walls of the Old City filling the view across the Hinnom Valley.

Rooms balance old-world proportion with steady renovation; the ones to request face east, where the panorama of ramparts, domes and towers is among the great hotel views anywhere. The rear gardens—lawns, mature trees and a large heated pool—are a genuine rarity in central Jerusalem and give the hotel a resort-like second life in summer. Service carries the formality of a flagship that knows it is often hosting delegations.

Breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Old City is the signature ritual, and the location puts the Jaffa Gate, Mamilla and the German Colony all within a walk. It is a working icon rather than a design hotel, and some spaces show their ceremonial character, but for history within touching distance it stands alone in the city.