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Dan Boutique Hotel Jerusalem: Tourist in my own city

14 years ago
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by ck
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Part 2: Jerusalem

I was recently given the opportunity to test drive a couple of Hotels in the Dan Hotel chain in Israel. Part 1 was about my stay at the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv and this post is about my stay at the Dan Boutique Hotel in Jerusalem.

Taking a vacation day in Jerusalem, a city I already live in seemed like it could be fun, and the Dan Boutique seemed like it might be an interesting experience. On paper everything looked promising – it’s a smaller boutique style hotel which is supposed to mean more attentive service and more contemporary, updated decor. The location was good too – across the street from all the restaurants and bars by the Old Jerusalem Train Station, a quick walk to the Old City and a brisk walk to either downtown or Emek Refaim. Suffice it to say that prior to my arrival, my expectations were already pretty high.

Well… let’s just say that not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded! The room was beautifully appointed in this cool neo-middle eastern style and the closet had the fluffy bathrobes I do so love. The bathroom was large and comfortable and the room, not the largest available by far, had ample desk space for work and a big flat panel TV for goofing off. The piece de resistance however was the view. When I unfurled the curtains, I was greeted by an entire wall of glass with literally a million dollar view of the Old City of Jerusalem (pictured above).

Now remember, I live in Jerusalem. I visit the old city several times a month. But being able to sit back and have that view right there? It’s an experience that in and of itself justifies staying at the Dan Boutique. But of course, they do not rest on their laurels – the hotel offers a lot more!

The Dan Hotel Chain is the only totally Israeli owned major Hotel chain in Israel. This manifests itself in a kind of homey environment where, for instance, they want to make sure they send you off on your touristic endeavors really well fed. As such, one of their signature elements is the best hotel breakfast in the country. The Dan Boutique Jerusalem isn’t as large as the Dan Panorama but that means nothing when it came to breakfast which was extensive, lavish and involved more delicious food than even I could sample in one sitting. My Aunt Chanah never sends me off hungry when I visit. She pulls out all stops and yet she has nothing on the Dan Hotels. Nothing.

The Dan Boutique in Jerusalem also has a nice lobby suitable for entertaining guests, playing a game of pool or having a drink. Did I mention how solicitous the service is? A couple friends came to visit after dinner and the bartender brought out a selection of fruit and cakes, free of charge, for our guests – as if he was serving people in his own home. This is how we were treated throughout our stay. This wasn’t some kind of impersonal short term housing experience – I really felt as if I was a guest in someone’s home – someone who was an excellent host committed to his guest’s comfort and happiness. I didn’t want to leave!

So yeah. The Dan Boutique Jerusalem totally blew me away. I tried to be critical, really I did. But it’s hard to be critical when everything is SO awesome and everyone is so friendly. Dan Hotels have 13 properties in Israel – the Dan and the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv, the Dan Carmel, the Dan Panorama and the Dan Gardens in Haifa, the Dan Accadia in Herliya, the Dan Caesaria, the Dan and the Dan Panorama in Eilat, the Dan Gardens in Ashkelon, and in Jerusalem, the Dan Panorama, the King David Hotel and of course, the Dan Boutique.

If you want to book your own Dan Hotel getaway, feel free to CLICK HERE and make a reservation today!

ck
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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

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4 Comments

  • Your review was right on the money. We were close to everything, Emek Refaim, downtown Jerusalem and the Old City. My boyfriend and I enjoyed ourselves so much that we extended our stay an extra day. I did it so that we could visit the Botanical Gardens. My boyfriend agreed because he wanted another shot at the breakfast buffet. A trip we won’t soon forget.

  • Despite frequent trips to Jerusalem, we’ve never had the opportunity to stay at the Dan Boutique. After reading this post, we decided to give it a go and sure enough, it was exactly as you described it. We’ve stayed at boutique hotels before, in Israel and abroad, but I was most impressed by how personal and friendly the service was at the Dan Boutique. That on top of the epic breakfast and the fantastic view from our room really enhanced our stay! Thanks for the heads up ck!