This hotel is an architectural masterpiece. It is built on Mt. Opus overlooking the Hebrew University and The old City.

Location
The hotel's location is somewhat far from the major attractions (museums, shopping, dining, Old City).
But, they do offer a free shuttle van leaving every 30 minutes, making several stops before it's final stop- right outside the Old City Jaffa Gate (10 minutes door to door).

While some may view this as a fault, we were actually quite happy with the location. Transportation was not a problem (We used the shuttle during the day - back and forth, and in the evening we grabbed a cab- a dispatch office was conveniently located right outside the hotel). And, we felt quite safe seeing that we were far away from the goings on in the Old City, and town.


Facilities
The hotel is quite breathtaking. It is only 9 stories tall but is built into the hill. It's 9 story atrium is quite a sight. The hotel has a few overpriced shops (that are nice to browse), a Business center(where you can send mail, check e-mail, rent cell-phones etc.) and car rental right on site.

Also on site is a full Spa facility (currently the largest in Jerusalem) offering a full range of fitness facilities, services, as well as an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, dry sauna etc.

Outdoor activities include a large pool, tennis courts and children's play area (they also host a variety of activities for the kids at the pool).

Also worth a mention is the hotel's disco. It is popular in the area, although the crowd is on the young side and so is the music (16-25). Admission is free to hotel guests, so take a look around and decide for yourself.


Accommodation
The rooms are a descent size (quite modest in comparison to it's sister hotel at the Dead Sea - see my review), and are well equipped. They all have balconies. Ask for a room overlooking the Old City- as the view is magnificent- especially at sundown.

Dining
The hotel has a few restaurants. Namely an Italian restaurant, a casual cafe/bar with nightly music, and the Pavillion- a buffet style restaurant.

To be quite honest, we only dined at the hotel for breakfast as we were out and about most of the day. The restaurants in Jerusalem offer much variety and since you probably didn't travel all the way to Jerusalem to stay in the hotel, I recommend going out and getting as much as you can out of the experience. Hotel food is - I think - just hotel food. Good for all-inclusive deals and business dinners. But that's just me. Ask the concierge what they recommend, they will give you a run down of the local favorites.

From what we did try- the breakfast (included in nightly rate) - we were quite impressed. The selection of smoked fish, cheese, pastry, fruits and salads was vast and very fresh. Very much in the style of the traditional Israeli breakfast buffet.

Staff
The staff is very friendly, the concierge desk is hosted by helpful staff always ready to help, arrange tours and recommend restaurants, shopping sites and other attractions. The restaurants they recommended were great, as were other attractions and must see sites.

I wouldn't recommend going with the tours they recommend though. The tours are pricey and quite bland. (They also get a commission)
We went on a bus tour through the company they offered and on another tour by a company we found on our own (just inside the Jaffa Gate, across from the King David Museum- you'll find a little hole in the wall, the office is tiny but they offer great tours). We liked the smaller tour group much more.
The guide was great and we got a lot more value for our money.

Final Words
Enjoy Jerusalem, there isn't another place on earth that compares. When you do go, I would recommend staying at the Hyatt.

1.The price is lower than comparable hotels (my guess is that it's because of the location)
2.The hotel is beautiful
3.There's plenty to do if you're staying in
4.The staff is very friendly
5.The free shuttle comes in handy, especially when focusing your trip on the Old City


Recommended: Yes