Swiss ritzy hotelier takes Jerusalem’s ‘American Colony’ to the very top
Inside the walls of its historic Old City, Jerusalem becomes sacred. This is the cradle of civilization, holy for all Abrahamic religions. Jerusalem has a profound religious significance to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and traveling here is a must. Jews will pray at the western wall, the last remains of the second Jewish temple, destroyed by the Romans. Christians see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Christian Quarter, to be the holiest site in the world. Muslims believe that prophet Mohammed was carried from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Aqsa gray dome Mosque is the 3rd most important site for muslims.
For centuries many pushed hard and vigorously for coexistence between the religions. A challenging and not a simple task. In the meantime an oasis of tranquility is certainly what is needed here. The ultimate place dates back to the late 19th century, initially a house that with time became a luxury hotel – The American Colony.
“The hotel used to be an old Ottoman Pasha house in the early 1900s and through the years it became a guest house and then eventually a full service hotel, with restaurants, bar, swimming pool and fitness. If you want to live in the old days, but with modern luxury, that’s the place to be in Jerusalem,” says Swiss General Manager, Guy Lindt.
Switzerland is known for its high-quality hospitality industry and reputation for excellence in services and education for the hospitality industry. This country has a long tradition of providing exceptional hospitality services, particularly in areas such as luxury hotels, resorts, and culinary experiences. In the 1980s a group of 66 American, British and Swedish members, descendants of the original owners of the American Colony hotel, decided that a professional hotels management company based in Switzerland would manage it on their behalf. Ever since all General Managers were Swiss. “A hotelier from my country at the top of the pyramid represents at the same time professionalism and neutrality,” says Lindt. “In a city like Jerusalem this is clearly a message that the 92 rooms American Colony hotel is an open house for all, with no restrictions or limitations. This is why endless diplomatic dialogues were taking place here. The most familiar ones were the negotiations prior to the Oslo accords 30 years ago.”
Under Lindt’s leadership the American Colony hotel is apparently reaching new heights. For the last 13 months the hotel has been ranked at Jerusalem’s hotels top of TripAdvisor. This crowd sourcing revolutionized online site provides us for more than a decade reviews of hotels and tourism activities, so we can receive positive assurance before booking a trip. Tripadvisor’s ‘Annual Travelers Choice’ prestigious badge is presented by chosen proud hotels on their websites, front desk and correspondence.
