The Hotel “WOW” Factor – Mamilla Hotel

Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem (photos: Mamilla Hotel)

Anyone who knows me is instantly convinced I am passionate about hotels. Of course as a hotel executive for 20 years but also as a guest visiting and experiencing all kinds of venues I have been impressed by wonderful properties both on Israel and abroad.

I have marketed over 18 different hotels and truly loved all of them. There were spa hotels, business & convention hotels, resort/recreational hotels in Eilat and Dead Sea, family-oriented hotels and so much more. I am especially impressed by lifestyle hotels that one can in one glance see that much thought and effort and yes – money was invested in the planning and implementation.

Last week it was one of those moments I was very proud to be a hotelier. I visited the newly opened Mamilla Hotel at the Mamilla complex developed and managed by Alfred Akirov’s Alrov Luxury Hotel Company.

I was blown away by the hotel and to make things sweeter, my dear friend hotelier Eli Maor who is the hotel manager showed me around and it was a chance to touch base.

The Mamilla Hotel is truly a lifestyle hotel that incorporates both design elements and service elements at its different venues. The hotel is on a soft opening stage but it will eventually provide almost 200 rooms and suites. The designer Pierro Lissoni was able to combine both Jerusalem elements such stone walls with antique artifacts with modern elements such as black steel.

Guest room in Mamilla Hotel

I loved the choice of colors – chocolate layers and spurts of purple and orange. The fact that the hotel offers “experience” venues such as an espresso bar, winery, library style lobby space, vip lounges, mirror Bar, and rooftop restaurant, patio area and others.

Rooms and suites are minimalist but luxurious by using textiles from Frette and bathroom amenities from Occitane (I did find the bed to be low for hotel standards).

I can’t wait to see the Mamilla Cafe on the Mamilla Avenue and the 1,000 spa complex that is now under construction. It’s great that they have hired a chef that comes from the restaurant business. The breakfast room is impressive – although I would have set it up with smaller more private areas with tables of two/four.

All in all this kind of property that definitely upgrades Israel’s standards and will probably attract a Israeli crowd that never visits Jerusalem and an international crowd that has seen this high end hotels  around the world and is looking for the same sophistication in Israel.

I wish all the best to Alrov and of course to my good friend Eli.