Jerusalem International YMCA

We are a couple in our 60s. We have stayed at many, many hotels in Jerusalem over the years. The Three Arches rates highly. |Pros:|-Excellent location, walking distance to all major sites and museums|-Free underground parking. If you have ever had a car in Jerusalem, you know just how valuable this is. Parking lot is spacious and secure.|-Staff are all pleasant, welcoming, and helpful. We were staying here during the Iran attack, and they ensured we knew what to do and where to go. |-The room was spacious for Jerusalem (we had a Deluxe Double)|-good breakfast|-housekeeping was excellent with daily room refresh and never being intrusive, so good|Cons|-The rooms were a bit dated and maintenance could be just a little sharper (burnt out light bulbs, sticky lock, minor issues)|-Elevator was tiny with maximum of 3 people |-no on-site restaurant or coffee shop/bar |The cons should not sway you not to stay here, just listed to be aware and expectations should be for a really nice 3 star hotel. |I last stayed here in 1975 when it was a youth hostel. I did not know what to expect. I will definitely recommend this hotel for price, location, parking, and mostly for the wonderful atmosphere.

I have stayed at the Jerusalem International YMCA/Three Arches many times before, but this visit was unique. I came to Jerusalem for a friend's wedding on the afternoon of Friday, April 12, for only four nights. As has long been the case, the building and surroundings are gorgeous, the room very clean and comfortable, the breakfast was varied and tasty, and the service was very attentive (special hat tips to Francis, Pauline, and Michel). It was a ten-minute walk from the wedding venue, and the perfect location.||||But the visit was to be anything but normal. Overnight Saturday, after Shabbat ended, the news flashed that hundreds of drones and missiles were headed toward Israel from Iran. The building had safe zones marked in many locations, and given that the building itself is like a giant stone fortress, I felt safe. At 2:00 a.m. Sunday, the air-raid sirens sounded and my Israel Home Command app (free download) went off on my phone, loudly warning "Missile Alert -- seek shelter immediately, and it even flashed the phone's flashlight. I slipped on shoes (slept in my clothes) and proceeded down the stairwell to a corridor two stories underground -- very safe. ||||The staff excelled here as well -- security officers made sure everyone was in a safe place, and the CEO of the Jerusalem International YMCA, Fadi Suidan, monitored everything closely. I felt completely safe and very, very well cared for.||||Service is best measured when things go wrong, and this was an unprecedented crisis -- Israel has never had a massive aerial barrage like this. The staff rose to the occasion and truly proved themselves. Johnny and Raed, security men extraordinaire, thank you/shukran/toda! ||||I will return to Israel for two weeks in late June/early July, and will spend five nights in Jerusalem. I have already booked the Jerusalem International YMCA again, and will feel more loyal to it than ever. It is my Jerusalem home -- and I hope that readers will make it theirs as well.

We have been coming to “Open House Jerusalem” for a few years now. We have stayed at a numbers of hotels and this was by far the best. Beautiful building, spacious and comfortable room, good breakfast and parking. The location is superb: you can walk almost everywhere, including restaurants and coffee houses. The stuff was friendly and eager to help. And the views from the tower, unbelievable!

The best hotel i had the pleasure to stay in it. Great service, special interior, very good breakfast and unbelievable spa and swimming pool . Room was clean and had everything we needed. Reception was kind and helpful. A unique historical building looking over the old city with bell tower you can visit. Thanks staff.

Hotel staff were really friendly and helpful, especially Francis and Pauline, who gave tips on places to visit and transportation options freely. Hotel location is ideal for walking visit to the walled Jerusalem city and has a 360 degree view from the tower including Temple Mount and Mt of Olives, which is complimentary to go up for hotel guests. It cost 90 shekels to get from the train central station by taxi. Felt very safe when we sheltered in the basement during the early morning attack on April 15. Hotel is directly across from the King David Hotel.

Beautiful historic building, lovely | room, including an impeccable bathroom.|Fabulous location walking distance from lots of things, plus buses and .light rail nearby. The staff were very friendly.|Reasonably priced, given its location.

My third stay at the Three Arches, over many years. It remains a sensible choice for people wishing a centrally located, reasonably priced hotel with architectural significance (it was designed by the form that designed the Empire State Building), a terrific view of the entire city from the top of the tower, resonable prices, and a helpful staff. The gym and pool are excellent, and the Israeli breakfast that comes with the room is terrific.

+ Very nice and quiet place, good rooms, you can open windows at nights, wonderful service, great location, parking, fair price. There is a pool on-prem but we didn't use it||- Shower is not too comfortable - should be a holder to hang it on the wall. Towels are very thin and old