Location Jerusalem, Israel Owner Alrov Group Floor count 10 | Opening 1998 Management Alrov Hotels Architect Moshe Safdie | |
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The David Citadel Hotel (Hebrew: מָלוֹן מֽצוּדָת דָּוִד, malón mezudát davíd) is a luxury hotel in the center of Jerusalem, Israel. The hotel is on King David Street, close to the entrance to the Old City. The hotel hosts VIPs, including global political leaders, business moguls and celebrities, competing with the nearby King David Hotel and the new Waldorf Astoria for the title of "Jerusalem's flagship hotel".
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Description
The hotel was designed by Moshe Safdie as a U-shaped structure rising 10 stories high with 384 rooms and suites. It has terrace-style suites that overlook the Old City and the Tower of David, and a glass-domed public lobby in the inner part of the "U". The building is an integral part of the Mamilla development project planned by Safdie, and highlights a neo-Oriental style which blends Middle-Eastern and classic Jerusalem architectural elements.
History
The hotel is owned by the Tel Aviv-based Alrov hotel and real estate development group, under the tutelage of Israeli business mogul Alfred Akirov. It opened in 1998 as the "Hilton Jerusalem" as it was managed by Hilton International, which was supposed to bring the property international notoriety. However, after a business dispute between Alfred Akirov and Hilton International, which developed into multimillion-dollar mutual lawsuits between the two corporations Hilton pulled out of managing the property in 2001. The owners decided that the hotel would not engage another international chain to manage the property and it was renamed The David Citadel Hotel. Today the hotel is managed by the Alrov Hotel Group. The Alrov Hotel Group owns five luxury properties in Jerusalem, Amsterdam, London and Paris.
People who have stayed include then-U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, as well as Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has used the facility to conduct quiet meetings between Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiating teams.