hotel Prima Palace In Jerusalem, the Prima hotel chain is being renewed and upgraded these days while continuing to maintain its ultra-Orthodox character. The hotel, which was established in the late sixties by the Menachem Porosh family, is named after “The Center Hotel”. And from the beginning he offered a tourist experience intended for the ultra-orthodox sector. In 2015 it was sold to the ‘Prima’ hotel chain, and will be called ‘Prima Palace’ in Israel. Recently, the hotel underwent a massive upgrade with an investment of NIS 5.5 million, and the hand is still tilted.
the hotel’s CEO, Abi Abudraham, today presented to journalists the upgrade of the first floor of the hotel, with its 31 rooms. This includes a massive upgrade of the rooms with re-flooring, brand new shower rooms, new up to date furniture and more. Some rooms also have a balcony. In accordance with the ultra-orthodox character of the hotel, the rooms include “Jewish” beds that can be separated, and a large, convenient sink for washing hands in each room.
As part of the upgrade, the exterior spaces of the hotel were also renewed, which included, among other things, the renewal of the entrance lobby, the entrance patio with magical seating areas, replacement of furniture in all seating and relaxation areas, and more.
In the second phase of the hotel upgrade, which will be carried out in the next two years, the two additional floors will be upgraded, which include 46 additional rooms. The hotel has a total of 77 rooms.
The hotel offers four types of rooms: comfort rooms suitable for singles or couples, spacious superior rooms with a homely and inviting design, upgraded and spacious deluxe rooms, also suitable for families and upgraded and spacious deluxe rooms with a balcony, suitable for families.
Some rooms have a door between two rooms, which can be opened for large families renting adjoining rooms. The hotel rooms do not have televisions, as is appropriate for an ultra-orthodox place.
The uniqueness of the Prima Palace Hotel is the attention to detail that the observant need in order to feel at home: a synagogue, prayer lists throughout the year, learning a daily page every morning, Torah lessons, Torah books, siddurim and Pentacles. The Prima Palace Hotel does not have a swimming pool, but there is a mikva for men.
The hotel’s marketing manager, Haim Doc, explains that Jerusalem is the highlight of any tourist visit to Israel. Every tourist comes to Jerusalem for a few days, and Jerusalem hotels are based on incoming tourism. The niche of incoming tourism is very weak during this period due to the war, and the hotel management decided to take advantage of the downturn for the renovation work, and also to appeal to additional audiences, such as young ultra-orthodox couples and national religious couples and their families.
The food in the hotel is excellent. I checked. Haim Dok says the hotel has luxurious kosher with the supervision of the Agudath Israel. There is a God-fearing supervisor present at the hotel and available for any question regarding supervision. The hotel also serves its guests kosher mulled wines “for a drink”.
The Prima Palace Hotel is located in an excellent location close to the Western Wall and the Old City, less than half an hour’s walk away. The hotel is located in the heart of Jerusalem, in the Moshe Memorial neighborhood near the Geula neighborhood, Mea Shearim, and Mahane Yehuda Market. The address: Yehiel Michal Pins Street 2. One house after the Davidka square.
Prima Palace also has an events department that is responsible for halls that allow events of different styles and sizes to be held for the ultra-Orthodox audience. The halls in the hotel: Yaholum, a spacious ballroom for up to 450 people, and also Shoham and Barkat halls designed for small events of up to 150 people. In all the halls it is possible to coordinate family events such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, alliances, and in addition, it is possible to hold conferences and business events in the halls. The hotel also offers accommodation for families celebrating Shabbat Hatan, Shabbat Bar Mitzvah, Sheva Baruchot and more.
But there is also a small minus. The hotel’s parking lot is only suitable for about twenty cars. If we are coming to a family event, we will have to take care of parking ourselves.
The prices at the Prima Palace Hotel are relatively common for such a luxurious hotel. In the middle of the week, a room costs NIS 730 on average, and on Saturdays NIS 1,780 on average for full board (FB). During Passover, the cost of a room per night is NIS 2,250. There is a certain supplement for a renovated room and a room with a balcony.
The Prima hotel chain was established in 1990 and is owned by the Moskovich family from the USA. Today, the chain includes 15 hotels throughout the country, five of them in Jerusalem, and four in Tel Aviv. The Moskovich family established a business policy not to withdraw profits and funds from their investments in Israel, but to use the funds accumulated here for the purpose of expansion the activity and upgrading of the hotels.
Prima is a concept hotel chain that allows its guests to connect to the unique atmosphere of each place they choose to vacation. Prima has a collection of themed hotels in Israel, offering a wide variety of experiences to create memories. From an urban vacation in Tel Aviv, an adventurous adventure in the Galilee, tranquility in the Dead Sea, a musical vacation in Eilat to a vacation full of culture and tradition in Jerusalem. In Petah Tikva and Ra’anana, the Prima chain operates the only hotel in the city. The chain provides a unique hospitality experience in all its hotels, combining quality service and content, while Adequate value for the price.
Photographs: Aya Ben Azri, Yaakov Maor
