Mamilla Hotel

"Juxtaposed against the antiquity of the Old City, the ultramodern Mamilla offers a sleek retreat from Jerusalem’s storied streets. Of course, having those ancient alleys and shuks at your doorstep is part of the fun of staying at this boutique hotel. You’ll be just outside the 16th-century Jaffa Gate, one of the city’s most fabled portals, but, before you pass through it, get the lay of the land from the Mamilla’s rooftop restaurant, where you can enjoy lunch, dinner, or drinks alongside sweeping views. The hotel is also home to the lobby-adjacent Winery, which offers some of Israel’s best bottles, and the moody Mirror Bar (with an offshoot cigar lounge), where the DJs and bartenders are experts at summoning Jerusalem’s romantic side. When it comes time for bed, retire to your stylish room, complete with clean lines, an industrial-chic headboard, and color-shifting liquid-crystal walls in the bathroom."

"Just one block from the Old City, this 194-room newcomer is a chic respite from the capital’s trademark chaos. Designed by Italian Piero Lissoni and Israel-born Moshe Safdie, the six-story complex consists of both historic and newly built, ultramodern spaces, all of which are covered in cream-colored Jerusalem stone. Although accommodations are small—basic rooms are just over 300 square feet—they’re endowed with features like liquid crystal bathroom walls that turn opaque with the flip of a switch, deep rectangular tubs, and rain showers. Few rooms have views other than into neighboring courtyards or to the streets below, but with the hotel’s proximity to major sights like the Tower of David, it hardly matters. A small wine bar serving the country’s finest vintages sits adjacent to the lobby, while Mirror Bar is a moody and romantic spot that has nightly DJs churning out a mix of Middle Eastern and contemporary tunes. (Both bars close for Friday evening Sabbath.) During the warmer months, the rooftop lounge provides sweeping views of the Old City. Staff here eschew the Israeli gruff attitude that plagues many of the nearby luxury properties and are instead accommodating and attentive—in fact, each room is assigned a personal host."