As a Christian pilgrim travelling to the Holyland for the first time, the feeling I had when staying at the Mount of Olives Hotel was truly special. Although clearly the Mount of Olives itself has changed considerably since the days when our Lord traversed its slopes and slept in its caves, a stay at this hotel gave me an amazing glimpse and feeling of that time.

To give an idea of how well placed the Mount of Olives Hotel is, the perimeter wall of the site of the ascension of Christ is literally touching the southern wall of the hotel. From the main entrance, I would walk down the slopes of the mountain to the Garden of Gethsemane every morning before breakfast which takes about five minutes. Walking up the steep incline was a lot harder but its good exercise.

Be warned that this is a budget hotel with basic services. When business is slow, they upgrade guests to their newly redone *PLUS* rooms which have new furniture, televisions, hair dryers, etc. I booked a standard room and ended up in one of the better rooms for the same price.

The staff were very helpful and friendly. The hotel offers complimentary "Dowe Egbert" coffee and tea in the lobby and has free Internet access for guests either via Wifi or a computer terminal also in the lobby.

The downside to the Mount of Olives Hotel, at least while I was there, is the worn out 1930s Art Deco furniture in the lobby which definately needs refurbishing or replacing. Overall though, the price is very reasonable for what you get and for Christians, the location is the best in Jerusalem.