Jeremy Berkovits never hesitates to crack a joke or make a snappy joke during our extended conversation over breakfast in the lush dining garden of the American Colony Hotel.
When introducing an old server, he praises her professionalism, but also her ability to make inside jokes.
Some of his one-liners are self-deprecating in nature, such as when he demurs when asked if he is the current “face” of the hotel now that the former general manager has resigned.
“Oh no, there’s a better face than mine; most of them do,” says the older gentleman with the posh English accent. Since the prevailing view among those who have never visited the hotel is that it is an overly liberal hangout for expat journalists, the fact that he wears a yarmulke and is a proud Jew may come as a surprise .
His sense of humor has served Berkovits well as he has worked at the iconic hotel for the past 42 years, where he now serves as the owners’ official representative.
The American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem. (credit: Mikaela Burstow/American Colony)
But during our tasty morning meal, which offers a range of vegetarian options, we soon discover that the lack of guests due to the ongoing war is no joke.
Last summer had an occupancy rate of 45%, while during this high season guests usually had to book well in advance to enjoy the hotel.
Times for tightening the belt
It’s easy to see why The American Colony has been so wildly popular in the past.
On a Friday in September, on one of the last warm days before winter, we weave from the light rail through nondescript city streets with not enough sidewalks. Behind the Beverly Hills-style gates and the long driveway we enter another world where elegance and greenery abound. The hotel complex features a swimming pool, a gym, the famous enchanting Summer Bar and the winter Cellar Bar, and grounds with a meditation room.
But maintaining the massive 12,000 square meter site costs many thousands of shekels a month, and the owners are eager for a return to normality – otherwise they may have to consider some painful cost-cutting measures.
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Of course, the American colony is not alone. According to the Israel Hotel Association, Israel saw an 81% drop in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2024. Although some hotels’ profits were saved by taking in evacuees from the North and South, The American Colony missed that opportunity – since when the war broke out October 7, 2023it hosted dozens of journalists from all over the world who descended on Jerusalem.
Moreover, because the hotel is not kosher, many evacuees would not have been able to stay there.
But since the media types hit the next headline setting, the hotel has walked the delicate balance between maintaining the high quality it is known for without taking a nose dive into the red.
Therefore, the hotel unfortunately had to let go of many employees – 40%. In fact, everyone has had to make sacrifices, including Berkovits himself – who planned to retire this year but has stayed on with his assistant Alex to help replace Swiss general manager Guy Lindt.
It’s a frustrating experience for everyone involved, especially after the hotel saw unusually high occupancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, when riot-crazed Israelis flocked to hotels in the country between lockdowns. After riding this high for a few years and investing NIS 8 million in renovating the rooms, the lack of guests over the past year has been a devastating blow.
“It is very challenging to maintain quality and decide on long-term improvements because your plans keep changing due to unforeseen circumstances,” says Berkovits. “You can’t build momentum.”
Space for everyone in the Colony
And so the hotel is once again actively promoting one of the best-known hotels in the city to attract Israelis.
The word is this: Since its founding in 1920, the East Jerusalem venue has typically been frequented by diplomats, journalists and celebrities looking for a touch of class and sophistication while surrounded by the building’s storied history.
“We have tried every now and then over the years to attract more Israelis,” Berkovits notes candidly. “And then there would always be a safety risk. And even though it has nothing to do with us, people understandably felt a little reluctant to come to this part of the world.”
In this way, going to the American colony is far from a natural choice for many Jewish Israelis. The non-kosher cuisine and gateway to the East Jerusalem location have left many Jews feeling like this place is just not for them.
That’s not the case, says the religiously observant Berkovits, who we could easily imagine chatting with at a Katamon kiddush.
That’s why the hotel has offered special offers to encourage new guests. For example, couples who want a romantic evening away in the middle of the week can do so for NIS 1,299. And the hotel plans to introduce a happy hour at the Cellar Bar during the winter.
The welcoming atmosphere extends to the gift shop/bookstore, which stocks a range of Israeli-friendly material in addition to traditional Arabic materials.
Jerusalem landmark
Yet many of our conversations strayed from the financial pitfalls of running a hotel in the middle of a war and focused on the hotel itself and its unique history.
The rural structure began as a palace for Pasha Rabah El-Husseini and his four wives, each of whom had a room to himself with an adjoining door. It is said that El-Husseini walked down the hall every evening deciding which of his wives would have the pleasure of his company that night.
As the 19th century drew to a close, the property was purchased by Christians from the United States and Sweden, with Chicago natives Horatio and Ann Spafford owning most of the shares.
The Spaffords and sixteen other church members called themselves “The Overcomers” and did just that – pursuing a simple life, welcoming both Arab and Jewish neighbors into their homes.
Today, the extended Spafford family – who still own the hotel – has worked hard to maintain that philosophy by ensuring The American Colony is accessible to everyone.
“What the owners want to do today is preserve the fact that we are a very integral part of Jerusalem in terms of our history – but we are not one nation. We are British. We are American. We are Swedish. Everyone tries to label us as something, but we don’t want to be anything,” says Berkovits, sitting next to his new successor Alex Nasser, a Christian Arab.
‘I’m Jewish and he’s Arab, but this is not a Jewish hotel. This is not a Christian hotel. This is a hotel for everyone.”
As we talk, Berkovits marvels at the history of the hotel, where virtually even a single tile has been the cornerstone of many tours.
He points to the ornate Armenian tiles in the entryway and says they were among the first to be integrated into a building in Jerusalem. The owners are proud of the hotel’s heritage of high ceilings and therefore any restoration, no matter how minor, must be approved in advance.
“Some historic doors are 150 years old and replacing them, even if they are not completely soundproof, is a problem,” Berkovits complains.
That need for conservation extends to the land itself, with the hotel’s official representative explaining that they try not to plant anything that wasn’t native to Jerusalem in 1900, when the owners bought the hotel.
To illustrate his point that every square inch of the hotel is steeped in history, he pauses in the middle of our conversation to point out a tree next to our table.
“Look there,” he marvels. “Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen (a key figure in the Oslo Accord negotiations) buried underground, local and global headlines marking the hotel’s 120th anniversary – including your newspaper.”
“I would like to think that we are part of the solution to peace in the Middle East,” he says. “We still have a role to play. When he buried those newspapers, it was a symbol of this place where the United Nations, Israelis and Palestinians came together,” he says with feeling. “They felt like they could negotiate here peacefully because this is a symbol of neutrality.”
Berkovits boasts that the American colony remains a popular location for ironing out diplomatic deals and that prominent political figures still discreetly hold important talks even today.
When asked if he always wears his yarmulke at work, he quickly answers: “Always. I didn’t hesitate for a moment.”
He does admit that there is a brief atmosphere of unease during devastating terrorist attacks.
This is one of the reasons why English is the hotel’s official language, so even the words spoken on site are steeped in neutrality.
Another distinctive aspect of the hotel is of course the star-studded celebrities who rest their perfectly coiffed heads on American Colony pillows. Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, Bob Dylan, Uma Thurman, Richard Gere, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Tony Blair and Mikhail Gorbachev have all stayed on the famous grounds. Although Berkovits is generally unperturbed when VIPs arrive at the establishment, he does admit that supermodel Bar Refaeli took his breath away.
“I felt like I had to say a bracha (blessing) when I came face to face with her beauty,” he jokes.
“I think it saddens me that a lot of people come to this hotel and leave after two days and say, ‘It was a nice hotel.’ It’s like going to ballet and not appreciating the music. And I think they missed the whole point,” he says.
“I don’t think there are many places like this in the world, to be honest,” boasts the proud employee of decades.
“When I look around me, this is typical Jerusalem.”
Well, these two writers definitely plan to return to enjoy some happy hour libations and history within the walls of the hotel. Now if only they could talk…■
Weekday rates for Israelis, including breakfast and VAT, start from NIS 1,299 for a comfort level room.
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