Five years ago, in 2017, the Walled Off Hotel opened its doors in Bethlehem. After a period of two years closure because of the Covid pandemic, the hotel has recently reopened.
The hotel is marketed as the hotel with the worst view, as it is located only a few meters from the eight meters high concrete wall that Israel built to carve out Rachel's tomb and a parking lot from Bethlehem for the exclusive visit of Israeli and foreign visitors to the site that is considered holy in all three monotheistic religions.
There is also an Israeli military army base in that area, right on the spot that used to be the ancient entrance to Bethlehem and which was a commercially busy street until it was blocked off by the Wall.
The Hotel's name is also a play on the famous and expensive high class Waldorf Hotels.
There are eight rooms in the hotel that are designed by Banksy and other artists. The Hotel also has a museum that highlights the political reality for the Palestinians and gives an introduction to the geo-political history.
There is a lot of art to be seen in the Hotel. Both in the lobby and the bar as well as in the gallery upstairs. You can see work by Banksy himself and art work by more than sixty Palestinian artists. The work in the art gallery is also for sale.
Check out the website : https://walledoffhotel.com
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