The Leonardo Plaza Hotel Jerusalem is a large, comfortable hotel in the heart of the modern city, on Harav Avida Street in a busy shopping area close to Mahane Yehuda Market. It has 270 rooms and a good set of facilities for the price level, including a seasonal outdoor pool, a sauna and treatment rooms, a gym, a restaurant, a poolside bar and a coffee shop. Ben Yehuda Street is about three minutes away on foot, and the Great Synagogue is just as close, so you are well placed for the downtown restaurants, cafes and evening life. It is a good choice for travelers who prefer a lively city-center setting over a quiet historic one.
Location and getting around
The hotel is roughly three minutes on foot from Ben Yehuda Street, seven minutes from Zion Square, about thirteen minutes from the Mamilla shopping street and about fourteen minutes from Mahane Yehuda Market, so food, shopping and nightlife are all close. The Old City is not on the doorstep, so plan to walk through Mamilla to Jaffa Gate or take a short taxi ride, and use the light rail or a taxi for Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum. Ben Gurion Airport is about an hour away by car.
Rooms and facilities
Rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a safe, a small fridge and a coffee and tea maker, and room service runs around the clock. The outdoor pool is seasonal and open in daytime hours, so confirm that it will be available for your dates. Breakfast is a buffet that is charged separately on many rates, and self-parking is available for a nightly fee, so ask in advance if you are driving.
Late check-out can be arranged for a fee subject to availability, pets are not allowed apart from assistance animals, and some rates include free cancellation, so check when you book.
Who it suits
First-time visitors who want to be near restaurants and shops, food lovers planning several visits to the market, families who value a pool in warmer months and travelers who want a mid-range to upper-range hotel without paying for the Old City fringe. Light sleepers should ask for a quieter room away from the street. Check the Sabbath arrangements for dining and lifts if that matters to you.
Making the most of a stay
Plan a morning at Mahane Yehuda Market for breakfast or a picnic, return for a rest at the pool in warmer months and head out again on foot to Ben Yehuda Street for dinner. The hotel works well as a base for a three-night first visit, because the shops, cafes and light rail are all close and the Old City can be reached in a single ride or a pleasant walk.
Why stay here
- ✓Seasonal outdoor pool
- ✓Sauna and massage room
- ✓Gym
- ✓Restaurant and poolside bar
- ✓Coffee shop
- ✓Terrace
- ✓24-hour room service
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
Good questions
Is the Leonardo Plaza close to Mahane Yehuda Market?+
Yes, it is about a fourteen-minute walk, and Ben Yehuda Street is only about three minutes away on foot.
Does the hotel have a pool?+
It has a seasonal outdoor pool open in daytime hours, so check that it will be open for your dates.
Is there parking?+
Self-parking is available for a nightly fee. Ask the hotel in advance if you are driving, as spaces can be limited.
