Unforgettable Adventures: Summer Luxury for Kids in Jerusalem’s Finest Hotel

No trip to Israel is complete without a visit to our holy, precious, city Jerusalem. In fact, as a family we visit, shabbos (I’m using that as a verb) and vacation here throughout the year. It’s no less special to us because we live full-time just outside the city limits. In fact it’s even more special to us because we have the privilege of being in Jerusalem so regularly and that kind of access never gets old.

One of the most special times of year to come to Jerusalem is the summer. It’s a few degrees cooler than our hometown with a nighttime temperature that is so comfortable and often accompanied by a slight, soft breeze.

I also like visiting in the summer because, our Jerusalem home away from home (please Hashem one day I really do want to live there for real!!!!), the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, has a summer luxury kids experience that’s perfect for families.

It all starts with a kids check-in. It’s the absolute cutestttttt! There is a royal black velvet mini staircase so the little ones can reach the check-in counter. They are greeted as “Mr.” and “Ms.”, are kindly requested to fill out their name, birthday, check-in and check-out dates and in turn receive a package that includes a Hotel “Passport” scavenger hunt-style book (customized with their photo!), an Astor the Bellboy cuddly pillow, and a colorful activity book.

BTW Shaulie Dovid has been sleeping with his Astor the Bellboy pillow from last summer all year long!

The “Passport” scavenger hunt program has the kids running all around the hotel answering questions, getting stamps and signatures so they can exchange their completed books for a prize. Shaulie Dovid remembered that he didn’t manage to complete the program last year and so is determined to reach the finish line this year.

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During the summer there are also two luxurious game rooms for the kids to get lost in. The gymboree and board game room (this is the same ballroom in which my mother actually got married!) that’s open all week long including Shabbos, as well as a video game room open Sunday – Friday.

Another bonus is that the pool opens at 7am which is just the perfect time for those early risers to have a blast in a basically private pool setting while working up an appetite for breakfast.

And breakfast! OMG breakfast. There is the Kids Buffet, again thoughtfully lower in height to make it comfortable for our sweethearts to help themselves. Stocked with waffles, pancakes, chocolates, shoko, pizza, gorgeous fruit skewers and individual crudite cups so inviting that my kids actually take tons of the healthy snacks.

The hotel offers a range of family accommodations from grand family interconnecting rooms to king family- studio, -junior and -1 bedroom suite family units.

Summer 2023 marks the 2nd year of the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem Kids Luxury Experience and honestly my little ones really looked forward to returning. They feel like the hotel stay revolves around them. The staff makes such a big deal about the kids and are so engaging with them, it’s lovely to watch.

And if you happen to be lucky enough to spend Shabbos in Jerusalem the family atmosphere at the Waldorf is uniquely warm, boisterous and full of joy.