This is the third time I have tried to offer you, fellow travellers, an honest review of my experiences at the Eldan Hotel. The first review was replied to by the hotel, who unacceptably tried to blame me for their issues. The second review was removed (presumably after a complaint by the hotel). Because I think it's important for readers to get a sense of a hotel, its staff and the subsequent dealings on TripAdvisor, I give you my original review again (it's not even like it's all bad!);
Let me start with the positives about Eldan, the best of which is key in Jerusalem: LOCATION! It is ideally placed equidistant between the Old City, and the Jaffa (Yafo) Street and the Mahane Yehuda Markets. This is ideal in a town where walking is never flat, but will save you a LOT of shekels. I booked my stay here on the basis of location, as well as the self-styled 'boutique' nature of the hotel, and the breakfast.
However, I was wrong to do so, and whilst you might think my experience was just uniquely unfortunate, I often think things won't happen to me, yet in hotels of this calibre things invariably do go wrong.
Eldan is nowhere near 'boutique' status - I would compare it to a slightly better appointed Travel-lodge, but at least it had Wi-Fi. Once I moved hotels, I realised that the breakfast, whilst acceptable, was no-where near the quality of elsewhere (I moved to Mount Zion Hotel, who have an incredible breakfast, albeit a $28 USD price tag to match!). At Eldan there are waiters who appear to need to be asked for the same things every morning.
My main problem with Eldan was that my telephone woke me up every morning at 0720. I tolerated it for 5 days (largely because you have to get up with the morning light at this time of year to see everything), but nobody was able to stop it from happening. Even unplugging it didn't work as there was a second phone in the bathroom with no obvious cable to remove. Despite what the staff have said, I followed all the staff 'solutions' that I was given (why would you not?!) - technicians looked at the phone and told me the problem would be resolved - but they could not fix it. I, as the customer, bore the pain of this issue.
So I moved rooms, and having refused that as it was a twin, not a double, I got a third room. At which point the entire air con system in the hotel got stuck on HOT! I guess they just didn't want me to sleep at all on my holiday...
Both rooms I stayed in were of average cleanliness (detritus under beds, hairs in bath, hairs in the upturned glasses in the bathroom which is a special kind of magic?!), but here's another problem: IF YOU ARE 5ft 10ins OR OVER, YOU SHOULD GO ELSEWHERE! The mattresses are exactly that length (so am I, so I know!), but the sheets and mattress covers were just far too short! It meant that sleeping had to be done diagonally, which is ridiculous.
On the positive side again, the receptionists were talented linguists (I heard Hebrew, English, French, Spanish and Russian), and they seemed sympathetic to my plight - they just didn't do anything about it. I never had the manager approach me at any point, and whilst I was checking out 2 days early (and after some debate) I managed to get £120 off ($200 USD).
Overall this is a well-located, MASSIVELY overpriced, poorly run establishment. Other hotels are better in Jerusalem, and that's up against some stiff competition for 'poorest city hotels in the world'. I am disappointed to have to fight to submit my honest review, but I guess it just helps build a picture of why a stay at this hotel can is more hassle than it is worth. My review is an account of my own experience, and so I hope you can learn from it, without having to experience it yourself; just stay somewhere else.