The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem was ranked seventh in a global survey – Photo: Uri Lenz

In the “Top 15 Hotels in the Middle East” category, the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem ranks first, having received a score of 97.500 out of 100. Places 2 to 5, 9 and 11 on the list are all United Arab Emirates hotels, and with the exception of one Omani hotel, all other venues are in Israel: the Mamilla Hotel (6), the King David Jerusalem Hotel (10), the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel (12) and the Dan Tel Aviv Hotel (13), Hilton Tel Aviv Hotel (14) and David Citadel Hotel (15).

The survey is based on the input of people who stayed at the accommodations and got a first-hand look at the facilities. “More than 128,000 travelers took part in our 28th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey — the most in its history — submitting millions of ratings and tens of thousands of comments to help us create a list of winning favorites,” Conde Nast Traveler said on its website. “The breadth of their top-rated experiences was impressive, from elegant castles in the Irish countryside to tented safari camps trailing the Great Migration across the Serengeti.”

The construction of the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem involved unprecedented costs in Israeli terms. The manager of the hotel, Guy Kalman, said Wednesday that this was “the first time an Israeli hotel is ranked among the world’s top 10 hotels and makes it to the top spot in the Middle East category.”

“What an honor!” read a post on the hotel’s Facebook page. “We are thrilled to be ranked at the top 10 best hotels in the world, and #1 hotel in the Middle East, by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards!” In 2014, the hotel was the recipient of an Israeli award of excellency, ranking first in the Human Resources category.