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Grapevine: Fit for a president

Obama waves during his second presidential inauguration
Photo by: REUTERS
■ US PRESIDENT Barack Obama is being very even-handed with regard to his patronage of Jerusalem’s luxury hotels. When he was here in 2008 while still a senator campaigning for his first stint as president, he stayed at the David Citadel Hotel. When he comes to Israel next week he will be staying at the King David, where the Presidential Suite costs in excess of NIS 18,000 a night. It’s somewhat less at the David Citadel, but still very expensive. But as impressive as the David Citadel is architecturally, it doesn’t quite have the prestige of the King David, which has long been a favorite of kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers as well as many dignitaries of lesser rank. Of the American presidents who have visited Israel, Bill Clinton came the most times – four times as president plus several times after leaving office. On his last visit in an official capacity, he stayed at the David Citadel, which was then known as the Jerusalem Hilton and was still a relatively new star in Jerusalem’s hospitality firmament.

Moti Verses, the Hilton public relations manager, invited this columnist to spend a night in the Presidential Suite prior to Clinton’s arrival. One night was not long enough to explore the full extent of the opulence of the suite. The push-button, flat-screen television that rose from the foot of the bed was perhaps more impressive than all the fine toiletries, wines, handmade chocolates and other little luxuries that come with the presidential title of the suite. When breakfast arrived the following morning, there was such a huge variety that it was impossible to taste everything on the trolley that the waiter wheeled out onto the private patio. The only thing I really wanted was missing – and that was a pot of coffee. When I pointed out to the waiter that he’d missed something, he was so mortified and contrite that he almost collapsed in embarrassment.

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