American Colony Hotel
Encyclopedia
The American Colony Hotel is a luxury hotel located in a historic building in Jerusalem which previously housed the utopia
n American
-Swedish
community known as the American Colony.
of four wives. Soon after his fourth marriage, al-Husseini died. In 1895, the building was sold to a group of messianic
Christians who arrived in Jerusalem in 1881 and set up a commune
. Their leader was Horatio Spafford
, a lawyer from Chicago and his wife, Anna. In 1896, the Americans were joined by two groups of Swedish settlers. This Christian utopian society became known as the American Colony.
In 1902, a Jaffa
hotelier named Ustinov (grandfather of the British actor Peter Ustinov
) was looking for a place to put up guests visiting Jerusalem and asked the Spaffords to accommodate them. Soon after, the building was turned into a hotel.
His wife, Valentine, lived in the hotel until her death in June 2008.
Since 1980, the hotel has been run by a Swiss company. The effendi's original bedroom is called "Room One." In 1995, Peter Ustinov
visited the hotel and planted a palm tree in the courtyard.
, Lawrence of Arabia, Bob Dylan
, Tony Blair
, Philip Roth, Eric Frattini
and John le Carré
. Carre wrote one of his books at the hotel and Frattini, include information over the hotel in his last book fiction, 'The Laberynth of Water'
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
community known as the American Colony.
History
The building was originally owned by Rabbah Daoud Amin Effendi al-Husseini, who lived there with his haremHarem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of four wives. Soon after his fourth marriage, al-Husseini died. In 1895, the building was sold to a group of messianic
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
Christians who arrived in Jerusalem in 1881 and set up a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
. Their leader was Horatio Spafford
Horatio Spafford
Horatio Gates Spafford was a prominent American lawyer, best known for penning the Christian hymn It Is Well With My Soul, following a family tragedy in which four of his daughters died....
, a lawyer from Chicago and his wife, Anna. In 1896, the Americans were joined by two groups of Swedish settlers. This Christian utopian society became known as the American Colony.
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
hotelier named Ustinov (grandfather of the British actor Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
) was looking for a place to put up guests visiting Jerusalem and asked the Spaffords to accommodate them. Soon after, the building was turned into a hotel.
Today
Today the American Colony Hotel calls itself an oasis of neutrality in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.It is still owned by descendants of the Spaffords. A grandson, Horatio Vester, was the manager until he retired in 1980.His wife, Valentine, lived in the hotel until her death in June 2008.
Since 1980, the hotel has been run by a Swiss company. The effendi's original bedroom is called "Room One." In 1995, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
visited the hotel and planted a palm tree in the courtyard.
Famous guests
The American Colony Hotel, on the "seamline" between east and west Jerusalem, is the preferred hotel of many diplomats, politicians and foreign correspondents. Its famous guests include Leon UrisLeon Uris
Leon Marcus Uris was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.-Life:...
, Lawrence of Arabia, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Philip Roth, Eric Frattini
Eric Frattini
Eric Frattini is a Spanish essayist, novelist, journalist, college professor, political analyst, television screenwriter, and lecturer.- Works :...
and John le Carré
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
. Carre wrote one of his books at the hotel and Frattini, include information over the hotel in his last book fiction, 'The Laberynth of Water'