The Colony Hotel in Jerusalem

I need to start out by saying I don't mean to bash this place, but I should have read the most recent reviews. Many of the older pics do not represent the current state of the property, maybe in a previous incarnation, but not now. My room, 14 was tiny, and wasn't representative of any of the room pics posted by the owners. It's quite disingenuous for the current owners to use pics when it was a prior establishment, like trying to sell your old used car with the factory photos. The place looks run down, and shoddy. My room had many areas of cracked paint, though recently repainted. Missing drapes, no phone as in the photos. You can tell where they tried to modernize by replacing old windows and doors, but the repairs were done on the cheap, are shoddy. The sign in the bathroom said to run the hot water for a while, it never got hot enough to comfortably shower in the unheated bathroom. They did add a continental breakfast, which would have been more enjoyable had the dining room been properly heated. I was worried about getting a good night sleep given there is no sound insulation from the door, but I will say it was very quiet, probably because this is low season, and the place felt empty of guests. The place is very clean, and the person who appears to be the manager/owner is very polite and very friendly. I can imagine that COVID-19 has been devastating for his business. The takeaway here is that if you need a place to stay in this neighborhood, and are not looking for fancy, this will work if you can get a deal, otherwise look elsewhere. Bed, 5/10. Not the worst I have slept in, but certainly not great. Room condition, also 5/10. Clean but Ikea quality furniture that had seen better days. No shutters, and no blackout drapes. Summer visitors will have problems with this. Bathroom, 7/10. Seemed to have been recently updated, but what good is a shower if you can't use it? Oh, and no glass or cups in the room. How are you supposed to brush your teeth or take meds? Amenities, 7/10. Thin towels, minimal shampoo, soap and shower gel. Extras available as self-serve. Public spaces, 3/10. The place is depressing, it needs a serious refreshing. Breakfast, 5/10. Ignore the older pics of fresh omlets and other hot food. These are old, they only offer what they call a "continental breakfast", there is no chef. The TV in the room was ok, limited channels, foreign visitors will have limited choice. To be honest this is not the place where you want to spend time here, anyway. I wound up leaving early, I couldn't spend another night in this place.

+ The location is good, 20 min walk from the old city. The staff is very responsive and the public lobby is cozy. The internet is fast. Free tea and coffee with cookies.
- Our room was stinky (smell of humidity and mold). There was mold in one of the bathrooms. The furniture is old and the beds are uncomfortable, there is no electricity socket around the bed. The rooms are not soundproof, you can hear everything what is happening in the hotel.