Hot off the press. The Waldorf-Astoria Collection, whose spectacular global properties include the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa on the Isle of Maui, La Quinta Resort and Club in Southern California, New York's legendary Waldorf-Astoria and the sumptuous palace hotel Qasr Al Sharq in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will introduce its first luxury hotel in Israel. Scheduled for the end of 2010, the historic Customs Building and Palace Hotel will be transformed into a 220-room property dubbed The Palace Jerusalem- The Waldorf-Astoria Collection. Plus, there will be 30 luxurious residences, three restaurants, a spa and fitness center, and extensive meeting and conference facilities. The location is superb, just a short distance from the Old City, at the intersection of King David, Agron and Mamilla Streets. After an estimated $100 million in renovations, the building will still retain its marvelous historic façade with decorative arches and stone carvings.

Photo Via National Geographic