I booked the Rimonim Optima because my family lives in Ramat Gan and it got better reviews than the Sheraton, where I should have stayed. Also, the photos on TripAdvisor, Expedia and other Web sites made it look very modern. Deceivingly so.

The rooms are outdated, drab, dingy, unclean and almost every other negative word you can use to describe them. The only thing “modern” about the rooms are the newer bathrooms. Otherwise, the worn-out reddish carpets are filthy, stained and even wet – either from the air-conditioning or the plumbing or both. And the a/c is an old noisy system without temperature control. Luckily it’s cool enough at night to not require it. The covers were also worn, torn and dirty and it’s even a wonder I managed to sleep in them. Furthermore, there was dust EVERYWHERE – on the phone, in the phone jacks and electrical outlets. Finally the rooms were not noiseproof, at least not mine, as it had a door to an adjoining room that let in a lot of neighbour noise.

This hotel tends to attract more religious guests and is basically one step up from a brothel. My real mistake with the Rimonim hotel is that I booked an eight-night stay instead of something much shorter (I will not book more than 3 nights at any hotel I’ve never been in unless highly recommended), and now I’m stuck in a negotiation war with them and Exepdia to get my money back ($1000) despite their extremely restrictive and inflexible cancellation policies.