Hilton Queen of Sheba

Hilton Queen of Sheba Review

The imaginary palace King Solomon built for the queen is what Hilton International set out to construct with this imposing example of grandeur: a palatial entrance capped with a pillared dome rises between two turrets, with a wing of more than 200 rooms on either side. Khaki-colored curtains cover the windows of the 40-foot-high lobby, and Italian mosaics of biblical animals cover the floor. The queen must have loved cats—images of them are everywhere. The bedrooms have gold-framed mirrors, taupe-and-orange carpeting, Egyptian-motif black-and-taupe bedspreads and curtains, and marble bathrooms with hand-painted murals. Rooms on even-numbered floors have balconies (some with Jacuzzis) facing the sea or the marina. Opened in late 1999, the 14-floor hotel was developed by Itzhak Tshuva (who recently snapped up Manhattan's Plaza Hotel) and designed by the Romanian-born architect Shlomo Gertner. Transparent gold-cage elevators offer views of the atrium as they rise.