In the next two days, the construction of a sukkah will begin at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem, the largest indoor sukkah in the world, which will measure about 400 square meters and reach five meters high.
The sukkah is located on the lobby floor and placed under a glass ceiling that can be opened and closed according to the weather and was specially designed in such a way that it will be used as a sukkah for guests of the hotel during the holidays.
The work on the sukkah began weeks before the holiday. A team of engineers and designers worked on planning the sukkah and its design, formulating safety measures, and preparing the decorations.
The sukkah will be designed to look like an ancient vineyard. On Monday, immediately after Rosh Hashanah. The work of installing the thatch will begin first and a team of professional installers will hang on abseiling ropes from the roof and strengthen the huge thatching with approximately 70 metal cables and dozens of wooden beams.
The sukkah will be strictly kosher so that the many visitors expected to come to the hotel will be able to observe the mitzvah (commandment) of sitting in the sukkah.
Maximum Kosher, maximum comfort
The CEO of Waldorf Astoria, Avner On said of the project "The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem hotel was originally designed so that the hotel's interior lobby would serve as a living sukkah, with an opening glass roof, and thus we achieve every year what every hotel in Israel and the world has always tried to do, which is to establish a kosher sukkah but with all the comforts of a luxury hotel.
"We are preparing for Sukkot, when the hotel is expected to be full of our guests from Israel and abroad. We look forward to welcoming our guests and allowing them to observe the mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah while enjoying a wonderful atmosphere and a good meal at our highest level and standards."
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel was built on the foundations of the famous luxury hotel - the Palace Hotel in Jerusalem and is considered the most expensive hotel project in Israel with an investment cost of approximately 150 million dollars.
The hotel, which just a few weeks ago was named one of the five best hotels in Africa and the Middle East for 2023, has 226 rooms, of which 29 are suites, a magnificent ballroom, sophisticated meeting rooms, and a gourmet restaurant.