Any religious Jew who has visited Israel in the past 20 years has heard about the wonderful hotel called the Plaza, which is pronounced by many an Israeli as the Plasha (slurring the z), but I digress.  It was known for its glatt kosher standard, nice accommodations, insane prices, and its world famous chef, Shalom Kodesh.  Well, as avid readers of my blog knows, that is in the past.  The previous time I spent a shabbos at the Plaza, it was a fiasco, to say the least.  Those who read my posting, contacting me and and told me similar stories.  To make mattes worse, the blogs and forums are filled with complaints about the food and service at this once vaunted hotel.

The final word though has come from the nameplate.  Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel companies and the owner of the global Sheraton chain, announced last week that as of June 2009 four Israeli hotels will be stripped of their “Sheraton” title, as described here.  The hotel has now become the Leonardo Plaza Hotel Jerusalem, with the same administration in place.

I personally, have enjoyed many a shabbos at this hotel, but that is all in the past.  So raise a glass to the jewel that once was, as I am sorry to say but the fat lady has finished her swansong.