Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov was a guest in a luxury suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem and was upgraded at the hotel's expense, Kan 11 News revealed on Sunday.
According to the report, Minister Razvozov, who is in charge of the hotels, claims that he did not know about the upgrade. The original price of the suite used by the minister is more than $1000 a night.
The hotel said that "Minister Razvozov has stayed at the hotel, since its reopening in March and until today, just twice. The Ministry of Tourism funded the minister's stay in accordance with the agreements the hotel has with government ministries. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel upgraded the minister, as it does with other important guests, to a suite four levels below the presidential suite. The hotel upgrades guests at its discretion and does so frequently."
The Minister of Tourism's office stated that "the ministry reserves a regular room for the minister. If the hotel increased or upgraded the room without the knowledge of the minister or the ministry, the hotel carried out an inappropriate act that must not be done and that is a pity. The Minister of Tourism will emphasize to all hotels in Israel what is permitted and what is forbidden when it comes to hosting state employees. If there is indeed a difference between the room that was booked and the room that was actually given, the minister will refund the difference."
Hours following the publication of the report, Razvozov announced that he had transferred the amount in question to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.