Itzik Barak, executive chef at Jerusalem’s luxury-brand Waldorf Astoria hotel, was chosen to participate in a prestigious culinary competition in New York. “It’s a great honor for Israel,” he said.

Less than two years after its opening, the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem this week made it to 7th place in the Conde Nast TravelerReaders’ Choice Awards 2015, a global survey of travelers that ranks the world’s top 100 hotels and resorts.