The Walled Off Hotel stands directly adjacent to the Israeli West Bank separation barrier in Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Territories, functioning simultaneously as a boutique hotel, gallery, and living political statement. Conceived by the anonymous British street artist Banksy and opened in 2017, the hotel is home to more than 70 original works of art embedded throughout its rooms and common spaces. Its marketing leans into the absurdity of its location with the self-deprecating tagline of offering 'the worst view in the world' — an unobstructed look at the towering concrete barrier that divides communities just outside the window. For Gates and the production team filming the S10E12 episode 'Chasing the Mysteries of Moses,' the hotel served as a base of operations during an investigation of the Holy Land, and the site itself offered a pointed meditation on the layered tensions of a region where ancient history and modern conflict share the same geography.
Israel takes control of the West Bank following the Six-Day War, setting the political context for the barrier that would eventually be built alongside the hotel site
Construction of the Israeli West Bank separation barrier in the Bethlehem area begins, eventually running immediately adjacent to what would become the hotel's location
Banksy opens the Walled Off Hotel, described as having 'the worst view in the world,' with over 70 original artworks installed throughout the property
Gates visits the Walled Off Hotel as part of the Expedition Unknown S10E12 episode 'Chasing the Mysteries of Moses'
The Walled Off Hotel occupies a unique position that is difficult to categorize by conventional standards: it is part art installation, part political protest, and part functional accommodation. Banksy — whose real identity remains publicly unknown — designed the space as a commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, placing guests in deliberate proximity to one of the most visible symbols of that divide. The barrier itself has been the subject of intense international debate, with opinions ranging from a necessary security measure to an internationally criticized form of territorial separation.
Mainstream art criticism and political commentary alike have noted that the hotel's genius lies in refusing to let visitors remain passive tourists. The more than 70 artworks on display, attributed to Banksy and collaborating artists, range from darkly comic to openly polemical, and the physical experience of sleeping within sight of the barrier is understood to be the artwork itself as much as anything hanging on the walls. The hotel also reportedly employs local Palestinian staff and reinvests in community projects, adding a layer of economic engagement to its artistic mission.
For historians and scholars of the region, Bethlehem itself carries enormous religious and archaeological weight independent of the barrier — it is traditionally identified as the birthplace of King David and, in Christian tradition, of Jesus of Nazareth, placing the city at the intersection of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim heritage. The juxtaposition of that ancient significance with the modern concrete barrier is a tension the hotel leans into deliberately.
Gates' visit in S10E12 'Chasing the Mysteries of Moses' does not appear to have focused on the hotel as an investigative site in its own right, but rather as part of a broader sweep through the Holy Land tied to his Moses investigation. The episode's real archaeological work, based on available evidence, takes place elsewhere — including at remote sites in the Sinai — but the hotel's presence in the episode reflects Gates' tendency to engage with the living, contested human context of the regions he explores, not just their buried past.
The Walled Off Hotel markets itself as having 'the worst view in the world' — a reference to its unobstructed outlook onto the Israeli West Bank separation barrier directly outside its windows.
Banksy, who conceived and created the hotel, has maintained public anonymity throughout his career, making the hotel one of the most high-profile permanent installations ever linked to a street artist whose real identity remains unknown.
The hotel reportedly opened in March 2017, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, a British letter expressing support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
The separation barrier adjacent to the hotel has become one of the largest open-air art installations in the world, with murals by artists from many countries painted directly onto its concrete surface.
The Walled Off Hotel is generally accessible to visitors and tourists, though travelers should check current regional travel advisories for the West Bank before planning a trip, as conditions can change. The hotel offers rooms for overnight stays as well as daytime gallery access, and the separation barrier itself can be viewed and walked along nearby, where it has become an open-air canvas for street artists from around the world.
Jerusalem, approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the north.
Spring (March through May) and autumn (September through November) are generally considered the most comfortable seasons to visit Bethlehem, with milder temperatures and manageable crowds. Summer months can be quite hot, and the period around Christmas draws significant religious tourism.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is located approximately 10 kilometers from Bethlehem and features prominently in the same broader Holy Land investigations Gates pursues in S10E12.
Holy Land
The 'Holy Land' investigation context connects directly to the religious and historical territory Gates explores in the same episode that features the Walled Off Hotel.
Bethsaida
Bethsaida, as another biblically significant site in the region, falls within the same investigative arc Gates follows when tracing ancient Hebrew history across the Levant.