In 1879, and according to another source in 1875, Carmelite nuns purchased agricultural land from the Arab village of Amouas, located north of Latrun. At about the same time, in 1876–1877, two developers - Alexander Howard (originally named Alexander Awad) who was a Christian from the Maronite community whose family came from Malta and the local Emil Batat - established a hotel at the foot of Latrun Hill on which the remains of the Crusader Latrun Fortress are located. The hotel was called the "Maccabim Hotel", and served the movement of passengers from Jaffa to Jerusalem, a journey that lasted for those two years. In 1892, the railway line between Jaffa and Jerusalem was inaugurated, the number of carriage passengers dwindled and the hotel was sold.
