Checking up on the Leonardo Boutique Rechovot

The Leonardo has been open for several months now, and we were curious as to how things are going over there. Reviews have been quite positive, with one person gushing, "The most beautiful hotel I have visited in recent years", and another praising the staff for being "absolutely amazing and catering to my every need." The only problems seem to be noise from the nearby train and construction, and a lack of parking spaces. Rates are still remarkably low, (there's a promotion for $138.75 a night) which is an incentive to stay here over overpriced Tel Aviv hotels (The Leonardo Boutique Tel Aviv is going for a whopping $370 a night). While the hotel may exaggerate when in claims to be a 5-star boutique hotel that meets international standards (more like a nice three star), we'd still be willing to give it a try for the price. Our only gripe: Couldn't they have put in a pool?

Ooh, The Dan Carmel Haifa is looking Good

After decades of neglect, the Dan Carmel has recently undergone a complete renovation. The result is a gorgeous upscale hotel worth of being Haifa's best. The new rooms, in particular, are a far cry from the old ones, which featured original furniture and mismatched decor. The new rooms are sleek and elegant, and feature peekaboo bathrooms. Plus, rare for hotels in Israel, all the rooms have been renovated and not just those in higher categories. The lobby and public areas are attractive, and the food is highly praised. However, the gym, spa and pool are critiqued for being "standard" and dated. Most importantly, though, the spectacular views of the bay remain. Overall, we truly like the design of this hotel, and feel that it should be the new benchmark for Dan Hotels and for hotels in Israel in general. Standard rooms are going for a surprisingly affordable $291 USD next week. On a side point, what were the designers of sister hotel Dan Panorama Haifa thinking? Unless they just wanted to encourage people to stay far, far away from the front desk. We feel bad for the poor woman in the picture.

Eilat Hotel Advice

Recently, someone asked us for advice where to stay in Eilat. They were looking for a luxurious family hotel, something on par with American standards. We thought for a moment, analyzing all of the hotels, and initially recommended the Hilton Queen of Sheba (as we always do). Of course, though, that got us thinking and we quickly skipped over to TripAdvisor to see what's new in beach town.

We first checked up on the Isrotel Princess, wondering if they had gotten around to renovating the rooms. We quickly noticed some redone rooms, but it's unclear if these are standard rooms or not. According to the Isrotel site, the standard rooms have not been renovated (although the included picture clearly shows a renovated room), and the so- called "primium" rooms are renovated, yet the picture showed a very seventies decor. Reviews seem so-so, with most reviewers berating the service. Bottom line: Give this hotel more time... We realized that the Queen of Sheba, too, is looking a little tired. Not just that, but the pools are awfully boring compared to those of other hotels. The Royal Beach was a no-no, because of the older rooms. The Dan Eilat, while very popular, is slightly too tacky and the rooms could use some work. We ultimately chose Herods Palace, (pictured) which has renovated (albeit boring) rooms, a nice pool, and generally good reviews. What do you think? Good advice or avoid this hotel? A side point: Eilat could really use a good luxury hotel, with nice rooms, attentive service, and nice pools. Effendi Eilat, anyone?

Score! Jerusalem gets another boutique hotel!

Remember Agrippas Street in Jerusalem? The heavily crowded, overly busy street leading up to Mahane Yehuda? This lovely, lovely street is about to get a hotel. All we can say is bring earplugs...

The short building on the left of the picture now boasts a sign heralding the arrival of the Agrippas Boutique Hotel. We can't imagine that the hotel offers much in the way of amenities, but for those looking for cheap lodging in the center of town, this might be the way to go. And in case you're wondering, the total count of boutique hotels under construction in the center of Jerusalem is now up to five. UPDATE: Make that six. The new Haneviim Boutique project also plans on having a boutique hotel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpE67LE0buw

Isrotel Tower Jerusalem

Well, this hotel has sat empty for long enough so we're pleased to hear that renovation work has commenced on the former 207- room Isrotel, which has been shuttered for several years. No word yet on to who is to manage the hotel (assuming that the building remains a hotel). Isrotel, on their website, vaguely refers to opening three new hotels in the Jerusalem area, so perhaps this is one of them. "Isrotel, the leading hotel chain in Israel, is opening a new hotel in Jerusalem [area] and thus continues to expand it's operations Israel's hotel field. Kiryat Anavim Hotel in Jerusalem is the first luxury hotel of it's type in near the city that marks the introduction of new areas of operation of the Isrotel chain in addition to those which have solidified it's position today. Kiryat Anavim is a luxury boutique hotel located in the outskirts of Jerusalem where guests may enjoy the city's attractions along with the magical forest landscape of the hills of Jerusalem. In the coming years the chain will continue to grow and expand with the opening of additional hotels in Jerusalem and other areas of Israel."

Effendi Acre

It's no big secret the Acre is not high on our list of places we want to visit or stay in. Sure, the city is quite historic and charming in a way, and has a seaside location to boot, but the city is also dirty and gross. The newer sections of Acre are equally ugly- cheap housing developments, old apartment buildings, and uncultivated lands. Acre also lacks the vibe that upscale Jaffa has, perhaps in part due to the latter's proximity to Tel Aviv. Even the hotels in Acre are nothing special. For years and years, the mainstay in Acre was the Palm Beach Hotel, which could use some modernizing. Then came Akkotel, which was supposed to be a luxurious historic boutique hotel, but not enough money was put into the construction and the result ended up being a ho- hum small hotel with an odd layout. Thankfully, though, the owners felt the need for a true luxury hotel in Acre, and this year- the Effendi Hotel was born. After a eight-year, painstaking renovation of two historic mansions (in which artisans were flown in from Italy to work on the project), the hotel opened this year. Rooms at this hotel are the selling point, and they are gorgeous. Even the most basic rooms (starting at 1400 NIS) are airy and high end. Amenities are limited (as to be expected in a hotel of this size), but the hotel does feature a restaurant and a wine bar as well as a restored Turkish bath. Reviews are extremely positive, with an emphasis on "dreamy" and "magical". While the "bang for your buck" factor is questionable at the Effendi, we certainly have a reason to visit Acre now. The Effendi takes its place as one of the top hotels in Israel.

One More Boutique in Jerusalem? Why Not?

Sometimes we wonder what qualifies as a boutique hotel. If I have two extra rooms in my house and turn an old table into a front desk, can I call it Villa IsraelGuest Boutique Hotel? Today we got wind of an eleven room boutique hotel, to be built in the 7 Kook Project in the center of town. In terms of amenities, they're likely limited. The "hotel" boasts a private entrance, and will likely include use of the building's gym. In order to help you decide where to stay, we've compiled a handy list of boutique hotels going up in the center of town. Central Jerusalem Boutique Hotels, according to IsraelGuest: Bayit Ba'neviim 7 Kook Street Hanev'iim Court Jerusalem Roots Hotel Russian Compound Project/Betzalel Art School Keep in mind that these hotels are all within a five minute walk of each other. But hey- we're not complaining! And, in terms of big, wild hotel plans: Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem finally has an opening date: March 5th, 2013. And not only that- The Messiah is expected to stay at the Waldorf when he comes for a visit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQxi1q-dw_c

Another Fake Review

The review, titled "Really loved the trip and must return" wasn't so suspicious. "Can't say enough good about this hotel. We stayed there when my wife and i visited jerusalem for her birthday. On our arrival, just by giving our name, the concierge without even looking at the booking wished her a happy birthday. The hotel is new, clean and extremely well run, and only a 5 minute walk to center city . Any time we will be returning to jerusalem, i won't be looking for anywhere else to stay." The only weird thing about this review is the word new (really? the circa 1968 Leonardo Plaza Jerusalem?!) OK, the username was funny too. Shma60827, from Brooklyn, New York (oh the shame!). As you suspected, this reviewer joined TripAdvisor in June 2011 and posted its only review that same month. But what really caught our eye was the pictures included with the review. A word of advice to hotels: Don't post fake reviews with professional photos. Because guess what? When the pictures look like they've been taken straight from the website, and have strategically placed magazines, fruit platters, bottled water, and curious glass vases - chances are this is a fake review. We do have to give the Plaza credit, though. At least the review sounded sincere. Or, maybe we're just jumping to conclusions and Shma (Shmaya? Shmaryahu?) of Brooklyn is a really, really good photographer.

New Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon

No, don't get all excited- it's not the Isrotel. Although we finally made our way down to see the Beresheet hotel, and yes, it's gorgeous. Unfortunately, the layout leaves something to be desired- some of the cottages are alongside the parking lot, making it feel like a drive in motel. And, a portion of the Crater rooms with private pools aren't so private- the pools are open to the main courtyard area, making it easy to spy on you in your "private pool". So no skinny dipping, please. However, the common areas and pools are very beautiful, as are the views. Now open is the Ramon Hotel, not to be confused with the Isrotel Ramon Inn. The comfortable hotel, sister property to the Montefiore Hotel in Jerusalem, offers 34 rooms, mostly suites. The hotel, while no means luxurious, looks very nice and new.

More Jerusalem

This has been a really good month for Jerusalem hotels. First, we stumbled on the Tamar Residence. Yes, we are debating as to whether or not it counts as a hotel. It offers 24 hour reception and daily housekeeping, along with a whole list of standard hotel amenities (Wifi, coffee and tea in rooms, cable TV, concierge service, etc). On the other hand, the "hotel" doesn't offer much of a hotel experience. Instead, it has some thirty fully equipped apartments, ranging from garden apartments to penthouses. Optional breakfast can be had at the Grand Cafe located downstairs. Rates are extremely reasonable, $160 for a couple and $215 for a family of four, checking in on May 15. The founder of Tamar Residence, Danny Rubinstein, was one of the founders of Isrotel. He plans on opening similar "hotels" throughout the country. Then, we noticed a new boutique hotel going up in the center of town (in addition to the Jerusalem Roots Hotel) on Haneviim Street. The project, called Bayit Baneviim, includes an eleven room suite hotel, eight apartments, a coffee shop, a fitness center, and a concierge. (Yes, we were also debating as to whether or not eleven rooms constitutes a hotel...) The hotel will be housed on the ground floors of the building (probably the reddish part in the picture). And one more: Finally, finally, an update on the Dan Pearl/ Jerusalem Pearl. The hotel's sad history is about to end, it seems. Doomed from day one (Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek required that the hotel be lower than the Old City Walls), the hotel wasn't large enough to compete with other big Jerusalem hotels. Even after a reconfiguration and redesign, which divided the all suite hotel into standard rooms, the hotel still couldn't succeed. Five years ago, the hotel's owner, Claude Dray, closed it down. Following Dray's October murder, his daughter has proposed tearing down the existing structure and building a new luxury hotel on the site. Mamilla, here comes some competition!

On a side note, the blog recently hit close to 5500 views. That's waaaaaayyy more that we expected. Thanks to all the readers and please don't forget to leave us your comments below!!

Changing Jerusalem

Friday's Jerusalem Post included an interesting entry on a new project on King George Street, in the Solel Boneh compound. The project includes two tall buildings, 17 stories each. One tower will house a 580 room hotel, and the second will have 50 residences. The bottom two levels will have businesses, shops, and spas (plural?!).

While the JPost doesn't mention a name, this hotel is almost definitely the Herods. As we initially reported, the 350- room Herods was to be housed in a 14- story building, in the same location. So, it seems like they slightly changed the plan. However, we can still hope for the "Jerusalem scent"!

See our other entry on the Herods:
http://israelguests.blogspot.com/search?q=herods+jerusalem

Just around the corner on Agron Street, the Waldorf Astoria is steadily coming along. The facade and exterior are finished, stones are in place, balconies are finished, and the windows are up. Still, a lot of work remains to be done on the hotel's interior. Our guess? January 2013. On the positive side, the hotel's interiors are being designed by Turkish designer Sinan Kafadar (Four Seasons Bosphorus Istanbul, among the many hotels).

Other hotel news: The Jerusalem Roots hotel, on Luntz Street, seems ready to open by Summer 2012. We don't have much information on this hotel, but any new hotel is a good hotel.

Fake Reviews

Speaking of fake reviews, get a load of this one we found on TripAdvisor. The review, of the Crowne Plaza Jerusalem, is titled "An inspiring and beautiful venue in which to reside, excellent hospitality." Big warning sign! Then, the actual review: A fabulous residence, offering efficient service, excellent hospitality, and inspiration also. The writer included some good pictures, with captions like, "Beautiful wooden marquetry furnishings" and "Function suite available for your needs". What's more, the writer has only one review. And, he's based in Scotland, apparently. Shame on Crowne Plaza!

For those of you who would like some "real" news, here you go:
1) Looking for a quick getaway? The Ramada Netanya is offering a winter sale for two nights, including dinner on the first night and breakfast both days. We checked dates and found a rate of $129 per night in a one bedroom suite. Not bad! Of course, this rate can only be booked on the global Ramada site. Try booking this through the hotel directly, and you're looking at rates upwards of $300 per night, not including dinner.
2) A new boutique hotel is under construction in Jerusalem, right next to Rimon (on Luntz Street), in the center of town. We don't have much information, but this hotel should give Harmony some good competition!