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.
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