Monday, December 30, 2013

Ritz Carlton Opens

Guess who's finally open and lookin' pretty? The Ritz Carlton, Herzliya of course. Israel's "only luxury resort" opened its doors a few weeks ago. The 197 room hotel, located adjacent to the Herzliya Marina, offers an international standard of service and accommodations never before seen in Israel. Supposedly, that is. While the two reviews on TripAdvisor are extremely positive, praising everything except for the breakfast ("not the usual extravaganza like other Israeli hotels"), the pictures on the website present the hotel as being elegant, if not spectacular, and certainty not on par with the Ritz in other locales. Nontheless, we will award the Ritz Carlton the best option in Herzliya, besting the dated Daniel (although ongoing renovations seek to fix that) and confused Dan Accadia. Although, another competitor recently sprang up: The Benjamin Herzliya Business Hotel! No, it won't quite compete with the Ritz, but it looks modern, clean, and attractive, although lacking in services (no restaurant or pool). We found rates for the Ritz Carlton at $375/night, compared to $342 at the Dan Accadia and $202 at the Benjamin. Maybe we can forgo the pool? Oh, and for those willing to brave the Daniel during renovations: $228/night. Not bad at all!