Hotel upkeep

There's something funny about hotels in Israel. While the standard hotel in the United States and in much of the western world operates on an eight year renovation cycle, hotels in Israel seem to wait much, much longer than that. Even the venerable international chains, with their strict upkeep standards, tend to adapt to the local practice once they descend upon the Holy Land. And why not? If travelers are still willing to pay top dollar (and yes, Israel has some of the highest priced hotels in the world and lowest value, in our opinion), then why bother renovating? The result has been abysmal for travelers who expect international standards and are then disappointed when they see the state of their hotels and their guestrooms. For guestrooms are often the least updated rooms, with the logic being that guests don't spend enough time in their rooms to warrant much attention to detail and upkeep. Yet in two instances, we have begun observing an even worse practice: hotels will renovate some of their guestrooms and then charge extra for them, as a deluxe category of rooms. Recently, the Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba unveiled beautifully renovated Executive and Superior Rooms, which retail for $30-50 more than the standard rooms. Suspiciously, the images that depict the standard rooms are missing on the website, perhaps luring unsuspecting travelers into thinking that the standard rooms resemble the renovated varieties. Yet the Hilton is not the only culprit. The Sheraton in Tel Aviv, former home of Justin Bieber, finally renovated some of its rooms. All over the website are pictures of these gorgeously designed rooms, with sleek woods and warm stone elements. The website notes that "the Executive Club Rooms are the most exclusive accommodation option, having been refurbished and redesigned by Bert Haler in 2014. The refreshing room designs are reminiscent of Jerusalem architecture and feature the world famous Jerusalem Stone." These "club" rooms go for a whopping $90 more than the standard rooms. It seems like robbery to charge guests for what should be standard. Guests have a right to expect a pleasant, well kept guestroom that is up-to-date and maintained. And even non-international hotels are using this trick. The legendary King David Hotel in Jerusalem offers its renovated "Top Floors" guestrooms for a $60 premium. The Dan Panorama in Jerusalem offers renovated "Deluxe" rooms for an additional $35 a night. Luckily, some hotels score in our books with hotel-wide renovations, like the Hilton Tel Aviv (still ongoing) and the David Intercontinental.

Isrotel Jerusalem Launches Residences

We've often dreamed about living in a hotel. We would walk into the lobby, where people would whisper "Oh, there goes so and so. He has a room here." Gasps and stares would follow, as we would make our way to the elevator. Once in our room, we would sit around in a bathrobe and maybe order room service, and mess up the whole room with the knowledge that housekeeping would be in shortly to make it pristine again. If we got bored of the room, we could head down to the hotel's amenities: maybe a gym, a pool, a library? Of course, we acknowledge that this might not be too realistic of a scenario. At some point, we'd probably need to pay the bills. But anyway, if funds aren't lacking, and this kind of vision sparks your fancy, the new Isrotel under construction in Jerusalem is offering eleven residences for a discerning buyer. Rest assured, you won't just be getting a hotel room. You'll have your very own apartment (starting at a three bedroom, 127 meters) in one of two four story buildings being constructed specifically for this purpose. Prices range from 8.7 million shekels (2.2 USD) to over 23 million (5.9 USD). Owners are welcome to take advantage of the hotel's amenities, including the restaurants, spa, lobby, fitness room, and rooftop pool. We just wonder if you can arrange for butler service, like at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem's residences. The whole complex is expected to open in late 2015, although we find that a little optimistic.

Stay Smart at SMARTHOTELS

It's no big secret that IsraelGuest has a certain, err, fondness/love/obsession with hotels. But if there's anything we love more than hotels, it's brand new hotel chains. Chains usually mean that more hotels will be built, and that hotels in the chain will have to keep up to certain standards to stay in (except for Leonardo Hotels, which has remarkably few requirements for franchised hotels). Chains also help strengthen independent hotels by giving them wider publicity and better poising them against competition. So anyway, we've been stalking the new Smart Hotels chain ever since we spied on their newest property, the 68- room Eyal in downtown Jerusalem. We actually scored an exclusive tour of the hotel, including the lobby, dining room, rooftop deck, and two types of guestrooms. We were really bowled over by the modern and elegant European-style design, and of course we wanted to find out more about the other properties in the chain. Here's what we've got: Smart Hotels currently has four properties and no website. In fact, the Smart Hotels name and logo is only used on the Eyal's individual site. Three of the hotels, the Montefiore, the Eyal, and the Jerusalem Inn are located in... Jerusalem. The fourth property is the fledgling Ramon Suite Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon (not to be confused with its more prominent neighbor, the Isrotel Ramon Inn). All of the properties are renovated or new and pleasant, and each is defined by its star rating. The Eyal is by far the most luxurious option, and claims to be four stars. The Montefiore and Ramon are three stars, and the Jerusalem Inn is categorized as a budget hotel. Reviews for all of the properties are very positive, and it seems that they offer great value. Interested? We found rates for two at the Eyal for $215, $189 at the Montefiore, $165 at the Ramon Suites,and $129 at the Jerusalem Inn.

Almost There...The Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel

Which still needs a new name. That is a mouthful. Maybe the hotel portion could go by The Elma? Too bad they've already hired a super-fancy design studio, Natie, to work on branding for the hotel. The result does look nice, with the Elma logo gracing the stationary, uniforms, website, and promotional material. More importantly for us, their website also provides us with some much-needed photos and renderings of the project (although one photo, of a meeting room, was clearly "borrowed" from a Westin somewhere- note the Westin logo in the bottom left!). But I digress. The hotel has also launched its very own website and a Facebook page, all flaunting the signature feminine stripes design courtesy of Natie Studios. We were also finally able to score a photo of the exterior of the hotel, which has given the old decrepit structure on the hilltop a new life. The circa 1972 building, designed by noted architect Yaakov Rechter, has sat desolate for many years while the project was being conceived. And it looks like, come November, at least part of the complex will be open to guests. The hotel is accepting reservations online starting January 1st. Rates start at $240 for a standard room and can climb to $780 for a two-story premium cottage. All rooms have patios or balconies with views and "original works of art." We're eagerly awaiting the public response to this bold project. In the meantime, feast your eyes on some photos.

7 Kook Boutique Hotel

It's not too often that we take the time to write about an twelve room hotel. Maybe, if it was uber-luxurious with butler service and infinity pools and located on a private island off the coast of...Israel. We'll keep dreaming. Meanwhile, a new hotel has opened in Jerusalem and we're opening the floor to our readers to figure out just what constitutes a hotel. Does a hotel require a minimum of two rooms? Do we need a front desk or other services? Not so clear. But anyway, 7 Kook Boutique Hotel is open for business and is rocking the hotel title. The hotel boasts free WiFi in all of the rooms and public areas, which is a nice touch. Until you consider that providing Wifi for a twelve room hotel probably costs the same as Wifi-ing a small house. But I digress. Of the twelve, there are studio rooms, deluxe rooms with balconies, family rooms, and suites. All have flat screen televisions and A/C and are decorated in a warm (if generic boutique) style in various shades of beige. The hotel's own restaurant has not yet opened, but will in the future. The hotel can also accommodate events for up to eighty people. 7 Kook offers several services for a fee, including airport pickup, wine tastings, beauty treatments, and restaurant reservations. Location is nice, right off of Jaffa Road in the City Center, in a quiet enough area. TripAdvisor reviews are gushing about the hotel's staff members, calling them "so kind and helpful" and praising their ability to "make everything perfect." Furthermore, guests find the rooms to be clean, large and nicely furnished. For what it offers, though, rates seem to be very high. A standard room goes for $188 this week, compared to the larger and full service Dan Boutique for $164 a night, (although the Arthur across Jaffa Road goes for $198).

RIP Maaleh Hachamisha

Here at IsraelGuest, we totally, totally love competition. Competition means new, better hotels open, and the old hotels are left scrambling to renovate, upgrade, enhance, or admit defeat and reduce rates. All good outcomes, in our books. So it's no wonder that when the luxurious five star Cramim Resort opened in April, the longtime bastion of the area (and on a hill just above Cramim), Maaleh Hachamisha, was sweating a bit. No worries, as Maaleh Hachamisha had a few tricks up its sleeve. The hotel began with a much needed updating of its public spaces and lobby, removing what we would call a sterile, old age home feel and replacing it with a comfortable and warm design, albeit beige and unexciting. The next step was opening a new wing, the Shaked ("Almond") Wing. The three-story Shaked houses a spa with indoor pool, jaccuzi, and sauna, and a coffee shop. Rooms feature luxurious amenities such as LCD televisions, air conditioning, bathrooms, views, and parquet floorings (yes, that was sarcastic). In its most drastic change to spite the competition, Maaleh Hachamisha dropped its old moniker and is now known as the Orchid Jerusalem View. Breathe easy, though, as the URL is still maaleh5.co.il. Even with all the changes, the Jerusalem View still has one thing to work on: its prices. For tonight, the hotel is asking an outrageous $291 for a room in the Shaked wing, compared to a Cramim Mountain View for $288. The choice seems simple.

Atlas Hotels

Here on IsraelGuest, we're not shy of praising our favorite hotel chain in Israel, Atlas Hotels. Atlas has a fabulous collection of boutique hotels throughout the country (even in Haifa) that never fail to impress with great design and fun atmospheres. Plus, with complimentary amenities like Wifi, happy hour with wine and snacks, and bicycles, what's not to like? And travelers agree, too. Atlas Hotels are consistently ranked as the top in their respective cities. So, when this group has not one but two new hotels opening soon (and more on the horizon), you'd bet we're interested. The first property, Yam Tel Aviv, is said to be opening this summer. Located in Old North Tel Aviv near the fashionable Tel Aviv Port, the aptly named Yam has 43 rooms sea facing rooms. The hotel's design takes cues from the sea, and the hotel is "dedicated to beach culture." In hotel-speak, we expect nautical blues, stripes, and wicker: casual, fun design. The second property, Market House, is located on the other end, in Jaffa. Adjacent to the famous clock tower, Market House is also supposed to open in summer 2014. Many of the 44 rooms in the historic three story structure feature balconies overlooking the namesake market, the Jaffa flea market. This property no doubt has design influences from the market, and rooms have an unfussy, vintage feel. Rates aren't up yet, but we'd predict around the $250 range, per night. But that includes bicycles...

Elma Arts

21c Museum Hotels, the renowned U.S. boutique chain known for their unique design which encourages guests to interact with art during their stays by having galleries and museum-quality pieces throughout their hotels are expanding their profile. Alas, a new hotel in Israel is not quite in the works. More like Nashville and Oklahoma City, for now. Luckily, the design has been adapted (read: copied) by a new hotel in Zichron Yaakov, which "is entirely dedicated to arts." This property, like so many others, aims to be "unlike any other project in Israel." Opening in late 2014, the Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel will have one hundred rooms and suites with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. The hotel will also have a chef restaurant, spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and "extensive banqueting and convention facilities." Drawing on its arts theme, the hotel will include an arts center with two concert halls, several art galleries, and a studio for a resident artist. It's difficult to predict how successful this venture will be. If the hotel is lovely, which it no doubt will be, guests will come for weekends and getaways to be in Zichron anyway, which is lacking in quality hotels. The art side seems like an unnecessary gimmick. But what do we know? In other news, Tel Aviv is getting yet another boutique (not that we're complaining...) Housed in two historic buildings, the Norman TLV features 50 guestrooms, including twenty suites. The buildings have been meticulously renovated and now feature, among other things, "state-of-the-art air conditioning." Hotel guests will be pampered with free WiFi, home-made turndown snacks, fresh flowers, and rainforest shower heads in the gorgeous rooms with modern retro designs. The only member of Small Luxury Hotels in Tel Aviv (and one of just two in Israel), the Norman also boasts "an impressive modern art collection", a rooftop terrace, a gym, a courtyard garden, and two gourmet restaurants. The hotel also features an infinity edged outdoor pool, a rarity amongst boutiques in Tel Aviv. Opening in September, we found rates starting at $360 a night.

The Pictures Are Up, The Reviews Are Up

...And it looks unbelievable! Yes, it's just-opened Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem. No biggie. We've only been waiting for this for the past, uh four years! We absolutely love the indoor-outdoor feel of the lobby with the airy courtyard in the center flooded with natural light and adorned with potted plants and outdoor furniture. The public areas certainly surpass those at the King David, which are beginning to show their age. The Waldorf's interiors are bright and elegant, with a neutral palette and subtle hints of color. The entrance lobby is resplendent with the signature Waldorf Astoria clock and surrounded by a grand staircase. Our favorite part? The lavishly furnished public spaces also emphasize the magnificent architecture of the original Palace Hotel, even with so many modifications. So far, our main dislike is the design of the guestrooms which are in one word- brown. The curtains are brown, the carpet is brown, the sham is brown, the headboard is brown, the couch is brown, the leather bench is brown. Breaking up the brown are some dark wood furnishings and beige walls. A little color or even some crisp white would have gone a long way here, Waldorf. Oh well. It won't deter us from staying here (if someone wants to foot the bill, let us know...) Reviews are super-positive. Except for one reviewer who came to the hotel before it was opened and thus had a bad expereince, all the other reviewers seem to agree. They praise the service, "I was shocked how well the staff functioned since they just opened" and "The hotel had just opened for their soft launch when we stayed, it is fair to say that the standard of service is already top notch!" The high standards of the hotel's design also regale reviewers, who note, "This hotel brings a level of hotel that Jerusalem has not seen till now" and "It is a beautiful property with an extremely elegant Waldorf feel." (What that "Waldorf" feel might be is a separate issue...)Another reviewer lauded the "Breathtaking architecture, renovation." We found rates starting at $565 for next week, compared to $530 at the King David and a whopping $560 at the David Citadel. At those prices, we'd say the Waldorf is a no-brainer. Now, have we ever discussed how overpriced Jerusalem hotels are?

A Little Competition Can't Hurt

Especially not when it comes to hotels. As we like to say here at IsraelGuest, the more hotels, the better. More hotels encourage existing ones to constantly improve in order to stay poised to compete. Some may do some sprucing up, add services, or even better, reduce rates. Or even better than that, improve AND reduce rates. As we've discussed here before, the ole' hotels in Herzliya must certainly be feeling some love (read: fierce competition) from the Ritz Carlton. We've obsessed over this hotel and covered it extensively here on IsraelGuest, and we're pleased to report that a few months after opening the hotel has been receiving wonderful reviews on TripAdvisor. Meanwhile the Daniel has been anxiously renovating to keep up, and we know the Dan is planning a massive expansion to become the largest hotel in Israel (and presumably one of the most luxurious). But there's still more competition underfoot. If you recall, Herod's Group (Herod's Eilat, Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem eventually) is also building an uber-luxurious hotel in the coastal town. According to its website, the hotel is said to be opening in "2014" (although another page claims "end of 2013...") and "will present the ultimate accommodation facility for both businessmen and tourists alike." The website goes on to promise "As it is perfectly located on the coast of the Mediterranean, it offers the much needed relief and calamity after a long day full of business meetings or just travelling around." Now I dunno about this, but maybe hotels have just become so luxurious that guests are looking for a little calamity in their hotel stays? Is that the new hot trends? The 250 room hotel will be located right on the Marina and will feature a large outdoor pool, extensive meeting space, a spa, and "an exceptionally large lobby." The website proclaims that Herods "is definitely going to be second to non-amongst [sic] the other hotels around." Watch out, Ritz Carlton! And Herods- maybe get some spell check? And a dictionary?

Updates on hotels

Suppose, suppose, suppose that one was looking for a luxurious retreat with all the bells and whistles. Like a well appointed guestroom with a dedicated seating area, comfortable bed, large flatscreen television, and a nice terrace with a few chairs. Maybe with a view, too- of the sea. Oh, and an outdoor rock shower would be appreciated. And a regular shower just in case it's chilly. And, maybe- just maybe, a private pool, too? Plus, you know, a Japanese garden would really be nice. Sounds impossible, right? Beresheet comes the closest, but even it does't quite tick all of the boxes. Kibbutz Nahsholim, on the beautiful Dor Beach north of Caesaria, is known for its drab and dated accommodations. But, they recently unveiled a selection of boutique rooms that manage to fulfill all of the requirements. And man, is it gorgeous. Some of the nicest designs we've seen in a long time! Our only hesitation is the fact that the sea view rooms (and guests) share the limited facilities (like the dining hall) with the rest of the kibbutz guests, which likely means that some aspects will be decidedly less luxurious. Fortunately the prices seem to reflect that: A seaview room for next week is merely $230 USD a night. Not bad at all! In other news, we've been checking up on the Tel Aviv hotel scene. Here's what's new (or not): 1. We can't find any information on Kempinski and specifically when it is opening! Anyone know what's going on here? 2. Remember the Orchid Pasha Jaffa Hotel that is not the W Hotel? Well, it seems to have gotten a name, and we're not fans: Kishleh Hotel Jaffa. No, not kishka but close: Kishleh! Oy. Hope they can find a different name before they open. 3. We went looking into the Bat Yam hotel stories, as some new hotels are expected to be opening. Ground has broken on the Sea Hotel Bat Yam, a 500 million shekel, 26 story, 436 room hotel. Adjacent to this hotel are two more in planning stages, one expected to rise some forty stories high. The total from all three is expected to bring an additional 1200 rooms to the area. And, lastly, Orchid Hotel Group is doing some more expansion. In addition to its Jaffa property, Orchid is renovating the old Zion Square Hotel in Jerusalem to create a luxurious boutique hotel. It is anticipating a September opening. This property joins an 120 room country club hotel located between Tel Aviv and Herzliya that is in development, and a third property on the shores of the Kinneret.

Hotels, hotels, hotels

It's been a busy month of hotel spying here in Israel. New hotels have opened (although some are still taking their time), old hotels have closed, and some exciting hotel news has come out. Where to start? Waldorf Astoria: We admit it, for the past couple of weeks we've been purposely walking down Agron Street so that we can peek into the Waldorf. The hotel is finally starting to take shape, with furnishings, chandeliers, and fixtures in place. This will be a truly elegant place, from the grand entrance to the lobby and the extremely high- ceilinged ballroom in the basement (No, we didn't go inside! Just peered over the edge and trespassed a little...) All this will hopefully warrant the extra 5-10% that Waldorf plans on charging over comparable hotels' rates. Le Meridien Dead Sea is no longer. A property that was never, in recent years at least, featured on the Le Meridien website, this Le Meridien in name alone has dropped its Meridien and Fattal monikers and has become the David Dead Sea. We had the privileged of staying at the new David and are excited for some renovations which will transform this dated property, although it is still quite a good choice if one can overlook frayed carpeting or has a penchant for 80's furniture. The extraordinary facilities and spa will hopefully stay the same. Atlas Hotels has two new hotels coming to the chain: Market House Tel Aviv, which is said to open sometime this year, and another Jerusalem hotel on Mesilat Yesharim Street, said to open sometime in 2015. We stumbled across this hotel on one of our walks, so we don't have any information on it but we managed to find some renderings online. For more see http://studiomu.co.il/?portfolio=hotel-mesilat-yesharim-in-progress. Overall, it's been a pretty good month for hotel news.