Check out 6 beautiful hotels opening this year in Israel

 

From the Sea of Galilee down to the Negev Desert, new hotels are ready and waiting for tourists.

The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the hospitality industry in Israel as well as worldwide. Some hotels did not survive. Others were able to wait it out, slowly and carefully welcoming local guests starting in March 2021.

Several hotels in Israel that were under construction boldly finished the job and are now eagerly awaiting the return of foreign tourists when Israel reopens its borders to group travel on May 23rd.

Below we describe new hotels now open or opening soon in various locations throughout Israel. Many more are slated to open in the near future. When booking, be sure to check guidelines regarding requirements for proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 test.

SOFIA SEA OF GALILEE HOTEL, TIBERIAS

 Located in and next to a restored 19th-century stone house in Tiberias, this 120-room spa and leisure hotel is a few minute’s walk from the city center and the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret).

The hotel is named for Sofia Srugo, mother of the property’s late owner, Reuven Srugo. Sofia set out on a long journey from the Syrian city of Damascus to Argentina, where she was to meet her future husband for the first time. On the way, she made a stop in Tiberias.

Address: 12 HaPalmach Street, Tiberias

Amenities:

Spa complex hammam (Turkish bath)

Kosher restaurant featuring Galilean cuisine based on local produce

Rooftop restaurant/bar and lobby bar

Wine cellar

Study and culture room

Infinity swimming pool

Four accessible rooms for guests with disabilities

Free parking

Click for reservations

HÔTEL BOBO, TEL AVIV

A new property in the Brown group, Hôtel BoBo has a bohemian, bourgeois feel and offers 200 rooms with a panoramic view of the city. Located at the crossroad of Yavneh Street and Rothschild Boulevard, this hotel is in the heart of startup culture, surrounded by cafés, bars, shops, clubs, and art galleries. The renowned Carmel Market and Habima Theater are within walking distance.

Address: 42 Yavneh Street, corner of Rothschild Boulevard

Amenities:

Rooftop cocktail bar (not kosher)

Hot tub

Tanning deck,

Plunge pool (not yet open)

Conference center

Spa and fitness center

Méli-Mélo restaurant offering fusion Israeli-Mediterranean-Japanese-French cuisine by celebrity chef Meir Adoni

Click for reservations

LIFTA BOUTIQUE HOTEL, LIFTA

This European-style boutique hotel is in a most unusual location: Lifta, an abandoned ancient village on the Jerusalem outskirts, part of a nature reserve with breathtaking views of the Judean Hills and Arazim Valley.

Brothers Oded and Yoni Yochanan refurbished a centuries-old stone building at the end of a dead-end road, creating six spacious suites and two holiday apartments for themselves. They plan to renovate another building and add 18 rooms and a restaurant to the complex.

Address: 19 Mei Niftoah Street, Lifta

Amenities:

Swimming pool

Terrace

Catered kosher breakfast

Free onsite parking

BROWN JLM

Right in the city center overlooking Independence Park and the new Museum of Tolerance, between the popular Nahalat Shiva pedestrian mall on one side and the Mamilla Mall and Old City walls on the other, the 46-room Brown JLM by Brown Hotels blends contemporary urban hospitality with traditional Jerusalem-style elements.

Brown JLM is housed in a historic 19th-century building that has been renewed and augmented with six new floors. Preserved painted ceilings in the lobby add to the authentic feel along with vintage collectors’ items.

Address: 41 Hillel Street, corner of Ben-Sira

Amenities:

Infinity rooftop pool

Rooftop bar

Outdoor hot-tub and sunbathing area

Café-bar

Pets allowed up to 20 pounds

Dining facility yet to come

Parking in the public lot

Click for reservations

KEDMA, SDE BOKER

The Nabatean khan-style luxury hotel’s 163 rooms and suites are built around an open-air courtyard punctuated by a pool surrounded by fruit trees and plants. Desert-inspired shapes, materials, and colors include authentic mashrabiya, colorful rugs for lounging.

Address: Kibbutz Sde Boker, Ramat Negev

Amenities:

Desert-style kosher restaurant

Spa with Turkish bath

Heated pool

Fitness room

Free parking onsite

Click for reservations

SIX SENSES SHAHARUT

Opening August 5, Six Senses Shaharut was constructed of local materials on a ridge above the Arava Valley in the far southeast, 45 minutes north of Eilat near the scenic Edom Mountains.

This luxury chain puts an emphasis on wellness and local experiences, from the food (not kosher) to its desert activity center where guests can make herbal cosmetics and learn about the hotel’s sustainability initiatives. There’s even an onsite camel stable and date palm orchard.

The 46-acre resort’s 60 suites and villas — plus a three-bedroom private reserve — are separate structures; two of the units are wheelchair-accessible. Six of the suites and all the villas have private pools.

Address: Route 12, Shaharut

Amenities:

Restaurant

Cocktail lounge

Poolside bar and grill

Spa with hammam

Indoor and outdoor pools

Gym and yoga studio

Nail Bar

Wine cellar

Amphitheater

“Grow with Six Senses” hangout for children

 

About the Author:

Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a major daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.