Frommer's Review
Herod's is the place to come for pampering and luxury unequalled anywhere in Israel, especially in the off-season, when it's is not packed to the brim. Completed in early 2000, the Herod's Sheraton complex, with its own piece of prime, palm tree-studded Eilat beachfront, is the most expensive and lavish hotel in the country. Visually, the towering ensemble of buildings, pools, and enormous, enclosed, light-filled space touched with Arabesque and Roman architectural elements looks like the stuff dreams are made of. There are domes, networks of bridges, waterfalls, a Roman Cardo (colonnaded street) and elegant optical illusions and tricks of perspective (such as the Roman-style pool, placed at the end of an avenue of date palms, and seeming to flow into the Red Sea). Some compare this Middle Eastern contemporary deco extravaganza to a set for a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film. Arriving groups are greeted by staff members, garbed in Arabian Nights costumes, who dispense exotic sweets and fruit juices.
The fantasy does not extend into the guest rooms, which are spacious, tasteful, equipped with every comfort a top hotel should offer, but perfectly normal (try for a room with a Red Sea view; a few simply face other towers in the complex). Some rooms are equipped for travelers with disabilities. The hotel is divided into three parts: Herod's Palace, which is the main section, encompassing 268 rooms and suites; Herod's Vitalis Health and Lifestyle Resort, a spa par excellence (an absolute no-children zone) containing 64 balconied nonsmoking rooms, all with Jacuzzi bathtubs; and the Herod's Forum Convention Center, a venue for special events and business meetings, with 104 rooms, suites, and cottages. The swimming pools are vast and less crowded than those in Eilat's other super-size hotels (replicas of ancient Egyptian cat statues spit water from the pool's edge). The spa is a delight; in addition to massage and exercise rooms, it is set in a perfumed garden, and includes an adjustable waterfall massage and a serpentine Jacuzzi that seats 20 people. The large children's pool is nicely shaded by date palms and lattices; despite the hotel's august reputation, the staff is most welcoming to children. Rooms on Tower floors have access to the Executive Lounge, with a wonderful free running buffet that includes pastries, salads, top quality caviar and smoked salmon, and other delicacies to die for. Despite the formidable rack rates, bargains abound through discounters and the Internet.
Facilities:
Restaurant; dining room; pools; fitness center; spa; sauna; steam bath; watersports; children's sports; business services; shopping arcade; room service; laundry service
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
