Tips on Accommodations

You'll find a wide range of accommodations in Israel, ranging from hotels to guesthouses, to self-catering apartments. There is no official accommodations rating system in the country, but the detailed listings in this guide include information on hotel amenities and facilities that will help you decide what hotels will fit your needs.

A Note About Seasons--Israel's hotels fill up during certain seasons and holidays, and you should be prepared with advanced reservations, secured by a deposit. Generally speaking, hotels are busiest during July and August, and on the major Jewish and Christian holidays such as Passover, Easter, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, Chanukah, and Christmas. Rates skyrocket during these times and rooms can be very scarce if you don't book well in advance.

Off-season is generally November through February (except for Chanukah/Christmas/New Year's). It is, however, the busiest season in Eilat, which has almost perfect, sunny weather when it's chilly up north.

Hotels

With a few exceptions, Israeli hotels in all price categories tend to lack atmosphere and architectural style -- many of the country's hotels could as easily be in Cleveland, Ohio, as in Jerusalem or Tiberias. In our hotel listings, we note the establishments that are unusual and do have character. When Israeli hotels get the right mix of location, ambience, architecture and service, they are memorable -- examples include the King David, American Colony, and Mount Zion hotels in Jerusalem; the Cinema Hotel in Tel Aviv, and the Scots Hotel in Tiberias.

Because of the tourism slump of the past few years, when Israeli hotels filled their rooms with Israeli guests on special cut-rate packages, many top and moderate hotels are rather run-down at press time. As tourism to the region revives, renovation programs should improve this situation. Finally, Israel is not a country known for service and formality; so bear in mind that even the best hotels may not be up to international standards.

Major Hotel Chains--Israel has a number of leading chains that American travelers may not be familiar with. Dan Hotels (tel. 03/520-2552; www.danhotels.com), Israel's most prestigious chain, has several branches spread throughout the country and a reputation for personal service. It's most famous property is the legendary King David Hotel. Isrotel (tel. 08/638-7799; www.isrotel.co.il) is an Israeli chain that has developed well-run, imaginative properties that fit into and serve the special interests of their locales. Their hotels range from the top-notch Royal Beach in Eilat to the all-suite business-oriented Isrotel Towers in Tel Aviv. The relatively new Fattal Hotels (www.fattal-hotels-israel.com) manages a number of hotels at the Dead Sea, Eilat, and Haifa. Its hotels range in price from moderate to deluxe, and some are all inclusive, targeting Israeli package tourists. Its top-of-the-line property is Le Meridien at the Dead Sea, the most luxurious of the Dead Sea hotels. Atlas Hotels (tel. 03/542-5555; www.atlas.co.il) is a well-run, moderate to budget hotel chain that offers properties of various styles; it's most unique property is the stylish Cinema Hotel in Tel Aviv.

Many kibbutzim have established hotels and holiday resorts amid the most beautiful settings of the Israeli countryside. All of the hotels in the Israel Kibbutz Hotels Chain (tel. 888/669-5700 in the U.S.; www.kibbutz.co.il) have swimming pools, and rooms are generally comfortable and meet upper-moderate standards. There are 7-day reduced rate packages available for this chain's hotels, with car rental included!

A number of international hotel chains, well known to American and British travelers, are also represented in Israel. Sheraton Hotels (tel. 800/325-3535; www.sheraton.com) is the largest of these and runs the most luxurious hotel in the country, Sheraton's Herods Palace Hotel in Eilat, among others. Hilton Hotels (tel. 800/HILTONS; www.hilton.com) has two deluxe hotels in Israel, and two excellent resorts with experienced staffs in Sinai.

Hotel Packages

Airline Packages -- Some of the best bargains in Israeli hotel accommodations are offered by El Al, the national carrier of Israel, but you can only buy them in conjunction with the "Sunsational Israel" package that includes 5 nights at Jerusalem's centrally located Jerusalem Tower Hotel or Tel Aviv's excellent (almost beachfront) Basel Hotel, starting at $50 a night per person, double occupancy. With this deal, you also get a Hertz manual transmission rental car (there is a 35¢ per kilometer charge plus insurance; an automatic transmission car can be ordered for a higher price). El Al also offers a Sheraton Moriah Hotel Flexi package that gives you accommodations at deluxe Sheraton Hotels across Israel, including the Sheraton Plaza Jerusalem, starting at $110 per night for a double. El Al's more expensive "Dantastic" packages include accommodations at the luxury Dan Hotel chain at considerable savings. Look at all plans carefully and compare them carefully before making a selection.

Kibbutz Packages -- The Kibbutz Hotel Chain Fly and Drive Package is especially enticing; it lets you explore the real Israeli countryside while overnighting at comfortable kibbutz holiday villages and guesthouses that have swimming pools or beaches, and invariably lovely settings. There are minimum 7-night deals, which include a double room and breakfast in the $45 to $55 range per person per night, double occupancy, and a middle-grade Avis rental car beginning at $300 per week (with unlimited mileage and manual transmission). Add at least $12 per person per night more, and you can book a package that gives you a choice of more luxurious kibbutz accommodations.

Although all accommodations in the kibbutz hotel and holiday village network are the equivalent of those you'd find in midrange hotels, you'll find great variety in the general setup and character of each facility. You'll be amazed at the sheer drama of many of the kibbutz sites, from such desert retreats as Ein Gedi (set in a botanical garden of rare trees and plantings, perched above the Dead Sea near the fortress of Masada), to places like Ye'elim, adjacent to the Negev's Hai Bar Wildlife Reserve. There are semiluxury resorts such as the lovely Kfar Blum, or the hotel at the Orthodox Kibbutz Lavi; there are also simpler holiday villages such as Nasholim, on the shores of the Mediterranean; or Ein Gev, on the Sea of Galilee. Many kibbutzim in the program are just a few minutes' drive from Jerusalem or within easy distance of Tel Aviv.

You can arrange for a kibbutz land package (including the Kibbutz Association Fly and Drive packages) independently of any airline ticket by calling, in the US and Canada, the Israel Tourism Center at tel. 888/669-5700 or 201/703-9111. You may add additional days to the Kibbutz Hotel Chain Plan at rates far below those you could book independently and then move on to independent arrangements for the rest of your trip. If you're traveling along, there's a single supplement (subject to the package you choose), and for families, there are special children's rates.

Another operator with a good reputation for customized tours and packages is Affordable Israel (tel. 212/486-0566; eoppenheim@earthlink.net).

Bed & Breakfast

Unlike the network of kibbutz hotels and holiday villages, which are really midrange country hotels, and the kibbutz resorts, which are often quite separate from the actual kibbutz, Kibbutz Country Lodgings (www.kibbutz.co.il) consists of a growing network of smaller kibbutz and moshav communities that run simple guest bungalows or buildings, or kibbutz families who have guest room facilities in their own houses. With rates that can be as low as $75 to $80 per night for a double room, you get a comfortable bedroom with private bathroom, in interesting countryside locations. Best of all, you get a chance to see a bit of real kibbutz life. This is an especially good option if you want to keep your accommodations expenses down and put the savings into a rental car for freewheeling independent travel. For a commission of approximately $35, the Israel Tourism Center (tel. 888/669-5700 in the U.S.) will make reservations for you at other kibbutz and bed-and-breakfast places. Most travel agents specializing in Israel can book packages for you at the Kibbutz Hotels or Country Lodgings. Local tourist information offices in the Galilee can also give you lists of guesthouses at moshavim (cooperative communities) in the area.

The Israel Tourism Center can also make bed-and-breakfast arrangements through the Good Morning Jerusalem bed-and-breakfast rental office. There is a $35 commission for this service, but you save the expense and bother of international phone calls and faxes. For bed-and-breakfast accommodations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there are rental services that will make note of your requirements and preferences and try to match them to a room in their listings. Reservations for these rooms, ranging in price from about $60 to $80 for a double, can be made from overseas.

At tourist information offices in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and many other Israeli cities, you can use a computer bank to access lists of accommodations in private homes for any area in the country. The information disbursed by these computers is rather lean -- just a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers, but with a few phone calls, you can usually come up with something. If you're looking at local listings, the staff at the tourist information office may be willing to direct you to places they know to be especially good. Summers, weekends, and holidays, it is always best to reserve ahead.

Great Guesthouses--Many of the accommodations listed on the Christian Guest Houses and Hospices website (198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/cic/CICguest.html) are among the most atmospheric and unusual choices in Israel (some of the best guesthouses are listed in detail in this guide). Rates are very reasonable; rooms are comfortable, but simple; atmosphere is quiet; buildings are usually 19th-century in decor; and in most cases, guesthouses welcome visitors of all faiths without questions.

Youth Hostels

The concept of youth hostels is right at home with the traditional Israeli preference for a functional, practical lifestyle and congenial atmosphere in which travelers can meet freely and easily. Israel's wonderful network of official Israel Youth Hostel Association Hostels (IYHA Hostels; www.youth-hostels.org.il/youth-hostels/english.html) offers simple, inexpensive accommodations in many dramatic and rustic sites throughout the country. IYHA hostels often offer the only available accommodations in remote areas of the country, or in areas along hiking routes. The hostels at Mitzpe Ramon, in the Negev, overlooking the Ramon Crater; and at Ein Gedi, beside the Dead Sea, provide great bases for hiking those areas. The Masada Hostel, at the foot of Masada, is the place to overnight if you want to make a predawn ascent onto Masada and watch the sun rise over the Dead Sea before the day's tour buses start arriving. Other IHYA hostels, such as the small, rustic retreat at Poriya, on an orchard-covered hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias, are great bargain options.

In the past few years, the IYHA has been busy upgrading its network of facilities. Many hostels are set up with a maximum of four to six beds per room; a large percentage of these rooms now have private shower/bathrooms and can easily be converted into doubles or family rooms. Dining facilities now offer meals far superior to the once spartan youth-hostel fare.

Hostels offer rock-bottom prices and a friendly welcome to all. Age is no barrier, nor is membership. Having a youth hostel membership card, however, does give you certain advantages, such as better rates at the hostels, plus discounts at some restaurants, national parks, historical sites, museums, and on buses and trains. The headquarters of the Israel Youth Hostels Association is located in Jerusalem at the Binyanei HaUma International Convention Center (across from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station), P.O. Box 6001, Jerusalem Z.C. 91060 (tel. 02/655-8400; fax 02/655-8430; www.youth-hostels.org.il/youth-hostels/english.html), where you can obtain information on present offerings of the Youth Travel Bureau. Only hostels bearing the triangular sign are authorized by the Israel Youth Hostels Association. It is advisable to book in advance.

Note: Not all youth hostels take foreign currency, and it's a good idea to check the availability of space (especially in summer months) before arriving. The IYHA also has 14-, 21-, and 28-day bargain-price tours and car-rental packages. Fax, write, or inquire at the Jerusalem office for further information.

Landing the Best Room

Somebody has to get the best room in the house. It might as well be you. You can start by joining the hotel's frequent-guest program, which may make you eligible for upgrades. A hotel-branded credit card usually gives its owner "silver" or "gold" status in frequent-guest programs for free. Always ask about a corner room. They're often larger and quieter, with more windows and light, and they often cost the same as standard rooms. When you make your reservation, ask if the hotel is renovating; if it is, request a room away from the construction. Ask about nonsmoking rooms, rooms with views, rooms with twin, queen- or king-size beds. If you're a light sleeper, request a quiet room away from vending machines, elevators, restaurants, bars, and discos. Ask for a room that has been most recently renovated or redecorated.

If you aren't happy with your room when you arrive, ask for another one. Most lodgings will be willing to accommodate you.