Israelis love to travel and through their global journeys have encountered the range of accommodations, from backpacking through South America to the sparse elegance of a Japanese ryokan inn. They’ve adapted that knowledge and experience back home in the local tourist industry, albeit with an Israeli touch. Local luxe accommodations may not include 750 thread-count sheets and L’Occitane bath products, but hotels in Israel cater to their guests’ needs and delight in their particular attention to Sabra-style details – from airy, well-designed rooms with a view and excellent children’s services to sumptuous Israeli breakfasts and well-situated, well-equipped pools for the long summers. Many offer spa services for some pampering after an exhausting day of sightseeing and with the proliferation of Israeli ‘tzimmers’ – the local version of B&Bs – there’s often a Jacuzzi in the room.

The Da’at Connoisseur has taken some of the guesswork out of figuring out the accommodations for your next Israel tour. We’ve sniffed out all the important details, run the white glove test, tasted the menus and gotten a sense of the clientele at Israel’s best hotels. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised as you tour the country and enjoy the best it has to offer.

Tel Aviv

Israel’s ‘Big Orange,’ as this urbane, beachside city is sometimes called, offers all the accommodation possibilities of a cosmopolitan, sophisticated center. If you crave the exacting attentions of a large hotel experience, choose the Tel Aviv Hilton or Dan Tel Aviv. Both excel at good service and offer the amenities necessary for a truly pleasant stay. The Hilton exudes a quiet style that works for the solo traveler as well as families, with spacious rooms, a seawater swimming pool, fresh flower arrangements, tasty breakfasts and a modern design sense that imbues both the public and private spaces. The Dan Hotels are known for their excellent service and food, and the Dan Tel Aviv offers a sunlit, sea-swept lobby, well-appointed rooms, lovely décor and breakfast with all the trimmings.

Consider the boutique hotel experience for a Tel Aviv jaunt, with all the intimacies and elegance of a smaller space. Stay at the Nina Suites Hotel in the heart of the artsy Neve Tzedek neighborhood and find yourself just down the street from galleries, cafes and the charms of this regentrified area. For a more typical urban experience, the Hotel Montefiore offers luxurious care in the heart of Tel Aviv proper. The rooms include deeply cushioned lounge chairs for reading from each room’s personal library and contemplating the contemporary works of art decorating each guestroom.

Jerusalem

The country’s holiest city offers a growing luxury hotel scene to fit the tastes of any discerning tourist. From the gracious, historical environs of the King David and the modern look of the David Citadel, to the ultra-chic Mamilla Hoteland the frequent traveler’s favorite, the Inbal, you’ll enjoy responsive service and quality facilities during your stay in Israel’s capital.

The King David offers a heady air of local history, prestige and classic décor and elegance. A hotel often frequented by heads of state and their entourages, the King David has a supremely professional and attentive staff, as well as the pleasures of meals taken in the famed Grill Room or on the outdoor patio, overlooking one of the loveliest pools in the country. The neighboring David Citadel Hotel offers the same quality of service in a more modern setting. With its well-designed and meticulously kept interior, extremely spacious, comfortable rooms, outdoor heated swimming pool and well-regarded health club, the David Citadel is the only choice for many travelers seeking Jerusalem’s luxe experiences.

For the boutique experience in Jerusalem, try the new Mamilla Hotel, part of the Mamilla complex just outside the Old City walls. Each room was individually designed, with contemporary furnishings that play off indigenous Jerusalem stone and characteristic arches. And when you’re ready to leave the room, each guest has their own host to plan their stay in the city. You can also just hang out at the hotel, whether at the rooftop restaurant, Mirror Bar with the separate and intimate Cigar Lounge, the in-house Winery or the Espresso Bar in the lobby.

The nearby Inbal Hotel may lack the noble pedigree of the King David and David Citadel hotels, but offers focused customer care and an easy atmosphere for families. The hotel enjoys easy access to the busy Emek Refaim neighborhood and the lush side streets of two of Jerusalem’s best neighborhoods, nearby Talbieh and the German Colony.

Eilat

Eilat is Israel’s premier vacation destination – think Miami Beach -- and offers more than a few high-quality accommodations that work for families, individuals or couples.

Take your pick from the Eilat Dan, the Royal Beach, The Herods, the Hilton Queen of Sheba, Isrotel Agamim and The Herods Vitalis hotels, all of which will all answer your traveling needs and desire for luxurious surroundings and plush details.

Choose the Herods, Queen of Sheba and Eilat Dan if you’re traveling with the younger set. Each of the hotels offers all the right amenities for adults – shaded pools, private beach and well-fitted rooms that are comfortably luxurious – along with special extras for the kids that will leave the parents pleased and delighted. Junior will have his choice of foods at the hotels’ thoughtfully planned menus and you’ll enjoy the extra effort taken by the staff to answer your food and activity needs. You can sit by the pool with a book and a chilled drink from the bar. Isrotel’s Agamim, or the Water Garden Hotel, offers a unique feature, with rooms ‘on the water’ of the hotel pool. This hotel aims to mimic the Sinai resort area, a well-loved vacation region for Israelis, with tropical cocktails, hammocks and easy access to the pool.

The Royal Beach is also a good choice for families and couples albeit with a quieter air of refinement – thoughtfully designed rooms, original art works on the lobby walls, soft carpets and a breakfast complete with freshly baked breads and pastries that will leave you swooning on a contented sugar high. If you’re looking for a spa break, check into the Herods Vitalis, where you’ll enter a calm and tranquil space to relax muscle aches and everyday concerns. But note, no kids under 18 at the Vitalis.

Haifa, Safed and The Galilee

Stop in for a few days of serious pampering at one of Israel’s most complete spa resorts, the Carmel Forest Spa, right outside of Haifa. Walk the hotel’s 15 acres of lush, natural beauty, choose one of the dozens of treatments offered, swim in the heated pool, hear a lecture and practice your yoga. Enjoy the creative and tasty treats offered at every meal and sleep deeply in your completely comfortable room, many of which include outdoor patios.

As you make you way further north, Mitzpe Hayamim is nestled between picturesque Rosh Pina and historic Safed, and offers a particularly Israeli spa experience. An ecologically styled hotel, you’ll dine on offerings made from fruits and vegetables grown on the hotel’s land as well as taste home-cured cheeses, quail eggs, organic wines and other treats. Take a dip in the hot tub overlooking the Hula Valley or sip from a cup of herbal tea brewed on top of the wood-burning stove at the side of the indoor pool.

Bayit Bagalil, located just north of Rosh Pina in the town of Hazor, is a European-styled chateau that offers the comforts of a boutique hotel. The elegant meals are white tablecloth-worthy, and the service is top-notch, whether being served a pitcher of ice water poolside on a hot day, or the relaxations of the in-house spa.

Feel like a Turkish Pasha at the restored 14th century, Mameluke palace of Safed’s boutique hotel, the Palacio Domain. Meticulously furnished, each room is individually appointed and decorated, with an elegant and stylish air. Treat yourself to luxe accommodations as you search for the perfect piece of art in Safed’s nearby artist colony.

The Dead Sea

Make sure to spend a few days at the Dead Sea. Regardless of the season, the Dead Sea is the perfect tonic for body and soul. The combination of the lush, seaside oases, the waterfalls of nearby Ein Gedi and the jagged, brown mountains in the background make for a wonderful place to visit.

While none of the hotels are exactly deluxe, you can have a pleasant stay at both the Daniel and Isrotel Hotels. Splash in the pool, float in the Dead Sea, take a mud bath and scrub it off with salts provided from the sea floor – you’ll feel like a new you.

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