brier5

I will be in Israel for the first time in June. I will be doing a project in Acre but want to rest up and see a few things before getting there. After flying from California, should we leave the airport and spend a couple of nights in Caesarea or Haifa? After Acre we will spend several days in Jerusalem. Hotel suggestions would be greatly appreciated also. Thanks

JackieSun

What area do you want to be close to?
Do you want to be near the old city?
Two places we recommend - Dan Panorama or Sheraton Moriah. Both nice hotels. Dan is a little better location. Sheraton has recently been remodeled. Very nice - service is average.

Eli

An off the beaten track alternative might be the accomodation listed here:
http://info.jpost.com/2000/Supplemen...enturies6.html

I Just came across them by accident as I was searching for aritcles on ancient ceramics and pottery which are on display at the Scottish Church, which also happens to be one of the establishments listed here.

brier5

Thanks, I should have been clearer. Would you stay in Caesarea or Haifa for a couple of days to rest up after traveling? Thanks

Mommar

If you arrive in the late afternoon, you may find by the time you arrive at your hotel, eat dinner, you'll be ready for bed. And in the morning nearly adjusted to the time difference. Also, if you (like me) take Ambien on a long flight, you're pretty ready to go for most of your first day.

It also depends what day you arrive. If you're arriving on Friday, many sites are closing for the Sabbath so finding a resort with inclusive meals and activites might be a good idea. You could consider Caesaria, Herzliya or Tel Aviv beach hotels.

eri

If this is your first time in Israel, I would most definitely stay in Tel Aviv. There are quite a few hotels near the beach, depending on your budget: Tel Aviv Hilton, Sheraton, Moriah, Dan Hotel, Crowne Plaza and more. They are all pretty expensive.I personally love a small hotel one block away from the beach , around 80-100 dollars - Hotel de la Mer.

Labatt

I would recommend either Tel Aviv or Haifa. Caesarea is a gorgeous site, but is easily accessible from either city, and there is not much else in that immediate vicinity. If you stay in Tel Aviv or Haifa, on the other hand, you will have restaurants and night-life nearby.

If you want upscale, I think the Sheraton or Hilton in Tel Aviv are great, and the Dan Panorama in Haifa is the upscale choice there. If you want more reasonable prices, I'm staying at the Melody Hotel in Tel Aviv and the Dan Gardens Haifa in that city. Both are small hotels with prices in the $70-80 per night range. I got those rates through Regent Tours, a Tel Aviv-based hotel wholesaler. See www.regent.co.il for more info on them; they're great. If you use them, tell them I sent you.

In Jerusalem, I always stay at the Jerusalem International YMCA, also called the Three Arches Hotel. They don't book through Regent Tours, so you have to do that directly. It's directly across the street from the much fancier King David Hotel and only a 10-minute walk to the Old City. It's not like staying at a YMCA in the US; it's a four-star hotel and very decent. I got a $75 a night rate, including breakfast.

I hope that helps, and have a great time! June is a good time to go. If you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

Douglas Duckett
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA