169 Best Hotels in Israel

Founded in 1963, this ecumenical Christian settlement—whose name, which means "Sign of the Nations," is taken from Isaiah—between Akko and Nahariya focuses on mutual respect and tolerance; it also runs a hotel, where you're invited to chat with members of the community, who are also happy to take you around the beautifully landscaped grounds. Lodging options are either standard rooms or kibbutz apartments with kitchenettes. The setting, 10 km (6 miles) north of Akko, is picturesque and rural, once you get past the dismal approach road.

Tiny iron balconies overlooking Jaffa Gate make this century-old hotel a solid choice for a historic—if humble—night near the Old City walls. The guest rooms are fairly basic, but the large family rooms with sleeping lofts are excellent value.

Pilgrim tour groups have long been drawn to the modest rooms and stellar location (a 10-minute walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher) of this gorgeous stone castlelike building owned by the Vatican and dating back to the 1880s. Most guest rooms lack TVs and are minimally decorated in beige and brown, but the architecture in the style of a French cathedral is rich with history. Enjoy a glass of imported wine and cheese at the rooftop restaurant, which attracts many nonhotel guests in pursuit of arguably the city's most remarkable sunset views overlooking the Old City. Rooms with balconies are available at an extra charge.

The stone arches, lacey latticework, and bronze ornaments in the reception area help create a distinctly regional atmosphere, as do the old flagstones in the skylit atrium and polished floorboards in the comfortable lounge. The guest rooms are not huge, but are comfortably furnished and decorated with black and gold touches.

Part of Kibbutz Kfar Blum, this hotel in the Upper Hula Valley has spacious and elegantly appointed rooms. The spa offers unusual experiences, such as a rain cave and a Turkish-style steam bath. An Olympic-size swimming pool is a great place to relax after a day of exploring. The kibbutz offers kayaking on the Jordan River and a chamber-music festival every summer. It's 8 km (5 miles) southeast of Kiryat Shmona.

The stained-glass windows, wood furniture, and handwoven rugs make it hard to guess that this charming small boutique hotel used to house livestock. The Fridman family has lived here since 1876, and now operates a hotel, wine bar, and restaurant on the premises. With arched ceilings and stone walls, the rooms are rustic and subtly luxurious, and the food is lovingly prepared.

The imposing stone facade of the Nazareth Plaza is the first hint that the city has finally acquired an upscale hotel. Many of the guest rooms at this hillside location enjoy views of the Old City. A huge gym and an outdoor swimming pool are big draws, as is the well-regarded restaurant. The hotel arranges a free tour of the Old City on Saturday for guests.

Star designer Karim Rashid chose the iconic Polishuk House, a Bauhaus building, for his first venture into Tel Aviv's boutique hotel scene. The chic, modern Poli House grabs attention with futuristic-feeling common spaces (think hot pink and yellow space-pod chairs) and cooler blues and yellows that splash color in the otherwise black-and-white-patterned guest rooms. A main draw is the rooftop pool and cocktail bar, great for daytime sunbathing, sunset sea views, and nighttime breeze. The centrally located hotel is a stone's throw from Carmel Market and a few minutes from the nightlife and restaurants of Rothschild Boulevard.

A haven for budget travelers, this inn occupies a beautifully renovated Arab house that's painted shades of pale yellow and is set in a neighborhood filled with interesting shops. The dormitories with bunk beds mainly interest backpackers (one is for women, one for men, and two are co-ed), but there are 10 double rooms with private bath, and several apartments (with kitchens) that accommodate up to five.

“The Kings"—the name by which it's still known—sits on a busy intersection, less than a 10-minute walk from Downtown and the Old City. Guest rooms and bathrooms can be small, but there are pretty pink flower boxes outside every window, and a well-lit lobby coffee shop, as well as several seating areas around the hotel. If your budget allows, upgrade to a junior suite with a balcony. The entrance is on Ramban Street.

This West Jerusalem hotel right on the light-rail line has a good reputation thanks to its pretty stone courtyard, reasonable prices, and tastefully decorated rooms. You have free access to nearby Hebrew University's sports center, which has tennis and squash courts and a year-round pool.

The centerpiece of this centrally located boutique hotel is a spectacular rooftop deck where you can sip cocktails, listen to classical or jazz music on summer evenings, or gaze through telescopes at the 360-degree panorama. The airy, golden-marble lobby provides a warm welcome. Guest rooms are compact, but nicely designed and enlivened with pleasing prints. Many have views that make them worth asking for. Colorful accents brighten the bathrooms. Breakfasts are accompanied by Champagne and Chopin on the piano. The address is a quiet side street just 15 minutes from the Old City.

The palatial entrance of this grand hotel is certainly fit for a queen, capped with a pillared dome rising between two turrets. On either side is a wing with more than 200 rooms. Elegant curtains cover the windows of the 40-foot-high lobby and mosaics of biblical animals cover the floor. The queen must have loved cats—images of them are everywhere. Most bedrooms have gold-framed mirrors and marble bathrooms with hand-painted murals. Rooms on even-numbered floors have balconies (some with their own whirlpool tubs) facing the sea or the marina. Transparent gold-cage elevators offer views of the atrium as they rise.

In the heart of leafy Baka, this apartment hotel offers mostly two-room suites with well-equipped kitchenettes and extra space for the kids. Ground-floor rooms have nice terraces that are perfect for summer evenings. Three penthouses have huge terraces, full kitchens, and large living areas. This place is a great solution for families on a budget or for anyone who wants the option of cooking the occasional meal. There's no in-house restaurant, but the excellent Grand Cafe is downstairs, where guests can have breakfast for an additional fee.

This massive hotel's marble lobby, with its reflective ceiling, clubby leather chairs, and frilly potted palms, has a feeling of grandeur. The nicely updated rooms are spacious and have modern touches like wall-mounted flat-screen TVs; many have walk-in showers. For the best views, insist on a room with a balcony on the fifth floor or higher. The two swimming pools, fitness center, and children's playground are great assets, and the nearby light-rail whisks you Downtown.

High in the foothills of Golan Heights, this hotel is only a few minutes from good beaches and a water park. Its main building has comfortable guest rooms with private balconies and fabulous lake views. The deluxe wood chalets have whirlpool tubs, saunas, entertainment systems, and other perks. Free guided tours of the area are available in summer.

All the rooms and suites have spectacular sea-facing balconies at this comfortable luxury hotel with a geometric facade. The hotel has direct access to the beach, and also boasts one of the few indoor, heated swimming pools in Tel Aviv. Light floods in through floor-to-ceiling windows, making the accommodations feel open and airy. Among the restaurants is the Jaffa Terrace, which serves a selection of pasta dishes, and the Sabres Brasserie, with both a buffet and an à la carte menu. The Dairy restaurant offers a selection of dairy and vegetarian options.

It's easy to understand why this resort was a personal favorite of Israel's founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion: its location on the lake with its own private beach is unbeatable. The spa is a soothing complex suffused with incense and candles. A large whirlpool gurgles away in its own glassed-in gazebo. Guest rooms are nicely decorated. Breakfast and either lunch (on weekends only) or dinner are included.

Most of the action here is underground, where the adjoining bar, lounge, and dining room add a bit of buzz. Guest rooms are comfortable and well appointed; ask for one on the fourth floor so you'll have a balcony. Service is attentive, as you would expect from a national hotel chain. The location—on Nazareth's main street, very close to Mary's Well—is a limited blessing; this is not a town that comes alive at night.

A private beach with exceptional views and a country club with state-of-the-art facilities make this hotel a great deal, especially for families. There's a huge outdoor pool in a sprawling grassy area where wooden walkways lead down to the curving bay. The views are fantastic: on one side you can see Old Akko's blue domes, skinny minarets, and stone walls; on the other, the Carmel mountains behind Haifa. For youngsters there's a children's pool, and for adults a Turkish bath with wet and dry saunas. There's also a bar in the cheerful lobby.

The exclusive Herzliya Pituach Marina is the setting for Ritz-Carlton's first hotel and residences in Israel, a striking, modern building that makes up for being 12 km (7 miles) north of central Tel Aviv with grandly plush public areas and guest rooms with large windows and balconies for viewing seaside sunsets. The colors of sand, sea, and sky are reflected in the decor; ample closet space and marble bathrooms with both a shower and a tub add to the luxury. Other amenities include an excellent spa offering first-rate treatments and a Turkish hammam, a state-of-the-art gym with panoramic views, a busy rooftop pool, and superb dining at the kosher Herbert Samuel restaurant. Excellent global-class service sets a new standard for Israel's top hotels.

The family-run establishment is the northernmost hotel in Tiberias and has rare private lake frontage, though no beach. Most guest rooms are in a two-story building facing the water. The upper floor is made up of suites; the lower floor opens out to lawns and the pool area. There are also several large family rooms. All in all, it's a great value.

When you enter this nicely renovated International Style building you'll feel right at home, thanks to a living-room-style lobby where you can enjoy coffee and tea. The well-designed suites are spacious and provide all the bare necessities, plus enough elements of luxury to leave you feeling pampered. The hotel's concept is to offer everything that larger hotels offer, but at a more reasonable price (though "reasonable" in Tel Aviv is pricy in comparison to other cities around the world).

On Rothschild Boulevard, this boutique hotel has a color scheme and design aesthetic intended to evoke the Tel Aviv of days gone by. Every detail, down to the fabrics on the furnishings, was carefully chosen to reflect the character of philanthropist Baron Edmond de Rothschild, after whom the hotel was named. Each room has a bidet—not typical of Tel Aviv hotels—as well as huge flat-screen TVs, espresso machines, and eco-friendly bath products. Guests enter through the restaurant and bar, highlighting the culinary focus; the Israeli wine menu is divided by local region and breakfast is one of Tel Aviv's tastiest.

On the promenade, across from Royal Beach (Eilat's answer to Miami's South Beach), this sprawling hotel blends comfort, glamour, and sophistication. The serene atrium is furnished with cushy leather couches and decorated with cobalt-blue sculptures suspended from the ceiling. Three-story glass windows frame graceful bamboo and palm trees. A large terrace—crammed with colorful flowers, overhead fans, and kilim rugs—faces the Bay of Eilat, providing views that are all the more stunning at sundown. Rooms have comfortable sofas and chairs and private balconies, and suites have their own whirlpool tubs. For the best views, ask for a higher floor.

One of many five-star properties linked to large hotel chains along the Tel Aviv promenade, Royal Beach Tel Aviv offers an outdoor pool, an à la carte restaurant, and a spa and wellness area. The rooms range in size from tiny efficiencies useful for business travelers, to large suites—all with a notable sea view and most of which include a small balcony, great for enjoying the sea breezes. Wake up early to reserve your lounge chairs in the pool area, which fills up fast during summer and holiday seasons.

Built 200 years ago for a Turkish sultan, this spectacular castle has been transformed into a hotel with a reputation for charming rooms. The stone-walled rooms, many of which have vaulted ceilings, are both comfortable and rustic; the former stables serve as a dining room. A third of the rooms have mountain views.

On the outskirts of Tzfat, the budget-minded Safed Inn caters especially well to families. There's a courtyard for barbecues, a pretty garden where kids can play, a fully stocked kitchen, and a homey dining room where breakfast is served. Standard rooms are simple but clean. Costing a bit more, the deluxe rooms have featherbeds, whirlpool tubs, and parquet floors. Three dormitory style rooms are also available at a low cost.  

Hotels don't come more stylish than The Setai, which offers some of the most sought-after accommodation in Tel Aviv. Set in a stunningly converted Ottoman building (some parts of which date back 900 years), this sophisticated hotel in the middle of Old Jaffa is ideally located for everything this historic part of Tel Aviv has to offer. The views from the rooftop infinity pool are to die for, as is the impressive breakfast spread served in the Jaya restaurant and best enjoyed in the shady, tree-lined courtyard. Don't miss the Kishle Bar, with its distinct colonial ambience. It serves cocktails and a fine selection of wine in a beautifully designed space with dramatic vaulted ceilings. Book a sea-facing room if you want to fall asleep to the soothing sound of the waves crashing beneath your bedroom window.

At this boutique hotel, the attentive staff, always friendly and accommodating, greets you with a cold beverage and a chocolate treat, and the daily happy hour includes snacks and complimentary alcoholic beverages—a great way to wind down after a day of sun, sea, and sightseeing. For extra pampering, reserve the spa rooms with balcony hot tubs facing the sea. All are comfortably sized and nicely decorated in a simple style. You can opt out of breakfast if you wish.