In the spacious pool of the Golden Crown Hotel Nazareth, two men stand side by side. One is Jewish, the other Muslim, a former SLA member. Both have been evacuated from Kiryat Shmona and have been staying for several months at the smaller "Blend" hotel in Nazareth. "We don't have a pool at the hotel, so we come here to swim a bit," they say with a smile. Every day, they come to the pool to get some fresh air away from the evacuated atmosphere they’ve lived in for so long. Once a week, they also take a short trip back home to Kiryat Shmona, sometimes with the excuse of "getting something from the apartment," and sometimes just to breathe the Galilee air. They miss their home in Kiryat Shmona dearly: "There's no place like this city and no people like the ones here." After a short swim, they grab a coffee and return to their "new home" at the hotel in the northern city.
Golden Crown Nazareth also once hosted evacuees, residents of the Arab al-Aramshe village near the Lebanese border, which has been bombarded continuously for the past ten months. However, they soon decided to return home despite the fear and danger. Most preferred to return to their village and receive high grants. Currently, no evacuees are staying at the hotel after the Arab al-Aramshe residents decided to go back home despite the ongoing shelling.
Overlooking Mount Precipice
The Golden Crown hotel chain includes five hotels in northern Israel—two in Haifa and three in Nazareth. Soon, a sixth hotel will open in Herzliya. The largest Golden Crown Hotel is perched atop a mountain overlooking the Jezreel Valley near Mount Precipice. The hotel has about 270 rooms, some suited for couples and others for families. We viewed various rooms and were particularly impressed with the family rooms in the hotel's new and beautiful wing. These rooms are divided into two sections, and some have a garden. A family of four to five can enjoy such a room: it's a ground-floor room with a patio leading to a lush, well-kept garden with a fantastic open view. It's pleasant to sit there in the evenings when it gets cooler. The room itself is spacious and located in the quietest, most beautiful part of the hotel. It's rare to find a hotel room that can accommodate five people and is divided into two separate rooms, giving parents some privacy. Often, families need to book two rooms, which is a significant advantage of this hotel.
Other hotel rooms are also good and large, but a warning is needed: those near the pool can be noisy, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, when the pool is active from morning to evening and the noise of children might disturb those who enjoy afternoon naps.
"In the End, the Wallet Wins"
We arrived at the hotel on a Thursday. It was almost empty, and at first, we wondered if it was some sort of "Jewish boycott" of Nazareth or a broader tourism crisis. "In the end, the wallet wins," senior managers at the hotel told us. "When the price is reasonable, Israelis come." The next day, we saw they were right. Hundreds of Israelis—mostly Jews—arrived to stay at the hotel.
"We hardly mention it because, for us, we are a hotel like any other in Israel," says Tarek Shhadeh, content and culture manager at Golden Crown Hotels, to Walla Tourism. "We compete for the same audience as other hotels. We have a great pool, good air, an amazing location, and a constant breeze even when it's hot outside. The Jezreel Valley is right below us, and even those who don’t want to come to Nazareth can drive directly from here to the valley. It's an ideal place for a summer vacation, whether you are Jewish or Arab, because those who stay for two to four nights find plenty to do in the area, whether in the Jezreel Valley or other nearby places."
How did you cope when international tourism suddenly stopped due to the war?
"The hotel also has a huge conference center, perhaps the largest in the north, so we host conferences throughout the year. If we see a problem with incoming tourism, we ramp up conference marketing. There's no government office or business that doesn't hold conferences with us. Clearly, the current tourism situation is tough; it's not an ideal period. After all, 30 percent of hotels won’t reopen after the war. The ones who suffer the most are usually the small hotels."
Do you also believe that in the end, the wallet wins and Israelis won’t refuse a good vacation at a reasonable price?
"Not just the wallet, also the quality. The vacation you get at this hotel is pleasant and reasonably priced. The hotel has all the facilities that can make a vacation great."
A Pool is Nice, but What Else?
Indeed, the hotel offers almost all possible facilities. From a huge conference hall to a wonderful dining room with a rich and exceptional culinary variety, to a large and beautiful spa. The spa area includes a heated indoor pool with a breathtaking view of Mount Precipice, a balcony overlooking the Jezreel Valley, and spa facilities such as a Turkish bath, sauna, and gym.
It's also worth praising the staff for their kindness to us and all the guests around us, from the reception and dining room staff to the housekeepers, lifeguards, cleaning staff, and kiosk sellers by the pool. The only thing missing in the hotel is a kids' club. Not only to give parents some free time but also to offer children a varied experience besides swimming. Not all children love the pool, and not all children love it all the time. Additionally, it would be nice if the hotel organized artistic programs for parents and children, like movie screenings or popcorn nights. For example, we stayed at the hotel at the beginning of the Olympics, so it would have been nice if the hotel had arranged a joint viewing of some competitions.
About four years ago, just as the COVID-19 restrictions began to ease, we stayed at this hotel and paid a ridiculously low price for accommodation. If I remember correctly, the price was about NIS 700-800 per night. Now the price has risen slightly. Here are the full prices:
Until Tisha B'Av:
Couple midweek on a half-board basis - NIS 1,200, weekend - NIS 1,300.
Couple midweek on a bed and breakfast basis - NIS 900, weekend - NIS 1,100, couple with two children midweek - NIS 1,155, couple with two children on the weekend - NIS 1,355.
After Tisha B'Av:
Couple midweek on a bed and breakfast basis - NIS 900, couple with two children - NIS 1,155.
Couple on the weekend on a bed and breakfast basis - NIS 1,100, couple with two children - NIS 1,500.
Couple on a half-board basis midweek - NIS 1,450, couple with two children on a half-board basis - NIS 2,000.
Note that garden room prices are about NIS 300 higher. Also, note that a couple with two children who book two nights will receive free entrance tickets to the water park in Nof HaGalil. True, it's not a cheap price, but for Israel in 2024, it's still reasonable.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.