Forget traveling abroad, the Inbal Hotel has it all
It’s about time Israelis take advantage of luxury hotels right in their own backyards
By ANNA AHRONHEIMRooms next to the terrace face either the Old City or the hotel's garden.(photo credit: ANNA AHRONHEIM)
Let’s be honest. The coronavirus has put a dent in everyone’s travel plans. We all booked our tickets abroad and found luxurious hotels with incredible views and mouth-watering meals. But now, with the deadly virus closing borders and requiring a two-week quarantine period if you are able to fly abroad, Israelis need to find a different location for their getaways.The solution? Staycations instead of vacations.Relying heavily on foreign tourism, most hotels across the country were forced to close their doors as the pandemic took hold in Israel. Those who have reopened are struggling to bring in guests. They have been forced to rethink how to bring in Israelis who like all-inclusive but cheap hotels which are plentiful just a short flight away in Cyprus or Greece.But one hotel in the center of Jerusalem thinks it’s found the perfect way to cater to Israelis who are craving some time away from their stressful everyday life, which has only been compounded by dealing with the ongoing coronavirus crisis.Situated in central Jerusalem a short walk from the Old City and various sites, the Inbal Hotel is an island of luxury and serenity.While the Inbal was one of the countless hotels to have closed in March, it was the first in the city to reopen its doors to guests in late June.The hotel and all of its facilities – pool, restaurant, dining room and courtyard – were renovated in 2018, when two extra floors were built onto the historic hotel bringing the hotel’s total rooms to 331.Like most hotels in Israel, and especially in Jerusalem, summer months are the busiest, with the hotels usually at capacity. But the hotel, which relies 90% on foreign tourism, only had 30 rooms booked when the author stayed for the night.The hotel has taken a series of significant steps to adhere to the stringent guidelines set by the Health Ministry.Pulling up to the hotel, guests are checked for fever and are greeted not only by a doorman but an automated hand-sanitizing station, one of many found across the hotel. At check-in, where guests must stand at least two meters apart from other guests (helped by stickers placed on the floor), the guests interact with hotel workers wearing masks behind screens.
Once checked in, guests are welcomed into gorgeous and majestic rooms, complete with a personal hygiene kit which comes with gloves, masks, alco-gel and alco-wipes.THE KING-SIZED bed is next to the terrace facing either the Old City or the hotel’s garden, giving guests a breath of fresh Jerusalem air that drifts into the room along with birdsong. When guests first enter they might wonder where the TV is, but just click of the remote toward makes the enormous mirror turn into that TV you thought was missing.The bathroom is just as large and extravagant as the bedroom, with lush Ahava products and a soaker tub for guests who enjoy taking a bath after a day spent relaxing next to the large outdoor pool or the pampering spa or gym.The hotel has also found a way for guests to hygienically enjoy the scrumptious buffet breakfast. The food – cheeses, yogurts, fruit, cereals, salads, fish, and bread products – have all been pre-placed in small take-away dishes, except for eggs that are cooked on site by the chef. The drinks are also placed in take-away recyclable glass bottles, and guests can take their food to their tables by trays.There are three areas where guests can enjoy their breakfast while socially distancing themselves from other guests: in the dining room, outdoor patio, or on the hotel’s courtyard.Dinner at the Inbal’s five-star restaurant, the 02, was out of this world. Named after Jerusalem’s area code, the 02’s chef, Nimrod Norman, knows how to spoil his diners.Forced to “reshuffle the entire experience to accommodate everyone’s fears and anxiety during these times,” Norman and his team worked for three weeks to simplify the menu to make it more accessible to guests.With the team in the kitchen less than before the crisis, the menu was reduced to about half the number of dishes, and prices were also slashed.“Everything has to be much more planned out, a lot of work goes into the management of the restaurant,” Norman said. And while we visited during a lull in numbers, Norman wasn’t optimistic about the economic crisis that came on the heels of the first wave of the pandemic. “We will see how long it takes to get back on our feet.”But with friendly staff, the incredible food and drink flowed throughout the night. I had to be rolled to my room and into that king-sized bed after dinner, it was so incredible.It’s time Israelis took advantage of the hotels in their backyards that usually cater to foreign tourists. The Inbal has thought of everything when it comes to making sure guests feel comfortable during such a trying time.Take that staycation and go to the Inbal. You deserve it.The writer was a guest of the hotel.
