When the Fattal hotel chain purchased the Quiet Beach Hotel, it split it into two hotels – Leonardo and U Boutique Kinneret.
U Boutique Kinneret got the part on the coastal stretch of the Sea of Galilee. The outcome is a gem in Tiberias – an outstanding intimate resort boutique hotel with high-quality food and service, a full spa and direct Sea of Galilee beach access.
U Boutique Kinneret’s décor is inspired by the local environment using materials such as basalt, wood, olive trees and has a white finish. U Boutique only has 62 rooms so it meets the definition of a boutique resort with full service of a hotel with intimacy and calm, which is different than most of Fattal’s hotels in Israel. Off-season, most of the guests are adults and the atmosphere is accordingly quiet.
The hotel rooms are modern and include all expected comforts; they are styled in white, black and beige tones with a touch of blue. The bathroom features huge marble tiles and a rainfall showerhead.
It is worth paying the extra money to take a room with a view – waking up to that view of palm trees against the background of the sea makes a difference. We sat quite a bit on the balcony. It was simply a pleasure!
The heart of the hotel is a semi-Olympic pool surrounded by cabanas, sun loungers and sunshades. On one side of the pool is the lobby bar and the other is a lawn with palm trees that extends to the hotel’s private beach. The proximity allows enjoying both easily. The swimming pool is adequately heated and was still open mid-November as the weather allowed. We swam every day we spent at the hotel, even when it drizzled. There is something refreshing in swimming when the weather is inclement. And when it gets chilly – the Jacuzzi and sauna are only a few steps away.
The U boutique spa is neat. A corridor lined with candles led us directly to the spa center. The spa is very compact. On the right side,there is a Finnish sauna and a particularly powerful wet sauna, and on the left – a jet shower and changing rooms.
Straight ahead is the patio with the Jacuzzi and sun loungers. Everything here is romantic; along the corridors, candles surrounded by potpourri flicker with a soft light. In the evening, guests spent some relaxing time in the Jacuzzi, among them honeymoon couples whom we learned to recognize – they usually have cocktails in their hands.
The spa offers the usual selection of treatments. I chose a combined Swedish massage in which I enjoyed the most professional touch by therapist Marina, who released my muscles with a selection of powerful and varied pressures in a particularly pleasant touch so that the 50 minutes passed in a breeze.
The food here is unusual. Dinner was served buffet style with a particularly interesting combination of dishes. Next to beef steak, chicken breast, fish and lamb shank, gnocchi, carpaccio and beet kibbeh were served. We had chef’s dishes, adding to them vegetables such as baked sweet potatoes and fresh broccoli and a multitude of salads, antipasti and soups. For dessert, a selection of petit fours, macaroons and fruits awaited us. We especially enjoyed that tea and coffee (soy milk and almonds for kashrut purposes) were served in the dining room so that we were able to sit and enjoy dessert.
Breakfast was even more of a surprise. In addition to the usual buffet of salads, antipasti, breads and a particularly large selection of boutique cheeses, there is an entire buffet of spectacular personal dishes, the ones you get in chef restaurants – different types of shakshuka, ravioli, creamed broccoli, quiches, hot antipasti and more.
And on top of all that, what stole the show even more was a spectacular display stand that had croissant sandwiches and antipasti bruschetta with fried eggs. For a moment I thought I was in an upscale Tel Avivian coffee shop.
The meal was rounded off by a variety of fine butter croissants with almonds, nuts, chocolate, Krantz cake and cheesecakes with a variety of toppings. I was excited by the amazing dulce de leche layered cake. By the way, the various types of coffee and a personal omelette are brought to the table so you don’t have to stand in any line.
By the way, the hotel was very accommodating to special dietary needs and food allergies. Overall, the service here is exceptional throughout, from the reception to the pool, from the dining room to the spa, the staff goes out of their way to give guests a perfect guest experience.
U Boutique Kinneret is located on Gadot Barak Road in Tiberias within walking distance to the city center and close to nearby water attractions at the Sea of Galilee.
The Arbel National Park and nature reserve is about a 15-minute drive from the hotel. The park has several hiking trails of different difficulty levels with impressive viewpoints, a citadel, caves, a synagogue and a spring. Mount Arbel rises to a height of about 390 meters above the Sea of Galilee on a basalt plateau with steep limestone and dolomite cliff edges.
The easiest trail is the summit trail, which includes breathtaking views of the Sea of Galilee and its surroundings. A one-hour easy walking trail has a number of observation points to different directions; one of which is paved and accessible.
The view at the northeastern viewpoint is the most breathtaking, in my opinion. Situated over a steep cliff you can see the north of the Sea of Galilee and the settlements on the Ginossar Valley and, of course, the Sea of Galilee. During our visit we observed the wildlife including lizards, birds, rock rabbits and seasonal blossoms.
The summit route is very popular, and along the way we met groups of tourists. Other routes descend from the summit to the Arbel fortress, the caves and the spring. These routes take about three hours and are suitable for hikers. These trails include steep descents using grab rails. The fortress overlooks the Arbel Valley and was recently renovated and includes a complex of caves with archaeological findings dating from the Roman period.
U Boutique Kinneret, Gdud Barak St 1, Tiberias https://www.fattal-hotels.com/ 04-900-6666
The writer was a guest of the hotel.