Gordonia Hotel (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
The fall of the Judean Mountains is one of the most beautiful in the fall season.
Take, for example, Ein Hamad, which has already become a popular photo spot due to its stained eastern Dolub trees, but really not far from it, between the village of Abu Gush and Mount Adar, there is a boutique hotel nestled in its own spectacular canopy.
The renewed Gordonia Hotel these days presents wonderful sights of Europe shedding its light.
After a renovation with an investment of 20 million shekels, the boutique couples hotel in the top five has been upgraded in quite a few areas, but the award for excellence should go to the gardener/landscape architect, who knew how to precisely select the right trees in the combination of the water fountains, a Japanese-style wooden bridge, rose bushes and other vegetation that creates an atmosphere of an estate in French Provence.
Now it has fallen.
A variety of beautiful trees at the Gordonia Hotel (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Give them the Outstanding Gardening Award (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Get ready for four more "Gordonias"
The Gordonia Hotel (named after the five members of the "Gordonia" settlement nucleus who paved a road in the wind and were murdered - after their name "Ma'ale ha-Hahimesh") was opened about six years ago under the ownership of the Nakash family, which is also responsible, among other things, for the hotels Stai, Orchiada, Herbert Samuel, Alma, the Arkia company and many more. However, the hotel was leased upon its opening to the "Kerem Hotel Management" company managed by Gadi Priber, who was in the past the CEO of the Fatal chain and has accumulated quite a bit of mileage in the hotel industry.
"Gordonia is the flagship hotel that I replicate," he says.
And this means that four more hotels in this style are to be opened in Eilat, HaKinneret and Mitzpe Ramon.
"I want them to talk about a brand of indulgence and quality," he adds.
Indeed, Gordonia, an adults-only hotel, has so far offered 24 more or less luxurious double units, some with private pools.
Today, after the renovation, it already has 40 rooms, some of which were spread over the area of the nearby Yearim Hotel, which also belongs to the disabled.
Of the 40 rooms at Gordonia, 27 have a private pool and a hot tub (which in Hebrew is a normal jacuzzi but inside a pool with a coating of a round wooden barrel made of plastic), with hot water and lights at night - which definitely upgrades the experience in any stay, especially in winter.
As part of the renovation, three presidential suites were also built, one of which (No. 24) is built into the bedrock of the place.
Each room in the hotel is designed in a different way, and Corinne Gershon of Studio 2K is responsible for the design work, which is the first hotel that designed and continued the special line designed by Ran Yanov and Maurice Algazzi of "Ran and Maurice Architecture and Design".
In the rooms, a spacious bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and huge comfortable pillows with golden embroidery, in front of a large TV with Netflix and yes.
In the bathroom, there is a spacious shower and a large bathtub for double indulgence, with the soaps in the small vials from L'Occitane (it's a good idea to add a rack for the wet towels).
There are also pleasant spa robes, it's just a shame that the flip flops are quite simple and in a maximum size of 38 (I also checked at the spa).
And there is a Nespresso machine, high-quality teapots and a mini bar with free soft drinks and a bottle of wine and water.
The rooms with the private pools were designed so that the view would be "accessible" to the bathers, and the view is probably Gordonia's greatest strength: at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level you can see Jerusalem, the prominent Tel Tzuba, Mount Itanim and of course Abu Gush which stretches out at the foot of the hotel.
Oh yes,
Each room in the hotel is decorated in a different way (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Hot and romantic seating areas scattered throughout the hotel (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
A bathroom in one of the new suites (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
The Holy Trinity: pool, jacuzzi and sauna
The hotel also offers a spa, which turned out to be its weak point.
It is not clear why, but there are three spa complexes in the hotel.
First, there is no post-treatment recovery room - you know, the one with lounge chairs that you sit on with your oil-soaked robe and drink herbal tea.
Furthermore, the masseuse I received did not ask about the level of the massage and when I asked for a strong massage she said she could not and she "specializes in Swedish massage and this is the strength she is able to provide", and added "next time ask the receptionist for a deep tissue massage".
I left with a disappointing massage, as fingers fluttered over my oil-soaked body.
But beyond the spa, Gordonia certainly provides the dose of romanticism for couples for which it was founded, and it seems that they thought of almost everything, and the price accordingly.
"We decided to sell expensive, but all the things you can think of are included in the price," explains Priber, "the choice of music preferred by the guests in the room, a lounge that is open all the time which is like a living room with sitting areas, a mini bar, breakfast and dinner included, afternoon refreshments all day , free wine and soft drinks".
More in the facilities sector at the hotel: a small gym and a conference/lecture hall that is enough for a few dozen people and two pairs of bicycles for rent.
Definitely nice.
As part of the renovations at the hotel, a stunning 15-meter infinity pool was built overlooking the view, which will probably be the attraction of the summer, and lounge chairs are spread out next to the view.
Even now, that is, in the winter, you can take a dip in it since the water is warm, and next to it there is a large hot and bubbling jacuzzi in the shape of a wooden barrel for those whose room does not have a hot tub.
Next to the pool is another surprise in the form of a wooden Finnish sauna - also in the shape of a barrel, this time of wine, so that at a distance of 30 meters you have the holy trinity: pool, jacuzzi and sauna.
20 million shekels were invested in the hotel in the renovation and construction of state-of-the-art facilities (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Warm water and a view that warms the heart.
The new infinity pool at the hotel (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Part of the Holy Trinity.
The central jacuzzi (AKA "Hat-Tub") in the hotel (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Like a European ski lodge
In the living room, which is the reception area as well as the central area where you eat, you will find a delightful design that includes sofas and cozy sitting areas, a long wooden knight's table and double corners for a meal, which create an atmosphere of a kind of European ski lodge.
A large window also overlooks the Judean Mountains and its towns that dot the green.
There you will also receive breakfast and dinner, which, as mentioned, are included in the price of the accommodation, as well as afternoon snacks until 4:30 PM of quinoa salads, vegetables, fried sweet potatoes, hummus, fish carpaccio of various kinds and more.
A beautiful thing.
In the evening, a selection of excellent and colorful salads, as well as different fish and a choice of main dishes from the menu, such as cheese tortellini or mushroom fettuccini as well as salmon and barramundi fish.
In the morning, a rich buffet and a choice of several main dishes, such as spicy shakshuka, French toast or a Norwegian benedict (brioche, mascarpone, pickled salmon, spinach, brown butter, hollandaise, confit garlic and thyme) which was the most popular and served in an appetizing way.
Beyond that, soft drinks, coffee and tea and wine flow freely 24/7 and you can go to the living room and simply stock up.
Indeed, the abundance and culinary variety is very indulgent and delicious to the palate, but a hotel of Gordonia's level could choose Coke and not Pepsi (which is considered a cheaper brand) and also favor and choose a local wine from the wine region of the Sheplath or the Judean Mountains (where Gordonia is located and for which Priber is proud), and not In the cheaper Teperberg brand (which is great), but sold 3 out of 100 in the supermarket.
For example, the hotel offers a hospitality package with a tasting tour at the "Flam" winery in Ashtaul, so why not serve wine from there?
(Right,
Atmosphere of a ski lodge in Europe.
The lounge/living room (photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Food and snacks are served almost all day (photo: Ziv Reinstein)
The colorful buffet at breakfast (photo: Ziv Reinstein)
Great Wednesday
Gordonia doesn't offer too much content, and the truth is that those who get there don't really want to leave, certainly if it's for one night.
But on Wednesdays, the weaker days of the week at the hotel, they decided to bring an incentive in the form of an artist or singer who would appear in the small conference hall and attract guests who would enjoy a free performance/lecture.
There are also three packages created at the hotel, which include a night and a spa treatment, a night with a tour of the Flam Winery, and a night with a tour and tasting at the Mahane Yehuda market at a price of NIS 1,900-1,800 per couple.
All in all, the "value for money" is definitely worthy, even though the prices are not cheap and are aimed at a medium-high socio-economic status: from NIS 1,700 per couple per night in the simplest room to NIS 7,000-6,000 per night per couple in the summer in one of the three most luxurious suites.
However, most of the rooms, even those with the pools, will cost an average of 3,000-2,500 shekels per night for a couple, and it should be remembered: the price includes breakfast and dinner for two, in addition to the other treats that are on the house.
The experience is indeed not cheap, but as Priber says, "Only for a quality B&B without food and everything we offer - you will pay like we do."
a point to consider.
The writer was a guest of the Gordonia Hotel (of course).
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