With excellent food, a pampering spa and an adjacent beach – the Nea Hotel in Shavei Zion is one of the most interesting hotels we have visited in recent times.
Most people like to associate the Galilee with the Sea of Galilee, but this hotel, located in Moshav Shavei Zion in the Western Galilee, is actually located on the Mediterranean coast (just before Nahariya, if you arrive further south), and the beach itself is only a 5-minute walk away.
The "Nia" Hotel in Shavei Zion, photo: Noam (Dabol) Dvir
The hotel has 74 rooms, divided into three different hospitality complexes spread over 23 dunams, quite a spacious area. The main complex has 45 rooms, most of them balconies facing the sea or the garden. We slept in the spa complex, which has 23 rooms, which is accessible from the age of 18 (i.e., without children) and has a pool that in winter becomes covered and heated.
In addition to these rooms, there are also 6 villas with a large balcony and a private pool (small) for each villa, heated in winter. They are suitable for couples or families with two children. Next to this, there is a large pool that is used by all hotel guests.
There is something to improve. The pool "Nea", photo: Noam (Dabol) Dvir
In each of the different areas, in the lobby, pool and restaurant you will find toilets, changing rooms, showers and more, so everything was close, accessible and clean. The hotel's bar is adjacent to reception, where guests are greeted with an alcoholic drink. The hotel does not have a "private beach", but the beach is only a five minute walk. Guests can take a "sea cart" with a mat, parasol, chairs and even matkas. When you return outside the hotel, there will be a tap waiting for you to wash your feet from the sand. In addition, you can also take a bicycle and ride with it around the moshav or north, on the path near the sea.
Opened in 2017, the hotel is housed in a mythological former sanatorium that was renovated and renewed. In order to maintain its appearance, the shell was left as in the original – so that on the outside it looks modest, but on the inside it is designed and innovative.
Eat whenever you want
The hotel does not have a "regular dining room", since it operates in the concept of a restaurant, operated by chef Shlomi Nahum. The kosher menu varies – whether it's a meat meal or a dairy meal centered on the tabun. Guests choose in advance when it is convenient for them to arrive for a meal, which can be ordered from the menu whatever they want. Each meal opens with a "tasting platter". Dinner, for example, included tabbouleh salad, eggplant, artichoke spread and more, followed by an indulgent and varied collection of meats. Breakfast also opened with a platter of savings, followed by a choice of dishes like shakshuka, frittata and more.
The bottom line is that it feels like breakfast or dinner in a very high-quality restaurant, not a hotel dining room. The service was also similar to a restaurant, with nice and courteous staff. It should be taken into account that the preset menu narrows down the choices, but the quality of the dishes played a significant role.
Quality wins. Food served in the hotel restaurant // Photo: Noam (Dabol) Dvir
All hotel guests can access the spa, not just those who sleep in the spa complex. There is an indoor pool, dry sauna and a selection of facial and body treatments, and treatment rooms are also suitable for couples. Massage is an individual thing, but we can testify that in our case, the massage we received was very good. By the way, with advance reservation you can also get a Watsu treatment in a designated pool.
And after all the praise, of course there are also points for improvement. The hotel's main pool is only open until 18:00, a common time among many hotels in Israel, but in high August, when temperatures are high and the sun is going to nap late, you can extend the operating time. A note can also be made about the "lounging huts" in the pool, which are nice, but they need to be upgraded, and the towels in the pool will also be as luxurious as those found in the bedrooms.
Price: from NIS 1,400 per couple per night on weekdays, including breakfast. Guests ordering on the site will be given a 5% discount.
The writer was a guest of the hotel
The "Nia" Hotel in Shavei Zion, photo: Noam (Dabol) Dvir
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