Eilat, Israel, Master Thread

[moeg]

I have a trip to Eilat planned for right after Succos.  So far, the best deal is at the Dan Panorama -- it seems that others on this board have positive things to say about the DP.  My question relates to the room types -- I booked one of their "Terrace" rooms -- which apparently has a hot tub on the terrace.  From looking at pics of the building -- are these the rooms that appear to be on the corners of the building -- with what look like massive balconies?  Another question, these rooms also come with access to the Dan Lounge -- is that an actual postive benefit? 

Last time I was in Eilat, I stayed at the Hilton -- we were upgraded because of my gold status -- in a massive 1 bedroom suite.  Seems to me that the DP is a bit more dated -- but it's hard to find pics of each room type.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Did it have a hot tub? How was it would you recommend it?

[bb_sam]

Did it have a hot tub? How was it would you recommend it?

As it turns out, I never ended up going to the DP   I was concerned about the hotel given some mixed reviews on Trip Advisor.  I stayed at the Hilton again -- I have HHonors Gold status so the lounge was a huge selling feature to switch to the Hilton.

[shimino1]

As it turns out, I never ended up going to the DP   I was concerned about the hotel given some mixed reviews on Trip Advisor.  I stayed at the Hilton again -- I have HHonors Gold status so the lounge was a huge selling feature to switch to the Hilton.

I've heard mixed reports about the Hilton.
Is it nice for an Israeli hotel? And is it nice for a real hotel?

[bb_sam]

I've heard mixed reports about the Hilton.
Is it nice for an Israeli hotel? And is it nice for a real hotel?

I would give it an "outside of Israel" rating of 3*+ --> in Israel they likely would call it a 5* even though it is not.  Having said this, if you have Hilton Gold status, you should ask them to put you on the club floor in one of the newly reno'd rooms.  These rooms are way nicer than the older rooms -- having said this, they are simply more of a modern design -- nicer bathroom and living area.  Having access to the lounge was a huge benefit for us -- it means you can eat breakfast in peace and quiet (versus the buffet mayhem that occurs downstairs) but it also means you have access to free food/beer/drinks all day.  They recently moved the lounge to a lower floor which means there's a massive balcony where you can sit for the whole day drinking beer and over looking the sea.  It is quite nice. 

If I wasn't Hilton Gold -- I would likely rate this hotel a 3* or average.  Having gold status meant we could access the lounge and the health club/gym for free. It is worth noting that the gym at this hotel has changed considerably from a few years ago -- the last time I was there it was a fully equipped gym (in fact, locals would actually pay for a membership) but it looks like it is now just a 'hotel' gym -- meaning there is very little equipment and the weights that are there are very limited.  Most won't care but since I had been there a few years earlier and it was so much nicer, i noticed.

[shimino1]

I would give it an "outside of Israel" rating of 3*+ --> in Israel they likely would call it a 5* even though it is not.  Having said this, if you have Hilton Gold status, you should ask them to put you on the club floor in one of the newly reno'd rooms.  These rooms are way nicer than the older rooms -- having said this, they are simply more of a modern design -- nicer bathroom and living area.  Having access to the lounge was a huge benefit for us -- it means you can eat breakfast in peace and quiet (versus the buffet mayhem that occurs downstairs) but it also means you have access to free food/beer/drinks all day.  They recently moved the lounge to a lower floor which means there's a massive balcony where you can sit for the whole day drinking beer and over looking the sea.  It is quite nice. 

If I wasn't Hilton Gold -- I would likely rate this hotel a 3* or average.  Having gold status meant we could access the lounge and the health club/gym for free. It is worth noting that the gym at this hotel has changed considerably from a few years ago -- the last time I was there it was a fully equipped gym (in fact, locals would actually pay for a membership) but it looks like it is now just a 'hotel' gym -- meaning there is very little equipment and the weights that are there are very limited.  Most won't care but since I had been there a few years earlier and it was so much nicer, i noticed.

Thanks for the detailed report.
Sounds about right for an Israeli "five star" hotel ;-)

[moeg]

I recently took my wife to Eilat for our anniversary.  We stayed at the Dan Eilat using Chase points. The hotel served breakfast, which was delicious, although since it's shemittah we couldn't eat any of the fruits or vegetables. The mashgiach is a great guy though, He walked us through, letting us know what was good for us to eat.The hotel was very nice. It is located right along the beach, so walking on the boardwalk was close by. The boardwalk seems to be revamped since the last time I was there and while we did enjoy the walk, the prices in the stores were expensive. We went out to eat at the Cafe Cafe on the boardwalk, despite the negative reviews I heard on the DDF.
Pizza, is great,Israeli couscous salad- is pretty standard and the portion was HUGE. Rose Pasta with melted cheese- very good (I had planned ordering the fettuccine with the gnocchi but the waitress actually advised me against it as she said it didn't taste very good!), Iced coffee- delicious, Salmon- Not so noteworthy as the portion was quite small and bland-tasting. The ice mall is a good trip, if you plan on going ice skating (which opens from 11:30- 1:30) Otherwise, the stores are nice and there is a Kosher Big Apple Pizza and Cafe Cafe there. We also visited the Eilat Underwater Observatory and aquarium, which is great trip for kids and adults (100 NIS for an adult) alike. The grocery stores in Eilat are cheaper than everywhere else being that there is no taxes in Eilat. (Be sure to stock up on some alcohol or Kosher groceries) 

[rileywiles23]

what options are there to book hotel using points in eilat

[@Yehuda]

what options are there to book hotel using points in eilat

IINM It's just the Hilton Queen of Sheba.

[dealfinder85]

I recently took my wife to Eilat for our anniversary.  We stayed at the Dan Eilat using Chase points. The hotel served breakfast, which was delicious, although since it's shemittah we couldn't eat any of the fruits or vegetables. The mashgiach is a great guy though, He walked us through, letting us know what was good for us to eat.The hotel was very nice. It is located right along the beach, so walking on the boardwalk was close by. The boardwalk seems to be revamped since the last time I was there and while we did enjoy the walk, the prices in the stores were expensive. We went out to eat at the Cafe Cafe on the boardwalk, despite the negative reviews I heard on the DDF.
Pizza, is great,Israeli couscous salad- is pretty standard and the portion was HUGE. Rose Pasta with melted cheese- very good (I had planned ordering the fettuccine with the gnocchi but the waitress actually advised me against it as she said it didn't taste very good!), Iced coffee- delicious, Salmon- Not so noteworthy as the portion was quite small and bland-tasting. The ice mall is a good trip, if you plan on going ice skating (which opens from 11:30- 1:30) Otherwise, the stores are nice and there is a Kosher Big Apple Pizza and Cafe Cafe there. We also visited the Eilat Underwater Observatory and aquarium, which is great trip for kids and adults (100 NIS for an adult) alike. The grocery stores in Eilat are cheaper than everywhere else being that there is no taxes in Eilat. (Be sure to stock up on some alcohol or Kosher groceries)

so the mashgiach was telling you what he is reliable for and what he isnt?

[rileywiles23]

IINM It's just the Hilton Queen of Sheba.

problem is the my amex mr points are not worth it to transfer to hilton. oh well.

[moeg]

so the mashgiach was telling you what he is reliable for and what he isnt?

The hechsher is officially rabanut, but most of the ingredients are regular hechsherim. He was going around showing us what was acceptable for us to eat. We couldn't eat the produce due to shemita, and some cheeses. Otherwise almost everything else was ok. (for us)

[Emkay]

Israel trying to lure other airlines into flying to Eilat
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/israel-offers-cash-incentives-for-airlines-flying-to-eilat/

[shimino1]

Ovda is not a very attractive airport to land in if you want to go to Eilat. It's about an hour drive away!
They started building a new airport right outside Eilat and hopefully that will increase flights from Europe.

Another thing that must be done Is to legalize gambling in Eilat, at least for tourists, in order to compete with other popular destinations. 

[Emkay]

Another thing that must be done Is to legalize gambling in Eilat, at least for tourists, in order to compete with other popular destinations.

those gambling boats still exist?

[shimino1]

those gambling boats still exist?

IINM not for a long time.

[@Yehuda]

Ovda is not a very attractive airport to land in if you want to go to Eilat. It's about an hour drive away!
They started building a new airport right outside Eilat and hopefully that will increase flights from Europe.

Another thing that must be done Is to legalize gambling in Eilat, at least for tourists, in order to compete with other popular destinations.

Why do they need a new airport?

[efflpetzel]

Why do they need a new airport?

the current airport is sitting on prime real estate not to mention that the airport is tiny,

Also as a tourist destination Eilat would be bottom of my list of European resorts, the infrastructure is just woeful

[Drago]

Why do they need a new airport?

They also want a backup airport in case BG gets paralyzed again during a war.
And with the train which may be built btw TLV and Eilat, it would make it easier to use it and still get ppl back to the center of the country.

[shimino1]

Why do they need a new airport?

So that they can market Eilat as a vacation city where you dont get off the plane and then drive an hour or more through the desert to get to.

[shimino1]

They also want a backup airport in case BG gets paralyzed again during a war.
And with the train which may be built btw TLV and Eilat, it would make it easier to use it and still get ppl back to the center of the country.

Would make sense to use OVD as its an hour closer to the rest of the country.