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Eilat, Israel Master Wiki
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Restaurants & Eateries
  • Burger Bar – Mehadrin burger joint in the Ice Mall area; praised for fresh patties and fast service.
  • Big Apple Pizza – Classic mehadrin New-York-style slices; delivers anywhere in town.
  • Haleluja – Long-standing meat restaurant (mehadrin); limited seating, check if still open.
  • Ranch House (Royal Beach Hotel) – Steakhouse under Rabbanut Eilat; ask mashgiach – some travelers eat only the chicken.
  • Kosher Pizza (“the mehadrin pizza shop”) – Basic slices; quality hit-or-miss and often crowded.
  • Hotel Dining Rooms – Dan Eilat, Royal Beach and Hilton each run kosher buffets; standards vary, confirm hashgachah on arrival.

Groceries / Supermarkets / Meat Stores
  • Shufersal Sheli (City Center) – Full-size supermarket with labelled kosher meat and wine; no VAT in Eilat.
  • Rami Levy (Eilat Mall) – Cheapest for basics; large frozen-kosher section.
  • Mahsanei Ha’Teva – Small health-food store stocking chalav Yisrael yogurts and snacks.

Shuls & Minyanim
  • Beit Knesset Ahavat Yisrael – 8 Bareket St.; Shacharit 6:45 & 8:00, Mincha close to shkiah, Ma’ariv 20 min later.
  • Chabad Eilat – 30 Bareket St.; daily minyanim, Shabbat meals by reservation (08-637-0786).
  • Yeshivat Hesder Eilat – Weekday minyanim and nightly learning; ask locals for exact schedule.

Hotels & Lodging
  • Dan Eilat – Flagship beachfront resort; heated pool in winter, kids’ club, Rabbanut buffet.
  • Royal Beach (Isrotel) – Five-star property; private stretch of sand and on-site steakhouse.
  • Hilton Queen of Sheba – Central location on the lagoon; HH Gold often gets lounge access.
  • U Suites (ex-Le Meridien) – All-suite hotel; many rooms have private jacuzzis, mixed reviews on upkeep.
  • Crowne Plaza – Budget-friendly chain option; basic rooms, small pool.
  • Dan Panorama – Across the lagoon; “Terrace” rooms feature huge balconies with hot-tubs.

Things To Do / Attractions
  • Underwater Observatory Marine Park – Walk-through aquarium plus reef tower with 360° Red Sea view.
  • Dolphin Reef – Swim or snorkel near free-roaming dolphins; family-friendly beach & relaxation pools.
  • Coral Beach Nature Reserve – Best shore-entry snorkeling; rent gear on-site.
  • Red Canyon – Easy desert slot-canyon hike 25 min north; go early for shade.
  • Glass-Bottom Boat & Banana-Boat Rides – Depart hourly from the lagoon behind hotels.
  • Timna Park – King Solomon’s Pillars, ancient copper mines and pedal-boat lake (30 min drive).
  • Taba Border Hop – Quick trip to Hilton Taba casino/resort (see tips below).

Trip Reports (“TR”)

Restaurant Reviews / Ratings
  • Burger Bar – “Amazing.” – chuchem (link)
  • Mehadrin Pizza Shop – “Hundreds of flies swarming over everything…” – Dan (link)
  • Ranch House – “Mashgiach told me not to eat the meat.” – chuchem (link)


Border-to-Taba Notes (from @Yehuda):
  • Bring a pen for Egyptian entry forms.
  • If Israel charges the 106 ₪ exit fee due to luggage, keep the stub – Hilton Taba will refund it when you depart.
  • Egyptian exit stamps are issued in the arrivals hall.
  • Hilton Taba often sells for ≈ $80 or 5 k Hilton points.
  • Casinos accept USD; credit cards work with ~2 % purchase fee.


Help keep this wiki current! Edit this wiki in addition to replying.

« Last edited by mevinyavin on May 23, 2025, 01:19:31 AM »

Author Topic: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread  (Read 150966 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #200 on: December 19, 2013, 01:51:19 PM »
What is the consensus around here on the nicest hotel in Eilat?
Do people prefer Royal Beach /Queens of Sheeba/Dan?
I stayed at the Vitalis Spa in 2007 and enjoyed.  Of course I was only paying 2,300 SPG+$45/night for a suite :D
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline chuchem

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #201 on: December 19, 2013, 07:34:43 PM »
Dan and Royal beach.

Hilton way behind!

With kids the Dan for sure

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #202 on: December 19, 2013, 09:31:31 PM »
the Le meridien really is great with kids and a great deal if u have points (and get upgraded to the 2br suite with gold status). but I've been told by many a cabdriver (and a few friends) that the Princess, on the other side of Eilat, is the nicest hotel in Eilat.

Offline misterstuf

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #203 on: December 26, 2013, 08:57:15 AM »
I just booked a shabbos at the Le Meridien Eilat in late January on points. The website initially said the hotel was closed for renovations from January 9, but suddenly this morning there was availability so I booked.
Does anyone know if the fact that availability opened up means that the hotel will be open and functioning normally at that time? Or should I be expecting some sort of reduced functioning?
If anyone here has some insights on this, they'd be greatly appreciated (does DDF have Starwood Lurkers yet?).

Offline Drago

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #204 on: December 26, 2013, 09:35:41 AM »
I just booked a shabbos at the Le Meridien Eilat in late January on points. The website initially said the hotel was closed for renovations from January 9, but suddenly this morning there was availability so I booked.
Does anyone know if the fact that availability opened up means that the hotel will be open and functioning normally at that time? Or should I be expecting some sort of reduced functioning?
If anyone here has some insights on this, they'd be greatly appreciated (does DDF have Starwood Lurkers yet?).
Call up the hotel and ask them.
Or ask one of the Lurkers on FT.

Offline misterstuf

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #205 on: December 26, 2013, 09:49:03 AM »
Call up the hotel and ask them.
Or ask one of the Lurkers on FT.
That's what I was planning, but it never hurts to ask the hive mind :-)
As long as I'm consulting with the experts of DDF, can anyone in here suggest a good plan for going to Petra (just me and my wife)? My thought was to just book an organized tour (to avoid the annoyance of dealing with local taxis, changing too much money over to Jordanian Dinars, etc.), but I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with going to Petra and could suggest either a tour operator or a specific plan to maximize what we can see. The Petra information that I've seen in my searches through DDF is pretty limited to people who have done it themselves (no tour) and people who have done it from Amman.

As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Offline chuchem

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #206 on: December 26, 2013, 11:03:42 AM »
I saw the princess, dont think its so nice

My top 2 hotels, the Dan and Royal beach

The only advantage of the LM is the big rooms

I did Petra and you can do it yourself no problem. Cross the border, get a local taxi for a day and just drive. Petra has a visitor center, were you hire a local english speaking guide. When you done, just have your taxi drive you back. Just check if the border is open 24 hours, I am not sure


Offline shimino1

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #207 on: January 01, 2014, 08:32:21 AM »
I saw the princess, dont think its so nice

My top 2 hotels, the Dan and Royal beach

The only advantage of the LM is the big rooms

I did Petra and you can do it yourself no problem. Cross the border, get a local taxi for a day and just drive. Petra has a visitor center, were you hire a local english speaking guide. When you done, just have your taxi drive you back. Just check if the border is open 24 hours, I am not sure
It for sure isent. They close at 7 or 8pm (don't remember which)

Offline hakohen

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #208 on: January 30, 2014, 11:48:56 AM »
Eilat Le Méridien Eilat
This hotel is no longer part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts; this reservation cannot be modified through our site. Please contact Starwood Preferred Guest Customer Care and one of our associates will be able to assist you.

Offline Drago

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #209 on: January 30, 2014, 01:24:07 PM »
Eilat Le Méridien Eilat
This hotel is no longer part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts; this reservation cannot be modified through our site. Please contact Starwood Preferred Guest Customer Care and one of our associates will be able to assist you.
And another one bites the dust.
Thanks stranger.

Offline Dr Moose

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #210 on: January 30, 2014, 01:24:42 PM »
put a fork in it ;D
Hey there! I am using DansDeals Forums.

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #211 on: January 30, 2014, 04:15:42 PM »
Eilat Le Méridien Eilat
This hotel is no longer part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts; this reservation cannot be modified through our site. Please contact Starwood Preferred Guest Customer Care and one of our associates will be able to assist you.
so sad, this one was a great value.

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #212 on: January 31, 2014, 09:56:13 AM »
Eilat Le Méridien Eilat
This hotel is no longer part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts; this reservation cannot be modified through our site. Please contact Starwood Preferred Guest Customer Care and one of our associates will be able to assist you.
wow I reserved on January 2nd one room what do you think happens with that reservation now? will they still honor it ? its few months down the road

Offline hakohen

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #213 on: April 01, 2014, 06:16:46 PM »
yes, but they wont give you platinum benefits.

Offline moto

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #214 on: May 08, 2014, 04:50:51 PM »
I'm looking to go to Eilat I'm the summer how many days do you think I need there? Which hotel should I stay at?

TIA :)

Offline sky121

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #215 on: May 08, 2014, 04:54:24 PM »
I'm looking to go to Eilat I'm the summer how many days do you think I need there? Which hotel should I stay at?

TIA :)
Depends what you plan on doing there. 2 days is usually about enough for me.
Snorkeling, scuba, some hiking, the aquarium, boat rides, water sports etc.
"Not all who wander are lost"

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #216 on: May 08, 2014, 04:57:58 PM »
I'm looking to go to Eilat I'm the summer how many days do you think I need there? Which hotel should I stay at?

TIA :)
from what i hear, the summer is a bit tough there if u are religious, virtually everyone is skimpy, including mostly underage kids from school. i have gone closer to winter months and have had several 2/3 night trips that were great. as noted, snorkel/scuba, and my fam loved the dolphin reef (which also has a decent beach) for a day.

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #217 on: May 08, 2014, 05:00:35 PM »
from what i hear, the summer is a bit tough there if u are religious, virtually everyone is skimpy, including mostly underage kids from school. i have gone closer to winter months and have had several 2/3 night trips that were great. as noted, snorkel/scuba, and my fam loved the dolphin reef (which also has a decent beach) for a day.

I went the first week in September. By the beach itself there will always be people walking around like that no matter when you go.  There used to be a separate beach there.
"Not all who wander are lost"

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #218 on: May 08, 2014, 06:56:33 PM »
Eilat in the summer will be very very hot. I would not go june,july, august
If you go, stay at the dan or royal beach

Offline shimino1

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Re: Eilat, Israel, Master Thread
« Reply #219 on: May 08, 2014, 08:23:55 PM »
I'm looking to go to Eilat I'm the summer how many days do you think I need there? Which hotel should I stay at?

TIA :)
About 3 days is good.
You can always do more but that should let you do most of evrything.
As mantiond scuba diving is a cool expirience if youve never been, snorkaling is great and if you go ask for directions to the coral caves site, AWESOME.
Theres also the dolpfin beach which a hugh waste of money imo, underwater observatory, kings city  which is an amusment park, and the ice mall is preety cool (no pun intended).
You can also take out a moter boat or do other water sports at good prices with groupon.
Enjoy.