Got a Friday night at HI Ashkelon for my family and the inlaws. We live in Ashkelon, so it's always a nice way to catch a break without going through too much trouble.
The hotel is family-friendly and right on the boardwalk and beach (the boardwalk was refurbished not that long ago). They are slowly renovating the place and recently replaced all the lobby furniture.
Just an FYI: the HI Ashkelon also has an executive lounge/club room and tends to be generous in granting free access to Platinums, even on points. Definitely a nice perk and very unusual for Israel.
For anyone interested, Ashkelon is mostly about the beaches and the marina. There's also an archaeological park with some interesting ruins. Honestly, there's a lot more internal/Israeli tourism than foreign tourism.
It could also serve as a nice base for exploring the Northern Negev between Ashkelon and Beer Sheva.