No.317

Eastern Mediterranean Tourism/Travel
At the Design Hotels Group booth this December, at ILTM,
Cannes (France), the International Luxury Travel Market, where a
memorandum of understanding was signed for the Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem
to become a part of Design Hotels. Pictured (left to right) are: David Tucker,
assistant manager sales & marketing for both the Mamilla and the David Citadel
hotels; Design Hotels Area Director of Sales & Marketing EMEA Christian
Malcher; Alrov Luxury Hotels Managing Director Georgi Akirov; Rodney
Sanders; business development consultant for the Mamilla Hotel; Design Hotels
VP Brand, Marketing & Communications Bernd Neff. (For more on the Mamilla
and Design Hotels agreement, please turn to page 34).
In The Issue
Special Eilat Coverage - from p. 4.
Visit our Website: www.itn.co.il
April 2010
No.317
The Tourist Trade Journal of the Eastern Mediterranean

April 2010 No. 317
March
Incoming
Tourism Stats
According to figures released by the Israel
Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel
Ministry of Tourism, about 313,000
tourists visited Israel in March 2010, the
best March ever recorded, an increase of 56
percent over the figure for March 2009 and
17 percent more than in March 2008.
Of all the tourism entries this past March,
216,000 arrived by air - 42 percent higher
than for March 2009 - including 9100 that
flew directly to Eilat (up 42 percent over
the March 2009 figure). About 14,300
cruise ship visitors also spent time touring
Israel in March, compared with none last
March.
From January through March 2010,
approximately 747,000 visitors to Israel
were recorded, 54 percent more than for
4
the first quarter of 2009 and 15 percent higher than for the corresponding
period in 2008.
Close to 222,000 foreign tourism entries were recorded in February 2010, up
46 percent over the February 2009 figure and 12 percent higher than that for
February 2008. February 2010 was also a record month.
The Israel Pavilion - “Best at ITB”
The Israel pavilion at ITB, which took place early in March in Berlin and
served as a showcase for 11,000 suppliers from all over the world, was honored
as “Best Exhibitor” at the fair. It had been cited the previous two years as
“The Best Exhibitor in the Far East and the Middle East.”
Forty-one Israeli suppliers exhibited at Israel’s 777m² pavilion at ITB.
EILAT HOTELS
Upgrading the Princess Hotel
“When I took over at the hotel about three years ago, one of my first orders
of business was to discuss with the owner, ways of leverage what we have,
in order to improve our product and our business,” recalls Eyal Moneta,
general manager of Eilat’s Princess Hotel. “Our 64 suites are one of our most
significant strong points,” he continues, “and so we decided to begin there,
Israel at ITB: Left – Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov cutting the ribbon to officially open the Israel pavilion. Pictured
with him (left & right) are Israel Government Tourist Office, Germany Director Ami Tzubery and Ministry of Tourism Senior
Deputy Director General and head of its Marketing Administration Oren Drori. Right - at the Jerusalem booth. Pictured (left
to right) are: Jerusalem Hotel Association Secretary General Ariel Rotstein; Hanita Bril, marketing manager, the Tower of David
Museum; Eli Nahmias, Director of Overseas Markets & Tourism Marketing in the Municipality of Jerusalem, and Mt. Zion Hotel
General Manager Irit Gazit.

April 2010 No. 317
Morris Cassouto
The late Morris Cassutto
arrived in Israel from
Egypt in 1956. He
began working as a clerk
in for Bank Leumi,
while serving at the
same time as a night
clerk at the Validor Hotel, Herzliya. Morris
was pleased with this arrangement, even
though it demanded great effort from him,
since it gave him the opportunity to support
his family.
After he had been with the bank for two years,
the director of human resources approached
him and explained that according to Bank
Leumi regulations, he was prohibited from
holding down a second job, and that he
would have to choose only one. It was at
that very moment that Morris’s career as a
hotelier began! He quit the bank and devoted
himself fully to his hotel work. He managed
the old Holyland Hotel in Jerusalem from
1963 to 1970; from then onwards he was
self employed.
In 1982 Morris Cassouto was chosen to
fill the position of president of the Israel
Hotel Association, where he served until
1986. While still president of the IHA,
Morris was called upon by then Minister
of Tourism Abraham Sharir to manage the
Israel Government Tourist Office in Cairo.
He did so on a volunteer basis until 1990.
Morris’s personality was a blend of good,
pleasant manners, great tolerance and a deep
understanding of hotels, the field to which
he devoted most of his life. He knew how to
tie up loose ends and open doors, to motivate
people and to open the hearts of the many
that could appreciate his personal integrity
and professionalism, and his dedication to
every task to which he devoted himself.
Rumi Gorodiski
6
and one year later we had finished redesigned and upgrading our seven theme
suites - Bridal, Thai, Chinese, Philippine, Moroccan, Indian and Russian
- totally refurbishing them with authentic decor and furniture, along with
parquet flooring, plasma tv, DVD, loudspeakers offering surround sound,
fax, and pampering bathrooms and new Jacuzzis. Whereas earlier, the theme
elements had been more understated, now they have become the essence
of each of these special suites, with a wide range of defining elements such
as those we introduced in the Moroccan ‘Casablanca’ suite, with its totally
authentic Moroccan entranceway, red carpets, canopy bed imported from
Morocco, the Maghreb ornamentation and the floor, with stones inlaid by
hand one by one.”
Once work was completed work on the theme suites, attention at the Princess
was focused on eight of its “Deluxe” suites, which were totally renovated and
rebranded as “Club” suites. At the same time, all the corridors of the hotel
were redone with new carpeting and wooden door frames and the hotel’s
bar/discotheque, renamed “New York-Moscow,” was redone with elements
based on a port on the Bosporus and lots of new lighting. Shortly afterwards,
the hotel’s Princess Club VIP Lounge, located on the 15th floor, where entry
is limited to guests in “Premium” rooms and those paying full rates for suites,
or for a daily fee, was renovated and expanded.
Stage three of room renovations at the hotel began about one year ago and
was completed this past November. As part of this element of the program,
other rooms at the Princess underwent renovations, though not a number
of Premium rooms located on floors 15-17 of the hotel and 33 junior suites
on floors one and three. Work on the former is scheduled to commence this
May or June, with the latter to be attended to somewhat later. “A model
room has been prepared already,” Moneta says. “It will serve as the basis for
a total renovation, with new furnishings, flooring, bathrooms and more, and
we expect this project to be completed by the end of the year. Then, in 2011,
we will get to work on the remaining 320 rooms of the hotel.”
Also at the hotel, the beachfront was upgraded not long ago with new
furnishings, a new barbecue restaurant and snorkeling rental equipment.
More recently, the lobby terrace reopened late this past March with totally
new furniture. The dining room furniture will be replaced by the end of
2010.
VIP Limousine Service
The Princess inaugurated a new version of its VIP limousine service between
the airport and the hotel this past March. “What’s unique about this new
service is that unless it is carrying passengers, our van is always parked at the
airport, and not at the hotel,” Moneta remarks. “There is no timetable,
and even when one guest arrives on a flight, he or she will be picked up
without having to wait.”

April 2010 No. 317
“Princess
Residence”
The Princess Hotel has received
approval from the Municipality of Eilat
for the construction of 90 additional suites
in four buildings, on part of its lawn area
and on one of its tennis courts. This new
compound will feature a separate entrance.
“The units are being sold on a lease back
basis,” Moneta explains. “The buyers will
have use of them three months a year, while
the hotel will be entitled to use them the
rest of the time. Each will be between 60
m² and 70 m² in size and along with the
bedroom, they are to feature a living room,
bathroom, wc, kitchenette and balcony. The
ground floor suites and the four penthouses
in each building will be equipped with their
own private swimming pool.”
Marketing the Princess
“We’re a full resort product,” explains
the Princess Hotel’s Director of Sales &
Marketing, Incoming Sara Cohen, “and my
challenge in this new position is to see to
it that the Princess provides all the services
and facilities it requires, to enable me to
generate additional demand for the hotel in
FIT markets. We are constantly looking to
improve these by upgraded our product -
such as what we did by introducing our new
VIP shuttle.”
The hotel’s major incoming markets are
Russian, France, Germany and the U.K.,
Cohen states, although more demand has
come lately from North American groups.
“The interesting part,” she reveals, “is that
primarily, the hotel is not being sold to them
as an extension; it is part of their package.
This is a fairly new development for us from
markets in Canada and the U.S. Although
these tourists usually stay for no more than
two nights, as compared with the average
8
The model new “Premium” room at the Princess Hotel, Eilat.
five-night stay for FITs, it’s a still a welcome development.”
The French Jewish market is a source of excellent business for the Princess
Hotel, and Cohen says that Radio Juif is one of her more important marketing
tools, usually leading up to the October and February Vacances and before
the July-August summer holiday season. Along with this FIT tourism, the
hotel also maintains a very strong presence in the French Jewish market for
special events, she relates, for which it offers a number of unique options, such
as pre-nuptial henna ceremonies in the adjacent wadi. “We did participate in
a Parisian bride and groom salon this past March,” she adds. “However, most
of our business in this market segment comes from word of mouth.”
With regard to the Russian market, Cohen is quick to praise Eli Verter,
who preceded her in her job: “He left me with an excellent base and now
I’m building on this, adjusting myself to the realities of this market as it
changes.”
“Intensive marketing is the name of the game,” Cohen adds, “both for the
hotel and for Eilat, and we must keep abreast of all the new developments.
We’ve noticed recently that little by little, sites such as booking.com
are entering the resort market, and we must be prepared to meet such
developments and be part of them. Another important development would
be if we could take advantage of our facilities, showcase them and submit
bids to host international conferences and conventions. However, this could
only happen if there were normal access by air to the city. Until this happens,
it’s obvious that we - and also Eilat - won’t be in a position to do much with
this market.”
The Crowne Plaza Eilat and
the Marina
A number of years ago the management then of Israel’s Crowne
Plaza Hotels decided to shut down the hotel and renovate

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April 2010 No. 317
it, based on a ‘Garden of Eden’ theme,”
mentions the current General Manager
David Benheim. “Unfortunately, what it
failed to realize was that the true ‘paradise’
for this property is the marina that fronts
it, complete with the trees and water, and
our location centered by the lagoon, which
could then be seen from the lobby snack
bar and adjacent dining room. When the
hotel was constructed it was built ‘by the
book,’ on the best plot of lagoon-side land.
Now, we are working to rectify what was
done in the past and to return the hotel to
the architect’s original concept. We have
reopened the hotel lobby to the marina
already by taking down the floor-to-ceiling
arches in the lobby that blocked most of the
view, and the curtains too, both here and
in the dining room In addition, we have
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introduced full-length frameless glass windows in our dining room, so as to
afford hotel guests much more comprehensive views of the marina from our
main dining facility. These windows are quite expensive, but it was worth the
extra cost, since now everyone can enjoy the view from the dining room in the
best possible way. While we haven’t removed the artificial tree at the lobby
entrance, we have repainted it, along with the skylight and ceiling above it, a
harmonious silver color and have removed the motorized mechanical angels
that hovered above. This area now harmonizes with the entrance, which we
repainted to eliminate the old sandblasted walls in yellow and blue, so our
guests could enjoy much more light and a more welcoming look.”
Along with these changes, the Crowne Plaza Eilat started in March to
renovate its lobby, adapting a light brown and beige color scheme - to be used
throughout the hotel - changing the table tops to rounds of glass that cover
and extend beyond the entire surface and adding additional wood elements
to the lobby bar.
Renovation of Suites
The Crowne Plaza Eilat features 16 suites, eight “junior” and eight
“deluxe,” and these are being renovated. Improvements include

April 2010 No. 317
a more modern
décor in these rooms and
their bathrooms, new beds, new
furnishings, lighting, and floors that are
part parquet and partly carpeted. All of the
suites are scheduled to be operational before
the summer, Benheim says. In addition, all
the rooms of the hotel have been outfitted
with new lighting, the beds refreshed with
runners and comforters and the tvs upgraded
to LCDs.
Other improvements to date inside the
hotel include repainting the property and
installing new marble elevator flooring, and
newly upholstered furniture in the dining
room - where three new showpiece a la
minute cooks stations have been added.
Terrace Improvements
The outside terrace of the hotel, situated
between the Crowne Plaza Eilat and the
marina, is also in the process of changing
both focus and form. “Until recently,” the
general manager mentions, “our games room
and game tables were situated in the vicinity
of the lobby, which colored the entire space,
inside and out, as an area occupied by our
young guests. This in turn, determined the
overall character of the space, which was not
always conducive to what our adult guests
might have preferred.”
To solve this problem, Benheim decided to
move the lobby-level games activities one
floor down and to incorporate them into
a dedicated kids’ area that also includes
the hotels’ kiddies club. In addition, he
began upgrading the terrace “and making
it friendlier too,” he adds. “The result is
two adult lobbies - inside, as well as the
terrace.”
The pool snack bar of the hotel is situated
in the eastern front part of the terrace.
Now, the room adjacent to it that served
as a games room has been turned into
12
an informal dining area for snack bar patrons. “Sometimes, when it’s hot
here, people prefer to eat indoors, and this new facility is perfect for them,”
Benheim says.
Shade
Elsewhere in this part of the hotel, the section of the terrace bordering with
the marina is being covered by white netting, 32 meters long, six meters high
and festooned with small decorative lights that are part of an evening light
show put on for guests. “This is the nicest shaded area to be found in any
hotel in Eilat. We had the netting designed to resemble sails, so that it would
blend into the ambience of the marina,” Benheim concludes.
King Solomon’s Palace -
Changes to the Lower Level
The lower level of the Isrotel Chain’s King Solomon’s Palace, Eilat, leading
directly out to the new Isrotel Promenade, is being transformed, with two
new restaurants, a new large meeting and conference room and a totally
renovated and reconfigured spa as part of the program, reports Isrotel Vice
President, Operations Lior Raviv.
The “Marina Grill” and “Angelina” are the hotel’s new f&b outlets in this
part of the hotel. Both will be operational shortly, replacing the two that
shut down about two years ago. “The Marina Grill will feature a limited,
high-quality meat menu and will include seating on an internal patio and
An artist’s representation of a treatment room at the new spa, the King
Solomon’s Palace Hotel, Eilat.

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April 2010 No. 317
14
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a terrace, while the Angelina will be a pasta
and pizza restaurant, with some salads on
the menu too,” Raviv adds, noting that
either or both will also serve as the hotel’s
VIP breakfast room.
The new “Esprit” spa now being built at the
King Solomon’s Palace is being installed in
the space occupied by the old facility but,
Raviv explains, nothing at all has remained
from the previous spa except for the
space, which is being totally reconfigured.
Expectations are that the new Esprit Spa
will open by summer.
The hotel’s new “King David Hall,” work
on which has been completed, is a 315m²
facility with theater-style seating for 500.
Two new meetings and seminar rooms have
also opened on the lower floor - one for
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about 100 participants and the other somewhat smaller.
In addition, room renovations at the King Solomon’s Palace are now in the
planning stages.
Yam Suf & the Manta Dive Club
Nine poolside “Garden” rooms at Isrotel’s Yam Suf Hotel are in line for
renovations. “The rooms will be redesigned and improved and they will also
be expanded by adding space from an unnecessary corridor in the back, that
we are eliminating,” explains hotel General Manager Avi Ross. “A model
room that has been completed already, complete with a new wooden deck,
and theses rooms will feature lawn furniture too; we may also transform some
of these upgraded units into Agamim-style rooms directly on the water.”
About 40 other rooms in the Yam Suf’s Garden wing will be renovated too.
Manta
Isrotel’s Manta Dive Club, adjacent to the Yam Suf and also managed
by Ross, was rebuilt totally and expanded about one year ago and two
new classrooms were added, for a total of four, all equipped with

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April 2010 No. 317
full audio-visual equipment, a spokesperson
for Manta mentions. Along with serving as
a dive center, the facility features nine fourbedded
rooms for the exclusive use of divers
enrolled in Manta courses during their stay,
which are sold exclusively by the club.
Aside from resulting in a larger and newlyreconfigured
facility, the upgrading of the
Manta Dive Club has meant more room for
- and better access to - more equipment, as
well as new toilets, lockers, showers and a
sauna. “There is excellent synergy between
the hotel and the club,” Ross observes.
“Divers accommodated in the Manta rooms
take their breakfasts in the hotel dining
room; our hotel pool serves as a venue for
some course demonstrations, and our young
guests over the age of six that know how
to swim can take advantage of 90-minute
16
introduction to diving sessions in the pool by the Manta instructional staff
and receive a certificate noting their participation.”
About two years ago, the Manta Dive Club received the highest rating by the
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), which recognized it
as a Career Diving Center.
Elsewhere at Isrotel in Eilat
Elsewhere in the chain’s Eilat properties, a new “Neviot” poolside grill
restaurant for lunchtime meals is being added at the Lagoona Hotel, while
at the Royal Garden Hotel the dining room is being rebuilt and expanded
to seat about 300 guests and it will feature an open kitchen. “Once this is
finished, the hotel will be in a position to accommodate more groups and h/b
guests,” relates Lior Raviv.
Isrotel’s Agamim Hotel features about 280 rooms, including eight units
situated on water and with direct descent to it. A model room has been
prepared already and these eight rooms will all be refurbished and
upgraded starting later this year, with work possibly leading into 2011.
Then, work on the remaining rooms of the hotel is scheduled to
begin.

April 2010 No. 317
18
At the Royal Beach,
the Three Monkeys Pub is in
line for renovation, as is the hotel’s
poolside restaurant.
Eilat Beachfront
Improvements
The Rimonim Eilat Hotel has inaugurated
its newly renovated beach, installing 800
meters of ipa wood decks, lawn areas,
showers, hammocks, pergolas, chaise
lounges and a snack bar. Along with serving
as a beach, the area is being marketed as a
venue for cocktails, receptions, parties and
special events.
The Dan Eilat is soon to begin upgrading
and improving its beachfront too. Among
other aspects of this project, work will
include building a wooden deck leading
down to the sea, new pergolas, stylized
parasols and a new beach bar.
The Fattal Hotel Chain has also announced
that it will be upgrading Herods’ 6000m²
beach.
Fattal in Eilat -
Changes & Improvements
Having been appointed recently to the position of general manager of the Fattal
Hotel Chain’s Eilat region properties, Roni Aloni is aiming to reposition the
hotels under his jurisdiction - and especially those that joined it recently (see
EMTT #315) - and to brand them more specifically - so that they each target
different market segments while yet remaining under a single umbrella. In
line with of this concept, the Herods Forum is being transformed into a hotel
that will be known as Herods Boutique Eilat. “It has lovely rooms, all with
views of the lagoon and some with their own garden and yard, including
many suites - and more are being added by combining some rooms, so that
suites will comprise about 40 percent of our accommodation units” - Aloni
says. “It also has its own swimming pool, where we are upgrading the sitting
areas. We are also enlarging the dining room, our menus there will place
much greater emphasis on fine dining and our lobby bar will function as
a Viennese café/bar part of the day. Also, we are adding a public Jacuzzi
and a workout room. We expect that the hotel will be ready as the Herods
Boutique by the beginning of July.”
Aloni describes the changes being planned for Herods Vitalis as improvements
that will transform it into an “all the way spa hotel” by intensifying the
product, its image and its appeal. Aspects of this plan call for adding health
and long-stay programs to the Vitalis menu of spa offering, forging a new
partnership with a French company that has developed special treatments,
offering a true lunch option, and more. In addition, work has been
Left - Ortra Assistant General Manager, Tourism & Conferences Daniel Tieder and Rafi Shelef, managing director of International
(left & right), pictured at a reception held in Eilat in mid April to inaugurate the Rimonim Eilat Hotel’s renovated beachfront.
Right - Reuven Elkes, general manager of Rimonim Hotels, addressing the guests.
(Continued on p. 22)

Lifestyle, Luxury, Mamilla.
Experience a Lifestyle Weekend at Mamilla Hotel
Make your stay at Mamilla even more memorable! Guests staying over the weekend are
invited to experience a Lifestyle Weekend rich with complimentary activities including live
musical performances and lectures and tastings from the Winery.
-
Reservations: 02.5482200 reservations@MamillaHotel.com www.MamillaHotel.com
Mamilla Hotel, 11 King Solomon St., Jerusalem

April 2010 No. 317
Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and
IITOA Chairman Shmuel Marom (second and third
from left), with veteran tour guide Ori Dvir, honored
for his initiative in creating “The Israel Trail.”
20
Scenes from the jubilee (50th) anniversary celebrations of the Israel Incoming Tour
Operators Association (IITOA), that took place mid April at the Dan Tel Aviv, where the IITOA
distributed certificates to honor Israel tourism industry leaders and organizations.
Avi Friedman, Continental Airlines general manager,
Israel and Eli Messer, retired general manager,
Israel for Austrian Airlines (second & third from left),
with the certificate presented to the panel of foreign
airlines in Israel.
Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai and Etty Gargir,
director general of the Association for Tourism
Tel Aviv-Jaffa, holding the certificate presented to
the city for its activities in turning Tel Aviv into an
international in-demand tourism destination.
Israel Hotel Association Secretary General Shmuel
Zurel holding the certificate presented to the IHA.
El Al Vice President Commercial & Industry Affairs
Eli Cohen and Danny Sa’adon, its general manager
for Israel (first & third from left), with the certificate
presented to El Al Israel Airlines.
Ami Etgar (center), secretary general of the
IITOA with the certificate presented to him by
Misezhnikov and Marom.

Tel Aviv:
Eilat:
Haifa:
Tiberias:
Fattal Hotels
Your Journey throughout Israel
Jerusalem:
Beer Sheva:
DEAD SEA:
www.fattal.co.il
www.leonardo-hotels.com

April 2010 No. 317
22
(Continued from p. 18)
scheduled to begin in a few months
on upgrading rooms, by replacing
carpeting, renovating the bathrooms and
making other improvements.
Until now, guests at the Herods Palace
were entitled to use the Herods Vitalis
gym. Now however the Palace is getting a
workout room of its own, which should be
operational in two to three months. Also,
the hotel has started to revive its “Spirit
of the Palace” activities and processionals,
which lent a sense of theme to the property
when it first opened. In addition, shows are
to be staged in the hotel’s Officers Club
every evening.
Room renovations are also being planned,
as are plans to upgrade the hotel’s
“Hamitbach” (Hebrew for “The Kitchen”)
restaurant fronting the seaside promenade
with a sushi area and a new menu.
Developments Elsewhere
Work has been completed on renovating
all the rooms of the Leonardo Plaza Eilat
(the former Sheraton Eilat) that were in
need of refurbishment and now the hotel
is planning to introduce a “hotel within
a hotel” concept encompassing 80 or so
rooms complemented by an executive
and private swimming pool entrance. The
dining room offerings are also in line for
upgrading, similar to the food offered at
Fattal’s Le Méridien Eilat property. The
hotel will feature a new entertainment
program as well, with cabaret shows, singing
waiters, etc.
For the benefit of its younger guests the
Fattal Magic Sunshine Club now features
a mini amusement park, which opened
in March in the area where its climbing
wall is located. Among the offerings are a
trampoline, monkey bars, bumper cars,
and other apparatuses. “We’ll soon be expanding this facility and adding
something quite large,” Aloni reveals.
This coming summer all Fattal guests in the chain’s Eilat hotels will be to a
show on the beach of the Club Med Eilat that features well-known Israeli
singers, musicians and comedians. “We held our first show early in April and
it attracted an audience of about 3500. We’ll be offering these types of shows
once in a while until the summer; then, in July and August, they’ll be on two
evenings a week.”
Magic Palace Update
“The entire lobby area of our hotel was upgraded last year at a cost of about
NIS 2.5 million, with new furnishings, lighting, a new European-style skylight
lobby bar and a two-sided bar 10 meters long, reports Shlomi Koren, general
manager of the Fattal Chain’s Magic Palace Hotel, Eilat. Improvements so far
this year have been the installation of LCD tvs in all the rooms of the hotel
and new carpeting in about half of its rooms. This coming winter, plans call
for redesigning and rebranding the hotel dining room.
Hilton Queen of Sheba News
A number of months ago the Queen of Sheba Hilton Eilat inaugurated its
new “Chicago” meat restaurant in space occupied previously by “Buffalo,”
a former in-house restaurant that also specialized in meat dishes. “The
difference is that Chicago is less of a fine dining experience than Buffalo
was,” explains the hotel’s Projects, Image & PR Manager Elinor Chayoun.
“We were looking to introduce more family-style dining with space for about
150-160 covers, individual booths and touch screens that offer games as well
as our menu in English and Hebrew - and with French and Russian to follow
- along with a meat storage room in front of guests’ eyes, a new bar located in
the center and two private dining rooms.”
Suites at the Hilton
Queen of Sheba
The Hilton Queen of Sheba Eilat has 21 suites, and in a project that began last
September, 13 of them have been renovated, with the remainder scheduled
for completion by this coming fall. Concurrent with this work, the carpeting
in all the corridors of the hotel has been replaced as part of a program to
replace all the carpeting in the hotel, and all hotel rooms now feature LCD tv
monitors and a clock radio that comes with an MP3 port. All the suites have
been outfitted with espresso machines.
Changes have also been carried out in the main lobby, which has been
equipped with new tables and carpeting, while chairs and couches have
been reupholstered.

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April 2010 No. 317
Meetings &
Conference Center
An old underground parking area
of the Queen of Sheba Eilat was
transformed about one year ago into a
meetings & conference center consisting
of one large modular hall and an adjacent
foyer. The new facility, equipped with
modern audio-visual equipment and
capable of accommodating more than 700
participants theater style, can be divided
into three separate halls.
Queen of Sheba “Love
Room” Packages
The Hilton Queen of Sheba Eilat renovated
its “Love Rooms” not long ago, each with
its own color combination, upgrading
them and equipping them with parquet
flooring, Chayoun mentions. Based on
accommodation in these four rooms, the
hotel has built a two-night-minimum
package, available to incoming tourists as
well as Israelis. Among other elements, it
consists of sweets and goldfish in the room
- the latter “a symbol of virtue, prosperity
and love,” the hotel says - one breakfast
in bed or in the 12th-floor VIP lounge, a
choice of either spa treatment for two in the
hotel spa or entrance to the relaxation pools
at Eilat’s Dolphin Reef (transportation
included), free entrance to the hotel spa,
free entrance to the VIP lounge and discs for
the room stereo system from the collection
located there, dinner at either Chicago, or
the hotel’s Yakimono Japanese restaurant, a
framed photo of the couple as souvenir of
the stay and a “love parchment,” available in
English, Hebrew and French - with Russian
just made available - on which the love story
of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
is inscribed.
24
A view of one section of the Hilton Queen of Sheba, Eilat’s new conference
hall.
“Journey Ambassadors”
The Queen of Sheba has adopted Hilton’s international “Journey Ambassador”
program and, Chayoun reports, “at least one person from each department
is chosen to ‘design’ the program of hotel guests, selected for them on the
basis of the languages they speak, by being aware of what is happening to
them during their stay.” Alternatively, the ambassadors are required to speak
each day by telephone to three guests at least, at the initiative of the hotel,
to see whether anything needs to be done to solve problems or enrich their
experience as a guest.
Rimonim Central Park, Eilat
Rimonim Hotels, which had been managing two hotel in Eilat, has signed a
six-year agreement to manage the Central Park Hotel in the city, reports Assaf
Raz, assistant general manager of Rimonim’s Eilat properties, who served as
general manager of the Central Park from the time Rimonim took it over a
few weeks ago and until his recent appointment.
“The hotel, which has been rebranded as the Rimonim Central Park, was
the last hotel to be built in Eilat,” Raz says. “It is modern and elegant
and carefully planned to suit the taste of those looking for a tranquil and
peaceful holiday in the distinctive atmosphere Eilat offers. It’s located at
the northern entrance to the city, across the road from the airport and a
few minutes’ walk to the Central Bus Station, and it also is within easy
walking distance of the beach, seaside promenade and Eilat’s major
shopping mall.”

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April 2010 No. 317
The hotel’s 170 rooms are comprised of
family rooms designed to accommodate a
couple and children (including 20 rooms
with new double-decker bunk beds and
others with a convertible sofa sleeping one),
garden rooms with private outdoor patio
and two-room suites outfitted with cable
tv, in-room safe, mini fridge and hairdryer.
Hotel facilities include a lobby bar, free
wi-fi Internet connectivity throughout the
entrance level, an Internet station (available
for a fee), a snack bar serving both the adult
and children’s pools, kids club, a spa with
four treatment rooms, wet and dry sauna
and pressure showers, a fully-equipped
gymnasium, a large private parking area
adjacent to the hotel entrance and an
entertainment boulevard on the hotel’s
lower level that offers an Irish-Scottish
26
pub, the ladies-only “Dana” coffee shop - which can also be used for private
evenings, cocktails and receptions - a Greek-style Mediterranean nightclub
area, indoor squash court and shops. The lobby bar serves as the hotel’s café
and features live piano music during the evening.
Soon after taking over the property, the Rimonim chain expanded the dining
room to seat about 200 guests at a time by incorporating a balcony into the
original facility, and it is beginning to change the décor in the lobby and to
introduce a dairy restaurant there. Plans also call for the transformation of
a billiard room on the lower level into a small room for seminars. “We’ve
started to work on this hotel and to make all the improvement we deem
necessary and to bring it up to the standards of our chain as a high-level fourstar
property,” adds Rimonim Eilat Regional General Manager Rani Chitrit.
“Expectations are that the work to be completed by late May-early June.”
Central Park Rooftop Suite
Located in a private area on the rooftop level of the hotel overlooking
the Red Sea and featuring a two-tier wooden deck complete with chaise
lounges and an outdoor Jacuzzi, the Rimonim Central Park’s 500m²
four-bedroom suite is the largest suite in Eilat, Assaf Raz states.

Each bedroom is fully equipped, with wc, shower, clothes closet and/or
dresser and 37” LCD tv. The salon and fully-equipped open kitchen area
features two dining tables - one seating eight and one seating six - 42” tv,
DVD player and a variety of seating areas. The hotel is now in the process of
renovating the suite are says that that it will be available by September.
Dan Eilat Dining Room
As reported in EMTT #313, new furniture has been installed in the dining
room of the Dan Eilat. This development was part of the first phase of a
three-stage program to renovate the facility, work on which is scheduled to
be completed by this coming winter, reports outgoing General Manager Dani
Schneider. The outlet is being redesigned, new buffets are being installed
and new a la minute stations added. The hotel will also install an ice cream
machine in the dining room, enabling guests to have their ice cream custom
made in the flavors they prefer, from a variety of ingredients that will be on
display.
Renovations
Extensive renovations to the rooms and public areas of the Dan Eilat are
being planned for 2011-12, Schneider reveals. Recently, the hotel installed
LCD tvs in all its rooms, with the size of the screen in each, dependent on
room category.
Dan Panorama Eilat Renovations
In 2009, the Dan Panorama Eilat renovated 57 “Executive” rooms, along
with 10 terrace rooms and four suites, reports outgoing General Manager
Lior Mucznik. New carpeting, curtains, bed covers, LCD screens,
decorative pillows and lights for the rooms’ make-up tables were among the
improvements. This coming September, at a cost of about NIS 1.5 million
(more than $400,000), an additional 108 rooms in the hotel will receive
the same treatment. “This will leave us with 88 rooms to be refurbished,”
Mucznik remarks. “Although they won’t be totally upgraded until the
following winter, we will be changing the carpeting in them this coming
September.”
The Dan Panorama Eilat will also be investing about NIS 1 million during
the first quarter of 2011 to improve the area around its swimming pool.
VIP Lounge
The Dan Panorama Eilat has just completed upgrading the offerings in its
VIP Lounge. A second Internet station for use free of charge by lounge
guests has been installed, check-in and check-out services are now
available in the lounge for guests that have booked executive rooms
or those in a higher
category and the buffet
has been upgraded and offers
breakfasts, hot light lunches and
evening sweets.
Prima Music
Recording Studio
The Prima Music Eilat has been equipped
with a recording studio, and young guests
participating in the hotel’s “A Star is
Born” competition, which takes place
twice weekly in summer and also at other
designated periods during the year, can
train free of charge with a voice coach and/
or musical instrument teacher at the hotel
and participate in the contest. First prize
each time is a single recorded by the winner
in the hotel studio, for him or her to take
home as a souvenir.
Additional Changes
Recently, the Prima Music introduced Wing
key cards for all its room doors. For the
convenience of its observant Jewish guests,
who do not use electricity on the Jewish
Sabbath and holidays, the doors may still be
opened or closed with regular keys. Earlier,
all the rooms had been equipped with mini
safes. Other hotel improvements include
new corridor carpeting, LCD tv in some of
the rooms, new pool furniture, MP3s and
MP4s for guests’ use and breakfast until
12 pm, with guests permitted to enter the
dining room any number of times while
breakfast is being served.
Nova Improvements
Renovations were completed recently on
the dining room of the Nova Hotel, Eilat, a
member of the Atlas Hotel Chain, explains
hotel General Manager Ronen Haskel, “We
27

April 2010 No. 317
have reconfigured the
area, installed new buffets
and new furnishings; nothing
remains the same as before, except for
the ceiling.”
The Nova dining room is comprised of two
sections - the newly-upgraded section and
an adjacent tent. “We operate the regular
dining room alone, about 200 days a year
and use the tent only when warranted by
capacity. Nevertheless, the furniture for the
tent area was replaced as part of our recent
improvements and we are awaiting approval
from the Municipality of Eilat to close this
part too and make it an integral part of the
dining room structure, Haskel adds.
Room Renovations
Having completed work on its dining room
area, the Nova has turned its attention to
its 193 rooms - 127 of which are suites: “A
model room has been prepared and we are
beginning a process to modernize all our
accommodation units, patterning this work
after the chain-wide model, in light pastel
shades and in keeping with the style of decor
in our new Arts+ property in Tel Aviv. As
part of this project, the kitchenettes, which
are part of all our rooms and suites, will
be refurbished too. We expect this work
to continue for about one-and-a-half to
two years, depending on occupancy. Then
we’ll start on the corridors. Already, we’ve
installed LCD tv in all of our room - and
two sets in each of our suites.”
Orchid Public Areas
At a cost of about NIS 1 million, the
dining room of the Orchid Hotel, Eilat was
renovated earlier in the year, reports hotel
General Manager Salem Munayyer. In
addition, work was carried out to upgrade
the look of the swimming pool area. Other
28
improvements include wi-fi connectivity throughout the hotel free of charge
and free international phone calls for hotel guests in a corner area of the
lobby, based on the system introduced early this year in the Orchid Tel Aviv
(see EMTT #313). “We’ll be continuing our upgrading work to the public
areas of the hotel,” Munayyer says, “and a budget of about NIS 1 million
stands at our disposal to do so until the end of 2010.”
Electric Bikes
The Orchid Hotel has purchased four electric bicycles, which it has started
to offer to guests for an hourly fee. “They’re not to be used on our grounds,
but only for cycling in and around the city,” Munayyer explains, “since they
could get in the way of our tuk-tuks if guests ride them here. If this initiative
proves to be a success, we’ll order additional electric bikes. In addition, we’ve
increased the number of regular bicycles we have, which we offer our guests
free of charge.”
Udi Hasson
NEW APPOINTMENTS
Caesar Premier Eilat
Udi Hasson has taken over as general manager of the
Caesar Premier Eilat.
Hasson started out in the hospitality industry as a
security office at the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, where
later he rose to the position of rooms division manager.
Remaining in Tel Aviv, he moved to the (former)
Holiday Inn Tel Aviv to work as human resources
manager, before becoming the assistant general manager
of the hotel.
Hasson then moved to Eilat, to manage the city’s Underwater Marine Park
- his last position in tourism before retuning to the industry to manage the
Caesar Premier.
Dan Hotels Corporation
Dani Schneider, who has been with the Dan Eilat since
1997 and served as its general manager since 1999, is
moving to Herzliya to take up the position of general
manager of the Dan Accadia.
Schneider, who holds a certificate in Hotel
Management from Israel’s Tadmor Institute,
Dani Schneider
began his career in the hospitality industry in
Herzliya in 1982, working as waiter, cook
and later as night manager. He moved

April 2010 No. 317
from there to the (former) Mandarin
Hotel, Tel Aviv, where his last position
was as assistant manager, food & beverage
for the Banqueting Department. He next
served at the Carlton Tel Aviv starting out
as banqueting manager and then advancing
to the position of assistant general manager,
before moving to Eilat, where he served as
general manager of two different properties
- the (former) Paradise Hotel and the
(former) Palmira Hotel - prior to joining
the Dan Hotels
Corporation.
Lior Mucznik
30
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Lior Mucznik has
been chosen to serve
as general manager of
the Dan Eilat Hotel.
Currently, he serves
as general manager of the Dan Panorama Eilat, the chain’s sister property in
the city.
Mucznik began his career in the hospitality industry in the early 1980s as a
dishwasher at Eilat’s Lagoona Hotel, continuing to serve there in a number
of areas and finally reaching the position of deputy reception desk manager.
He moved from the Lagoona to the (former) Moriah Eilat as its reception
desk manager, where he worked for more that four years until moving to the
Ramada Jerusalem to serve as rooms division manager.
Muczniks’s first position as general manager was at the Ramot Resort Village
(overlooking the Sea of Galilee), where he worked for one year until he
returned to Eilat to open the Lev Eilat Apartment Hotel. Two years later
he opened the Orchid Hotel, Eilat, before moving over to serve as general
manager of the (former) Shulamith Gardens Hotel in Eilat, where he
remained after the hotel was rebuilt and branded as the Grand Plaza, prior to
its further rebranding as the Dan Panorama Eilat.
Mucznik holds a certificate in Hotel Management from Israel’s Technion
Institute.
Gil Adiram has been promoted to serve as the new general manager
of the Dan Panorama Eilat, where he served as assistant general

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April 2010 No. 317
The Nof Tavor Hotel is situated among
the green fields of the Jezreel Valley, at the foot of the
Nazareth Hills,in an area abounding with rural tourism
and important Jewish and Christian sites. Located five
minutes by bus from Nazareth, 15 minutes from Mt. Tabor
and 35 minutes from Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee, it
is an excellent point of departure for pilgrimage tours of
Israel’s North.
The hotel offers 120 double occupancy and family
occupancy rooms with magnificent views of the Jezreel
Valley. The hotel also offers, fast wireless internet
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The Nof Tavor Hotel is the hotel of choice
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Our quality service, personal attention and
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manager prior to this appointment.
Adiram holds a degree in Industry &
Management Practical Engineering,
specializing in Marketing, from the Eilat
campus of Ben Gurion University of
the Negev. He has been employed in the
hospitality industry for the past 12 years, all
of them at the Dan Panorama Eilat except
for one year at the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv
as its human resources manager.
Roni Aloni
32
Fattal
Hotels
Roni Aloni has been
appointed Eilat
regional director for
Fattal Hotels.
Aloni, who holds
a certificate in Hotel Management and an M.A. in Marketing, has been
general manager of a large number of hotels and chains, both in Israel and
abroad.
His first job at this level was at the Caesar Hotel, Tiberias, and from there he
moved to the Crowne Plaza Jerusalem, where he was employed in a similar
position. Then he returned to the Caesar chain as its general manager.
In 2005, Aloni moved to Greece to serve as general manager of the Loutraki
Club Hotel Casino, from which he returned to Israel and his current post.
Gil Stamm has taken over as general manager of the Royal Tulip and the
Golden Tulip Privilege, both Fattal Chain properties in Eilat.
Stamm began his career in the hospitality industry with the Isrotel chain as
a member of the opening staff of the Royal Beach Hotel and its La Cuchina
promenade restaurant, moving from there to Eilat’s (former) Ambassador
Hotel to be part of its opening team. Returning to the Royal Beach as
f&b manager, he then moved to Casino Austria, a company set up in
the late 1990s with the thought of opening a casino in Eilat, to serve
as director of operations. Returning to Isrotel, Stamm was opening
general manager of the Agamim Hotel, a position he held until

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April 2010 No. 317
EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN
TOURISM/TRAVEL
Founded by
Amos Kinamon (1925-1994)
Managing Director
Tal Shmueli
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Eyal Shmueli
Editor
Dr. Gerry Aronow
(aronow@netvision.net.il)
Jerusalem Correspondent
Amnon Lipzin
Marketing
Yuval Nevo
Graphics
T.A.G Concept
Israel Offices
38 Shalom Aleichem St.,
Tel Aviv Israel 63344
Tel: 972-3-5251646.
Fax: 972-3-5251605
Website
www.itn.co.il
E-mail
office@itn.co.il
The management is not responsible for the contents
of any advertising appearing in this publication.
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TOTAL 19,515
Estimated readership 68,000
34
going into the restaurant business in Eilat. He returned to hotel management
once again recently, as manager of the Herods Complex, the last position he
held before taking on his current assignment.
Avia Almoznino
Avia Almoznino has taken over as general manager of
Herods, Eilat. She moves to her new position from
the Coral Beach Club Med Eilat, where she has been
serving as general manager.
Almoznino began working with the Fattal Hotel
Chain, which manager both Herods and Club Med
Eilat, in 2001. Before being promoted to her position
as general manager of Club Med Eilat, she served
as assistant general manager of Fattal’s Le Méridien
Eilat.
UPDATE
Mamilla Hotel Joins Design Hotels
The Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem has signed an agreement with the Design
Hotels Group to become its first member in Israel, reports David Tucker,
assistant manager sales & marketing for the David Citadel and the Mamilla
hotels, both of which are owned and managed by Alrov Hotels. The agreement
was based on a memorandum of understanding that had been signed last
December at the ILTM, Cannes (France), the International Luxury Travel
Market. “ILTM is an annual business to business fair and our aim in exhibiting
was to showcase the Mamilla before luxury travel professionals,” Tucker says.
“We were the only hotel in Israel to exhibit there.”
“From the outset our goal was to bring to Jerusalem a truly modern, worldclass
hotel that would be adopted and enjoyed by a global, well-traveled
audience, added Alrov Luxury Hotels Managing Director Georgi Akirov. “In
Design Hotels we have found a partner with many shared values and we are
thrilled to be working together.”
Mamilla on Condé Nast Hot List
The Mamilla Hotel Jerusalem has entered the U.K. Condé Nast Traveller’s
2010 Hot List of the best new hotels of the past twelve months, an annual
barometer of the premium hotel market, grading properties based on criteria
such as design, facilities, innovation and service. Published in the May issue
of the magazine, it is based on anonymous hotel reviews from experts across
the world, who heed the magazine’s “Truth in Travel” policy by paying
room rates and not accepting “freebies.”
The Mamilla has also been listed on the Condé Nast U.S. Hot List.

April 2010 No. 317
Prima Too,
Tiberias
At a cost of about NIS 15 million,
Prima Hotels has purchased the old
80-room Kolton Hotel, its second
property in Tiberias, and is rebranding it
as the Prima Too. An additional NIS five
million is being invested in renovating the
hotel. Work began this past January and is
scheduled to be completed by the beginning
of summer. All the rooms in the hotel are
being redesigned, and they will feature
new bathtubs, carpeting and curtains. The
corridor carpeting is being replaced and
the air-conditioning and electrical systems
upgraded.
“We have taken a decision too expand
our activities in the Galilee,” says Prima
Hotels General Manager Etty Levy. “We
believe in the Galilee’s tourism potential…
[and] purchasing this additional hotel is in
keeping with Prima’s agenda, to promote
tourism in Israel’s outlying areas too… at
very attractive prices.”
Air Berlin
Expanding Israel
Flights
With nine weekly flights scheduled to operate
before summer, Air Berlin has considerably
increased its frequencies to Israel. In March
a third non-stop flight was added to the two
existing direct connections between Berlin
and Tel Aviv and since March, Air Berlin
passengers from Cologne and Munich also
have a choice of two non-stop flights weekly
to Tel Aviv. Two further flights a week from
Düsseldorf to Tel Aviv will be included in
the schedule from June 2010. The airline’s
hubs in Düsseldorf and Berlin in particular,
provide convenient transfers for passengers
36
to Israel, from elsewhere in Germany as well as from other destinations to and
from which Air Berlin flies, an airline spokesperson says.
Business Class
Air Berlin is now also offering Business Class seats on the flights between
Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich, and Tel Aviv. “Business Class service
on these routes includes an even greater selection of kosher meals, free
seat reservation, 30 kilos free baggage allowance, access to the exclusive
airport lounges, enhanced in-flight entertainment and a wide selection
of German and English newspapers,” the spokesperson remarks.
According to Air Berlin Chief Commercial Officer Christoph Debus: “This
is the first time that Air Berlin is offering business class travel on a mediumhaul
flight. The enhanced service concept and a total of nine scheduled flights
a week between Germany and Israel mean that we can offer our passengers a
very attractive product.”
Addressing a press conference in April, as part of celebrations to mark the
expansion of Air Berlin’s activities in Israel, Debus added: “We will be
operating these routes all through the year and for at least several years. We
anticipate that for this coming summer between 35-40 percent of our business
on them will be generated by tour operators, a similar percent will come from
the leisure market and the remainder will be business travel. We would have
liked to operate 12 weekly frequencies, but the Israel Civil Aviation Authority
gave us permission for no more than nine.”
At a reception held at the Dan Tel Aviv in mid April to mark the expansion
of Air Berlin services between Israel and Germany. Pictured (left to right)
are: German State Secretary, Transport Jan Mücke; Moni Barr, managing
director of Budget Rent a Car and of Holiday Travel (Air Berlin’s Israel
representative), and Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Nisezhnikov.

Vladimir Moldavsky, Manager of Russian Department,
International, and Inbal Hotel Jerusalem Assistant
Director of Sales Rinat Zuckerman at the Israel pavilion
at MITT, Moscow this past March.
Cell Phones for El Al
Passengers from the U.S.
Passengers on El Al Israel Airlines departing for Israel
from a number of cities in the U.S., are eligible for a
free travel cell phone for their use in Israel and to use
on all future visits. This promotional offer is available
with the purchase of a roundtrip ticket (in certain
classes of service) for departures before June 30,
2010 from the U.S. Sixty complimentary minutes of
outgoing calls from within Israel are included with the
El Al travel phone and there is no charge for incoming
calls from anywhere in the world. Additional airtime
for outgoing calls are competitively priced with other
travel cell phone companies, an airline spokesperson
says, adding that there are no rental fees or hidden
costs, and no obligation to purchase additional
minutes. After eligible passengers purchase and
receive their e-ticket, they will also receive a code
and a link to the registration site (www.elalphone.
com), with simple instructions regarding cell phone
delivery to a location of their choice in Israel. Once
an assigned phone number is received, it belongs to
the passenger. A free phone charger is included
and other accessories such as earphones, blue
tooth headsets, car chargers and more are also
available.
37

oug
ls – exp
shop"
sionals ough
stop sh
ss, thr
for siona
to fin
experts
p" for
nals to
op shop
s throug
hroughls
nals – exp
hop"

oug
ls – exp
shop"
sionals ough
stop sh
ss, thr
for siona
to fin
experts
p" for
nals to
op shop
s throug
hroughls
nals – exp
hop"