March 2012 No

March 2012 No. 338
them had been renovated,
along with the hotel’s public
areas, and after the dining room
had been expanded from 300 to
420 places and all the systems in the
hotel had been replaced, did the new
construction commence.”
Additional Improvements
With the addition of the new wing -
which includes one suite and one room
affording handicap access - Hagoshrim
has extended its complement to 160,
four of which are suites But feeling that
it needed more, the hotel has decided
to initiate a project lasting a number of
years, to transform all of its one-storey
accommodations into suites. There are
26 sets of rooms in these buildings, and
plans call upgrading a few of them every
year until all are completed.
Hagoshrim offers five different function
halls at present, for groups of between
20 and 300 participants; it now plans to
develop a sixth, with a capacity for up to
450, “…with all the requisite modern
audio-visual aids” Rachimi adds.
Kibbutz Hagoshrim is also home to
a sports and health complex, which
belongs to the hotel and is a five-minute
walk from it. This facility features two
swimming pools, sauna, Jacuzzi and
gym, along with squash and basketball
courts and spa treatment rooms.
“Nevertheless,” Rachimi explains, “our
new facility will be on a higher level. It
will be a 750m² spa, with an authentic
Turkish hamam, dry and wet saunas,
a relaxation room and eight treatment
rooms - one of which will be for
couples.”
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For Groups
In both 2010 and 2011, incoming tourism accounted for about 30
percent of Hagoshrim’s occupancy and, as usual, Christian pilgrimage
and Jewish resort tourism were its main incoming markets, especially
from Western Europe and North America. Tours of the kibbutz, guided
in English, Spanish and German, are free of charge for groups staying
at the hotel. “Hidden River Valley,” a second group tour, lasting about
45 minutes, follows a signposted route, as participants, maps in hand,
are introduced to the history of the kibbutz and the region. It is guided
in English and is available to groups for a nominal fee.
Atlas Hotels Ranked by TripAdvisor
The Atlas chain’s Shalom Hotel & Relax Tel Aviv property is the only
hotel in Israel to have been included in the list of the “Top 25 Hotels
in the Middle East,” by TripAdvisor. It has been included in the
website’s list of the “Top 25 Hotels for Service in the Middle East,”
along with Atlas’ Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem, while a third property
in the chain, the Art +, Tel Aviv heads the list of the “Top Trendiest
Hotels in the Middle East.”
Georgian singer Nino Katamadze (right) pictured at the Atlas chain’s Melody
Hotel, Tel Avi, where she was accommodated during her visit to Israel
late last year, together with Luda Kupstaitis, the chain’s sales manager,
incoming tourism.