Nestled in the heart of Haifa, in a protected historic building, sits the Bay Club Hotel, part of the ever-expanding Atlas chain.
By DEBBIE KANDELAn aerial shot of Haifa during Israel's annual Independence Day airshow, April 19, 2018(photo credit: ANNA AHRONHEIM)
Nestled in the heart of Haifa, in a protected historic building, sits the Bay Club Hotel, part of the ever-expanding Atlas chain. The impressive building, which was originally a family home at the time of the Ottoman Empire and later housed the British Mandate police, is now a 52-room boutique hotel. The hotel has a regal art deco design with a nautical theme, accentuated by a calming blue and green color scheme.We arrived just in time for the daily happy hour, which is held in the restaurant with its peaceful conservatory. As well as a selection of drinks, there was also a light dairy buffet and a free 15-minute massage from the hotel spa, which was so good that I decided to book a full treatment the next day.The Shorashim Spa is housed in the lower level of the hotel and offers a wide range of holistic treatments tailored to one’s preference. Yoav Lalum, the spa owner, gave me a wonderful massage, which was both intense and relaxing at the same time. The advantage of having a massage in a hotel is that you can go straight up to your room afterwards and relax.Our room on the third floor was spacious and well designed with nice amenities like a coffee machine and complimentary still and sparkling water. The room had a clean, fresh, bright feel to it and was filled with natural light from the windows, which overlooked the local park with Haifa Bay in the distance. As well as a king-sized bed, we also had a sofa, arm-chair and a writing desk.The bathroom was on the smaller side with a bath and overhead shower. I personally prefer a shower cubicle but there was a nice big shower head and great water pressure.The only negative feature in the rooms was the heavy door that had to be slammed to ensure it closed and made a lot of noise.The best part of any Israeli hotel is the breakfast, which did not disappoint. Although we were there over Shabbat, so the buffet did not include any freshly cooked eggs, the jachnun and cheesy gratin potatoes more than made up for it. As well as the usual selection of cheeses, vegetables and breads, we were particularly impressed by the selection of salads and the addition of halva and homemade jams.During the week, the hotel is normally busy with tourists and business guests but by Friday afternoon, most of them had been replaced with Israeli tourists spending a relaxing weekend in the northern city.The location of the hotel was ideal for us as it was only a 10-minute walk to all the restaurants and bars in the German Colony and downtown area but was also a 10-minute drive to the Bahai Gardens and the Carmel Center. Although there is no private parking for the hotel, we easily found free parking on the nearby streets.I would definitely choose the Bay Club Hotel to spend another weekend in Haifa – it’s an ideal hotel for all ages.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.For more information about the Bay Club Hotel, visit www.atlas.co.il/bay-club-haifaBay Club HotelKosherHasan Shukri Street 7, Haifa, IsraelReservations: (03) 542-5555
