Hotels returning to normal: High occupancy in Eilat over Shavuot

"In Eilat there is the highest rate of domestic tourism - 90%. For hotels based also on foreign tourism, the recovery will take a long time."

By MOSHE COHEN/MAARIV
A general view of the pool at the Royal Beach Hotel in Eilat, Israel, June 12, 2018 (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
A general view of the pool at the Royal Beach Hotel in Eilat, Israel, June 12, 2018
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
In the hotel industry, preparations for a gradual opening of some hotels are to be completed tomorrow, and those that open are expected to have high occupancy during the upcoming holiday of Shavuot.
Dan Hotels, which has three hotels in Eilat, will only open the Dan Eilat Hotel. "We have decided on a gradual opening. On June 11, we will open the Neptune Hotel and a week later Dan Panorama Eilat," Lior Muchnik, CEO of Dan Hotels in Eilat and chairman of the hotel association in the city told The Jerusalem Post's sister publication Maariv. The hotel's operating format will be in accordance with the "purple ribbon" guidelines set by the Health and Tourism ministries.
"There will be no self-service in the dining room. Transparent partitions and cooks will serve to guests. The lounge, pools and everything the hotel has to offer before the coronavirus crisis will be open, but with the social distancing guidelines and hygiene rules. It was important for us not to change our customers' hospitality habits and to adapt the operation to the new reality," he said.
In Muchnik's estimation, the hotel industry in Eilat will recover faster than other cities that are based on foreign tourism. "In Eilat there is the highest rate of domestic tourism – 90%. For hotels based also on foreign tourism, the recovery will take a long time."
Muchnik said that within 48 hours of opening the registration, all rooms for Shavuot were booked; in June the occupancy rate is now 62% and in July it has already reached 80%. The price for two nights for a couple with two children, in two rooms, will be about NIS 8,700 for Shavuot. "This year we reduced prices by about 20%. In the last week, the price of the same room was NIS 11,700," Muchnik noted.
The Golden Crown Hotel chain will open three of its hotels in Haifa and Nazareth in the coming days, subject to the Health Ministry's guidelines. Ahead of the opening, the chain is preparing to make adjustments and changes to the hospitality model, highlighting the Golden Crown Hotel Nazareth, which offers 270 guest rooms, a semi-Olympic pool, 12 event halls, two gyms and a new spa.
The hotel in Nazareth is currently working on accommodations for the Israeli market and will offer guests a variety of entertainment programs. In addition, a pool area will be set up, which spans a wide area, food stalls that will provide fast food to a large number of guests and picnic tables. In Haifa, the Golden Crown of Haifa and the Templars Hotel will reopen.
"We are preparing for the reopening of the hotels in Haifa and Nazareth, while strictly adhering to the Health Ministry's instructions," noted the chain's CEO Mickey Schwartz.


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