Point hotels have a hard time lasting in Israel.
Not long ago Starwood had 13 properties that were all bargains with Starpoints. I stayed in many of them on a month-long trek across the holy land with 2 of my 5 brothers in August of 2007, spending just a couple thousand Starpoints per night to stay in Jerusalem, Haifa, Eilat, Tiberias, and the Dead Sea. In 2009 Starwood put us up in the Mamilla when the Sheraton Plaza Jerusalem left SPG, but they were never able to get the Mamilla to join SPG.
Currently Starwood is down to just the category 5 Sheraton Tel Aviv and the category 5 Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel located in Zichron Yaakov between Caesarea and Haifa. SPG category 5 hotels cost 12-16K points per night or 9.6K-12.8K per night on a 5 night stay. Starwood will also manage the W Tel Aviv-Jaffa though the opening of that hotel has been pushed back several times and is currently claiming that it will open in March 2018. No category has been announced for the W yet.
You can transfer Starpoints to Marriott to book the category 7 Publica Isrotel Herzliya for 11.6K points per night or 9.3K points per night on a 5 night stay. Or 110K Starpoints can get you 157K United miles and 7 nights there.
You can transfer Starpoints to Marriott to book the category 7 Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel for 11.6K points per night or 9.3K points per night on a 5 night stay. Or 110K Starpoints can get you 157K United miles and 7 nights there.
Or you can transfer Starpoints to Marriott to book the tier 3 Ritz-Carlton Herzliya for 16.6K points per night or 13.3K points per night on a 5 night stay. Or 140K Starpoints can get you 157K United miles and 7 nights there.
The David Citadel was a gem in the Hilton portfolio when it opened in 1998, but it left Hilton in 2001. Currently Hilton manages the Hilton Tel Aviv (a category 8 hotel before Hilton pulled a Delta and removed their award chart) and the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem (a top-tier category 10 hotel before Hilton pulled a Delta and removed their award chart).
IHG just lost their management contract on the Holiday Inn Ashkelon, but they still manage the:
- Crowne Plaza Jerusalem: 20K points
- Crowne Plaza Dead Sea: 25K points
- Crowne Plaza Eilat: 25K points
- Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv Diamond District: 25K points
- Crowne Plaza Haifa: 30K points
- Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach: 30K points
- Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center: 30K points
- InterContinental David Tel Aviv: 40K points
There used to be a Hyatt Regency Jerusalem, but that’s long gone and Hyatt currently has no presence in Israel.
Wyndham manages the Ramada Jerusalem, the Ramada Netanya, the Ramada Hadera, and the new and more centrally located TRYP by Wyndham in Jerusalem. All Wyndham hotels cost 15K points per night.
There is another new hotel being built right next to Jerusalem’s Leonardo Plaza, which is of course a former Starwood hotel. Rumors have it that the new hotel will either be managed by IHG under their Intercontinental flag or it will be managed by Marriott under a Ritz-Carlton or JW Marriott flag.
Smart money seems to be betting on an Intercontinental. With the Chase IHG card offering a free annual night, that would be a pretty sweet use for that night!
The hotel is planning to open in 2020.
Of course with cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve® that let you redeem points for 1.5 cents each at any hotel combined with cards like Freedom Unlimited that earn 1.5 points per dollar everywhere, you can stay in hotels with points even if they aren’t part of a large chain.
Would you prefer to see a Ritz/JW Marriott or an IHG in Jerusalem?
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22 Comments On "Will Jerusalem’s Newest Hotel Be Managed By IHG Or Marriott; Roundup Of Point Hotels In Israel"
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IHG hands down
Definitely Marriott. No better value than their 7-night certificates.
It would be a very high category.
It would be a very high category IHG too. But at least with Marriott you have the option of using the certificates.
But with the IHG CC at $49 a year, a husband and wife can spend 2 nights there for $98. Can Marriott beat that?
Which ones are mahadrin?
only ramada
Ramada, but not only Ramada.
Leonardo Plaza (the old Sheraton)
Kings
King Solomon
Jerusalem Gate
Prima Palace.
There must be others as well.
The Waldorf does not have a Mehadrin teudah, although the Mashgiach says they only use Mehadrin Products in the hotel restaurants. I’ve heard the same thing third hand about David Citadel.
THEY would do better with a Ritz/JW. But I would prefer IHG
Where is this being built? I did not see any hotel type construction on King George street last week?
lets see how long waldorf hilton and this supposed ihg /ritz last? i doubt for long lifi aniyas dati dc and leonardo didnt?
Look again! Big Hole across the street from the Jewish Agency and next to the Plaza
Anything with good service.
“Of course with cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve that let you redeem points for 1.5 cents each at any hotel combined with cards like Freedom Unlimited that earn 1.5 points per dollar everywhere, you can stay in hotels for free even if they aren’t part of a large chain.”
How does that work? How do you get to stay for free?
Accumulate points on the right credit cards and use them to pay the hotel bill.
Dan-
See this http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=79720.msg1821843#msg1821843
Perhaps you can clarify.
I stayed on a Marriott booking, but it seems that its already dropped.
HI Ashkelon: Are you sure IHG lost their management contract as opposed to IHG walking, being fed up with the frequent complaints about the very sub par HI in Ashkelon. It was not worth more than the 10,000 points that were charged. The staff were very poorly trained even through friendly and willing to help. They simply either didn’t know what to do or had no authority to do anything other than say “I will have to check with the Duty Manager”. We were there once and had an issue with the cleaning staff entering the room twice the same early morning, without even knocking, despite the Do Not Disturb door hanger being on. When I complained the “Manager” didn’t even apologize. He just told me ‘Oh they are not supposed to do that’ and walked away. In Jerusalem I have always felt the Crown Plaza to be both well managed and good value. Unless the new hotel is really top class it is hard to imagine it being worth 35,000 or 40,000 points, i.e. twice the CP. The David IC in Tel Aviv, close to Jaffa, is 40,000 points a night which compared to European IC properties is I think overpriced.
Change of flag. Holiday Inn of Ashkelon is now Harrington by the Sea Cliff.
Does anybody know what Hashgacha the TRYP by Wyndham hotel in Jerusalem is under? Sounds like a nice place to stay if I can eat the breakfasts.
http://www.mykoshertrip.com/deal/bat_sheva_jerusalem
Seems to be Rabbanut Yerushalayim.
@Dan There is a new Marriot hotel in Hertzlia
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tlvak-publica-isrotel-autograph-collection/
35K points for a night, Category 7.
Thanks,
Does anybody know of a hotel in Jerusalem that I can book with Delta points? I was told I can transfer Delta to Starwood and then book. I was also told by Delta that I can’t book through Delta with points unless I have a Delta CC. I cancelled mine this year because it wasn’t worth the fee since I am a Medallion member and get a free suitcase anyway and no foreign transaction fees plus travel insurance from my Saphire Reserve car..