Pastoral, bucolic, scenic – whatever idyllic synonym you choose, it would apply to Nir Etzion, a religious moshav in the North of Israel. Surrounded by the forests of Mount Carmel and facing the Mediterranean Sea, the best view you can access is from the Nir Etzion Resort Hotel at the top of the moshav.
The village was established in 1950 as a kibbutz by refugees from Kfar Etzion and Be’erot Yitzhak (which had been captured by the Jordanian and Egyptian armies during the 1948 War of Independence) as well as Holocaust survivors. It eventually became a cooperative moshav.
The hotel, like the moshav, has a lot of history. It started off as a sanitarium, was then a guest house, and eventually became a hotel. Most of it was rebuilt in 1998 after a devastating fire on the Carmel.
Located a mile away from Ein Hod, a picturesque artists’ village well worth a visit (not to be confused with Ein Chod, an Arab village in the same locale), the 12-acre resort offers a unique blend of luxury and calm simplicity at a price that is not extremely crazy (prices fluctuate according to season). Because of its situation, you can see the breathtaking view for miles, out of the many windows, terraces, and balconies of the hotel.
Yoel Raz, who has been managing the hotel for the last 18 years, was born in Nir Etzion to Holocaust survivors from France and Belgium. His father, in his nineties, still lives there. Raz regaled me with tales of the history of the hotel.
During Covid, the hotel twice served as a corona hotel. It was a crazy time, but if you have to be in isolation, at least enjoy a beautiful view. Two shidduchim came out of that period. The hotel also supplies rooms for evacuees during military campaigns, the latest being Operation Bow and Arrow.
The Nir Etzion resort hotel is one of the fewer than a dozen hotels that cater to the religious public (across the entire spectrum), and boasts the highest standards of kashrut to meet everyone’s preferences. The hotel has every religious amenity you can ask for – an on-site mikveh for men (the women’s mikveh is a few minutes’ walk within the moshav itself); an on-site synagogue (if you pray in your room, you don’t have to wonder which side is southeast, with the Mediterranean to the west). The Nir Etzion Synagogue is about a five-minute walk. There are also events – bar mitzvahs, britot, etc. held in the hotel – which offer additional prayer services.
There is a Shabbos clock activated in all the rooms – the lights go off at midnight on Shabbat and the air conditioning is regulated. The staff are respectfully attired. The double beds can all be separated. And the buildings have artistically carved religious sayings. Most of the artwork (and photographs) reflect the history of Nir Etzion. There are also a few personal touches, like the intricate carved wood washing station that Raz brought back from a Druze village.
Along with Israelis, there is a large contingent of English-speakers from Israel and abroad who frequent the hotel. Raz tells me that for the past five years, a family has taken 18 rooms for 12 days and they have a massive family reunion, with people coming from abroad for the event. The Nir Etzion Resort Hotel hosts conferences and events (for up to 350 people) as well as famous people from the religious sector.
The hotel also commemorates its personal history. The Ruth Observation Point, on the grounds, offers a majestic view of the panorama. It is named in memory of one of the workers, with a sign explaining who she was.
The hotel has about 130 workers, and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I was welcomed at the hotel by Yael in reception, a warm and friendly artist who lives in the aforementioned nearby Ein Hod. The hotel has an arrangement with the secular yishuv. Many people have started becoming religious there and so they pray at the hotel during the week, but on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh, people go from the hotel to complete a minyan there.
Although the topography is heavenly and serene, the hotel can be boisterous, with families enjoying their respite from the city and creating a heimish atmosphere. Tables often join together in song.
The food! The food is abundant and varied, offering options for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-sensitive people. The only quid pro quo are the beverages available at a surcharge.
There’s a variety of rooms to choose from – regular rooms, suites, and garden apartments surrounding a verdant lawn, and there is the possibility of adding additional beds. My favorite part of the suite I stayed in with my son and daughter-in-law was the hand-washing station carved into the wall. There are 77 rooms in the central hotel building and 65 garden rooms. And there are a few rooms set in a section that is a child-free zone so that elderly or honeymoon guests can opt for more quiet.
Because the hotel is on a quiet moshav, it’s relatively safe for children. And there are many activities within the hotel: a game room, a ping-pong table, and a life-size (for kids) chess set, as well as a petting zoo nearby, which has peacocks, goats, sheep, and for some reason, two coati. There’s also lots of space to run around in. There is a lovely two-kilometer trail around the moshav which passes all its points of interest. The peacocks visit as well and one let me pet its long glorious tail as it stood regally on a wooden frame.
Now for the resort part. Aside from the endless food, there is a heated pool (with long separate hours for both men and women), a dry sauna, a fish pedicure, and a range of massage and alternative medicine possibilities (at additional cost); there’s also a jewelry boutique in the lobby. The whole atmosphere is regenerative.
If you time your stay for during the week, you can enjoy the sites in the area – Zichron Yaakov and Haifa are both a half-hour’s drive away. The hotel rents out two cars (one electric) at a reduced price for touring the area. There is plenty of free parking and the hotel is handicapped-accessible.
The logo of the hotel translates well and rings true: So natural that you’d want to stay.
