Half an hour from Tel Aviv there’s an all-inclusive hotel you haven’t heard about yet

During the recent holidays, tens of thousands of Israelis flooded the all-inclusive hotels across the Greek islands and Cyprus – and for good reason. It’s a great deal for families with kids – not only financially, but also in terms of managing the day with little ones – between the pool, nap time, and lunch. The main rule: Don’t move.

Here in Israel, all-inclusive hotels are found in Eilat, and maybe one or two at the Dead Sea, but north of there – you won’t find any. Actually, there’s one all-inclusive hotel, and to be honest, we didn’t know about it ourselves until a week ago.

The Neve David Hotel in Netanya, formerly the Ramada Hotel (the sign is still there but will soon be removed), underwent renovations this past year – the rooms, pool, and some of the public areas – at a cost of about NIS 20 million, with more upgrades expected in the future. So what brought an all-inclusive hotel to Netanya, you ask? The idea came after the hotel hosted evacuees from Sderot and Kiryat Shmona over the past two years, who ate three meals a day there. The hotel staff got the hang of it, and the management decided it was working well.

Let’s start with the obvious – three meals, and alongside lunch served in the hotel dining room there’s also a free snack bar that operates throughout the swimming season at the hotel pool. It offers hot pizzas, fries, iced coffee, colorful slushies, soft drinks, draft beer, and ice pops for adults and kids alike. In the afternoon, there’s a coffee corner with a selection of cakes.

The food here is very varied and plentiful. Breakfast includes a wide selection of chopped vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, breads, fish, and more. You can also get an omelet made to order.

Dinner features various hot dishes for kids and adults, salads, spreads, sides – all truly generous and abundant.

For those observing kosher, the hotel has a synagogue – so the cakes are pareve after meat meals, and meat and dairy are not mixed in the dining room.

Another great perk is that all the hotel room balconies face the sea – guaranteeing you stunning sunsets.

The room renovation is noticeable, even compared to some of the public areas. Still, it’s not perfect. The living room furniture is relatively simple but pleasant and spacious, the bed in the bedroom is comfortable, the shower is nice – but it still lacks that final touch that would make the renovation flawless.

The renovation also included the pool – which is now large and inviting. True, these are the last days of open pool season, but keep that in mind for next summer. Besides the pool, there’s Netanya’s natural advantage – its stunning beaches.

Although the beach directly in front of the hotel isn’t yet accessible – as a developed beach is being built there to make it safe and attractive – a pleasant and mostly empty promenade walk of about fifteen minutes will take you to an organized beach access point. When we arrived there at 8:30 a.m., there were only a few people, and it felt like we were outside the city. The sea is always highly recommended.

We joined a tour at Planetanya – a lovely and fascinating place (with a slightly less successful name) located just a five-minute walk from the hotel. It includes a planetarium, science garden, classrooms, observatory, Japanese garden, space exhibits, and more. One of the most amazing experiences we had there was watching the moon landing through VR goggles. In general, you can easily spend a fun and educational couple of hours there with the kids.

The hotel also has a spa called Darya. The complex includes a sauna, massages, head spa, hot stone therapy, Ayurveda, reflexology, Turkish bath, and more. Hotel guests receive a ten percent discount on all treatments.

The rooms, as mentioned, are spacious, the pool is pleasant, the food is varied, and there’s plenty of it. It’s a great vacation for families with kids who don’t feel like leaving the hotel much, who are happy to load up on food, splash in the pool, and maybe go down to the beach. This concept is less suitable for couples or families looking for style and quiet.