A first look: This is what the new Gordonia Hotel opening this winter looks like

Do you know the Gordonia Hotel in Ma’ale HaHamisha in the Jerusalem mountains—the one we once wrote about that has a room for NIS 7,000 per night? So get ready for another Gordonia that will open very soon (in February 2026) in Zichron Yaacov.

We’ll get to how much a night will cost, but the new Gordonia, which is already standing and waiting for final “finishes,” will open in a different format from the boutique one in the Judean mountains. Get ready for 142 rooms and also the longest infinity pool in Israel (90 meters).

And this is only the beginning, as by 2029 Gordonia is expected to open six more hotels across the country, including: Golan Beach at the Kinneret (opening January 2027), Eilat, Caesarea, Sapir Park in the Arava, Netanya, and Olga Beach.

Let us just remind you that Gordonia is not a hotel chain, but a hotel management company founded in 2015. The owners of the company are Ephraim Kramer (owner of Eshet Tours) and Gadi Frieber, former CEO of Fattal Hotels.

Gordonia Zichron Yaacov is a new hotel built from scratch on land owned by Oded Turgeman, a contractor and real estate developer who owns the “Mall HaHof Village” shopping mall and the former Ramada Hotel in Hadera. The hotel is managed by another Turgeman—Robi Turgeman—a new name in the hotel-management lineup (not related to the owner).

The first thing you feel when you enter the hotel gates is the “wow” effect. The view westward, toward the cliff opening to the distant sea, with the fish ponds of Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael before it, definitely gives you a view that almost no hotel in Israel has, except for the Alma Hotel (also in Zichron and also part of the management network).

But what Alma does not have is the infinity pool that looks as if it is perched on the edge of the cliff (the Carmel Ridge) and spilling downward. The pool, lit by lamps at sunset with a pinkish hue, gives it a wonderful look of green water and will be heated year-round.

But not everything is rosy. On a hill outside the hotel is an area that is a construction site belonging to Kibbutz Ma’ayan Zvi, the same kibbutz with which Turgeman the father had a conflict and sued for NIS 19 million, and recently lost. On that same hill, Ma’ayan Zvi is building an expansion and also its own lodging site. According to CEO Robi, the work will continue for some years. However, it is just a slight disturbance when looking at the view, and that, as mentioned, is Gordonia’s strong point—a winning location.

Approximately NIS 200 million was invested in Gordonia Zichron Yaacov. It has, as mentioned, 142 rooms, among them 12 rooms with a private pool, six deluxe rooms including a jacuzzi, three executive suites with a jacuzzi, and a presidential suite with a private pool. I must put an asterisk on the private pool issue and note that it is not really private; rather, it is one long rectangular pool that runs along the 12 rooms and is separated by an iron railing. Meaning, it is not your own rectangular pool inside the room, but a pool in the style of the Agamim Hotel in Eilat, for those familiar. You can see and, of course, hear those in the pool in the room adjacent to yours. It’s not suitable for everyone.

Still on the topic of separation, we have not stayed at the hotel yet, but we can already see that the separation on the balcony between the rooms on the various floors is light—not a wall, but a kind of wooden partition. However, some Israelis take several rooms next to each other and love the togetherness. Either way, all rooms face the sea view.

The hotel was beautifully designed by architect Oshrat Ozari. She drew inspiration from the landscape, nature, the sea, and light. In her words, “Proper design is an expression of the human experience and a deep connection between people, space, and environment. It is not just the creation of a beautiful space.” And indeed, it seems thought was invested so that wherever you are in the room, including in the bathroom, you can see the view westward.

The highlight of the hotel will be its spa, which also faces the view, but unlike other hotels, spans two floors with seven single treatment rooms, four couples’ treatment rooms, a watsu pool, a jet pool, a hammam, a dry sauna, a wet sauna, and a rain waterfall.

The hotel will offer its guests half-board only (not just breakfast) in a dining room with a modern kitchen, including charcoal ovens. Every day between 16:00 and 19:00 drinks (including wine) and snacks will be served at no extra charge in what is called the “Gordonia Salon”—the lobby/reception area and essentially the entrance hall to the hotel.

Also in the hotel, two conference halls: the “Gal” hall and the “Adva” hall, and a synagogue on the lobby floor.

Gordonia Zichron Yaacov is a family hotel and is not an adults-only hotel, and will host children ages 10 and up year-round, and during Jewish holidays—Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot—children of any age. However, Frieber says he does not intend to offer children’s activities, kids’ clubs, and the like. “Every hotel that opens under my management will need to invent its own content,” he explains.

The price per night during the soft-opening period will start at NIS 2,000 per couple for the smallest room. Not cheap, but remember that this includes half-board. Nevertheless, these are prices that will only rise. “We started with Gordonia Ma’ale HaHamisha, and once we created it, we decided we were going for high-quality hotels,” Frieber said at a press conference at the Alma Hotel. However, in some of the hotels that Gordonia is set to open in the coming years, certainly in Zichron in the coming months, there will be 190–140 rooms, and here it is no longer a boutique like in Ma’ale HaHamisha, but hundreds of guests per day, including children. Gordonia will need to check how it maintains the boutique feel and the quality it claims to provide, given such a large number of guests, especially during holidays and the summer vacation. If it succeeds and maintains the level of the Ma’ale HaHamisha branch in all its hotels—and quite a few are planned—it will likely become the best hotel management network in Israel.