Jerusalem’s Inbal Hotel Unveils Recent Renovations

The Inbal, Jerusalem’s premier luxury five-star hotel, is set to unveil the second phase of its massive renovation tomorrow. The major renovation, which began three years ago, brings fifty-two new luxury rooms for 2018. The hotel is also completing the renovation of the public areas before Passover and updating its Sofia restaurant from a dairy concept to a grill restaurant.

The hotel is a popular destination for tourists, particularly Americans.  It’s very common to hear English accents during a stay at the Inbal: 80% of the hotel’s guests are Anglos, with 70% of that number being American. Visitors enjoy the hotel’s proximity to the Old City, as well as its unique world-class service. The staff goes over and beyond to ensure a good stay at the hotel, and they truly seem to enjoy what they do. The hotel, made from Jerusalem stone, also works with local artists, adding to its sense of authenticity and passion for the city in which it was built. After all, it is located in the heart of Yemin Moshe, an artist’s colony. Visitors also like the Inbal’s five-star rating, which it obtained last year from the Ministry of Tourism.

I recently sat down with the Inbal’s General Manager Rony Timsit. About the renovations, he said, “The Inbal is thirty-seven years old and we decided that it was time to rethink the hotel. It’s a large renovation – not only are we adding dining areas, but we are also reinforcing safety measures for 2018, making the Inbal nearly an entirely new hotel. We have redone the lobby, making it much more modern. We renovated the courtyard. We are creating a whole new dining experience and adding new rooms, as well as suites with their own elevators.”

Without a comparison to what the hotel looked like before, it’s hard to determine the difference, but after walking around the two new floors, led by Timsit,  and viewing the completely new rooms and suites, I can assure you that the renovation is indeed massive and that the Inbal is as luxurious as it sounds. In its last round of renovations, the top three floors became executive floors and now hold suites and the Executive Lounge, an adults-only area with complimentary food and drink with a royal view of the city. The new renovation is producing all types of rooms and suites with special amenities, such as walk-in closets. The rooms are spacious and built with total luxury in mind, all with amazing panoramic views of the Old City.

The hotel’s amenities have had an upgrade, too. The outdoor pool, a semi-Olympic pool, is heated year-round and makes for a perfect break from sightseeing. The indoor spa, also recently renovated and expanded, is a health club of excellence. It features new, state-of-the-art gym machines, certified personal trainers, and a plethora of treatments, as well as dry saunas, are offered. It really is the kind of place you can visit over and over.

In addition, Inbal has expanded its concierge department to help an increasing number of guests wanting to customize unique experiences in the city. The hotel is increasing the department from one to four concierges to help people better explore the city of Jerusalem. I received very helpful feedback on my touring plans during my own stay at the Inbal. Just as the hotel so splendidly employs a mixture of Jews and Arabs, I was told that it was safe to go most places in Israel. The Inbal is a wonderful example of a hotel that employs everyone with successful, and peaceful, results.

For more information, please visit www.inbalhotel.com.

The writer was a guest of the Inbal Hotel.