Beresheet Hotel - מלון בראשית

We’ve stayed at Beresheet five times over the past two years, in all combinations possible: just the two of us, with extended family, and with small children. We've stayed in every room type except the deluxe and presidential suites, experienced the hotel under two different managements, with and without dinner included, and used all the main facilities.||Bottom line:||Beresheet is likely the most pleasant hotel in Israel for a summer escape (i.e., 70% of the time), though it has its shortcomings. I haven't been to Six Senses further south, so I can’t compare directly, but my hunch is that it offers less value for repeated visits. Other high-end Isrotel properties in the north are probably more suitable for spring and winter. After a few visits, I’d say the best value for money is a balcony room overlooking the crater, without pre-booked dinner.|I predict we will continue to return to this hotel—it’s probably the best escape one can have around here without getting on a plane or spending too much (although it is expensive, for sure).||Here is my extended review:||By far the most important feature of the hotel is the outdoor infinity pool. While the pool itself is quite simple in design, the views are spectacular—open, serene, and not crowded. We’ve spent entire days beside it and felt very content with ourselves. The hotel is designed as an ancient Hebrew village (or at least, thats how I felt), and it really stands out—just walking around gives you a splendid feeling.||As for rooms, all rooms (excluding the deluxe and presidential suites) have identical, quite large interiors—40m², with spacious bathrooms and an extremely pleasant bathtub (they provide free bath salts upon requests). The family rooms add an extra room with two separate beds (totaling in 50m²), but they look the same other than that. Some rooms have a private pool (which we barely use), and some have a balcony, but the interior is the same throughout—high-quality and well-maintained, though old-fashioned, which we personally like. Its nice just to hang out in the room in between activies.||As for food, the main restaurant is a kosher meat restaurant with mediocre food. Breakfast is generally excellent but can be inconsistent—one day the eggs Benedict can be splendid, and the next, mushy. Still, the atmosphere is always relaxed and well-organized, and it stands out compared to the notoriously generic breakfast experience in Israeli hotels. The dairy restaurant, by contrast, has a much more pleasant vibe than the main resturant, with crater views, and the food quality is noticeably better—although the variety is limited. Moreover, until the afternoon, there is an outdoor grill restaurant near the pool which serves a simple and excellent savory meat menu. I think the best option is to eat there to get your fill and add a little something at the dairy restaurant in the evening (or use room service, which is excellent).||As for the spa: it is limited compared to other Isrotel properties. The only jacuzzi available to general guests is next to the indoor pool—it’s quite small and not very pleasant. There is another hot tub in the presidential suite overlooking the crater, but it’s not open to the public. I find this to be a very strange decision in the hotel’s layout.||The spa area itself is very small—located underground and quite dark, which is a shame. There is no real sitting area or dipping pool inside the spa itself. The hammam is of high quality, but since there’s no jacuzzi or plunge pool nearby, and no extensive space to relax afterward, the experience is short-lived. Also, the tea they serve is commercial bottled tea sold in supermarkets—not an in-house infusion. It is sweet and pleasant, though, and most guests don’t seem to notice. The spa closes at 18:00 and opens only at 09:00, so doing an outdoor workout and then heading straight to the spa is not an option, which is unfortunate.||Just for comparison’s sake: the Carmel Forest Mansion has a large lounging area and an entire wing for saunas and hammams, with dipping pools and showers. They serve homemade tea, sweets, and other refreshments nearby. The gym at Carmel Forest is also much better equipped, whereas here it really isn’t. Even Kedma Hotel, just a 30-minute drive north and supposedly a much lower-tier property, has a massive hammam with a very large dipping pool inside. Of course, these hotels have their own shortcomings, so I suppose it balances out.||The hotel is generous in its offerings: they provide bottled water, milk, coffee, and fulfill any room requests quickly and free of charge. Sweet, simple cava is served in the lobby in the afternoon, also free of charge. I already mentioned the bottled tea, and there are also some local sweets, which are OK.||As for the service—without being petty, I would deem it excellent overall. Even the bellboys try their best and aim to be charming (with some inconsistencies, likely because they are the lowest-paid staff, and there aren’t enough of them).||It’s highly advisable to have a direct contact at the hotel before arrival, as communicating requests like room location or preferences through Isrotel’s central system is nearly impossible. In general, make requests via WhatsApp or directly to hotel staff—any request routed through Isrotel customer service is handled by the central system, which is remarkably lacking.

We had been hearing about Beresheet for so long we finally had the opportunity to try it for ourselves. The setting is unique and watching a sunset over the crater is magnificent. Breakfast is plentiful and delicious. We didn’t eat at the restaurant for dinner but we did order room service and found it satisfying. I found the spa size and options and overall amenities on the limited side and personally felt the value did not meet the pricing. It’s possible we came with overly high expectations due to the “hype” surrounding it. One important thing to note: even if you have a smoke free room they allow smoking outdoors- so if you are sitting on your balcony or private pool you will be affected by people smoking outside their rooms. We’re still glad we visited and would recommend visiting for the unique setting (with tempered expectations)

Amazing hotel, worth the money |The location is beautiful and perfect. |The room is so nice and clean. |The service desk and the restaurant team was very helpful and friendly. |I do recommend that hotel and soon will come back again. |The place is very quiet and relaxing

I’ll start by saying the hotel is absolutely fabulous. The design is stunning, the rooms are clean, and they clean your room twice a day. The room itself is fully equipped with everything you need – an espresso machine, a working station, champagne, and a bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub. It’s really perfect! They also offer a pillow menu to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible when it comes to your sleeping needs. Plus, there’s a golf cart service to take you from your room to anywhere around the hotel, which is a nice touch. The location is incredibly beautiful and peaceful – it’s everything! Surrounded by nature, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind, but just keep in mind, it’s also remote. As for food – our reservation only included breakfast, but you can add dinner upon arrival. It's not cheap, but the food is good and definitely worth it. It's also important to plan ahead with meals, as there aren’t many dining options outside the hotel. The hotel is located in the middle of the desert, not near a main city, so you won't find a lot of restaurants nearby. Now, the team (receptionists, waitstaff, and all the other staff) could benefit from more professional training on customer service for a 5-star hotel experience. While they all have great intentions and are friendly, the service lacked the level of professionalism I would expect from a 5-star establishment. If I were at a 3- or 4-star hotel, I’d say the service was fine, but at this level, I expected a little more attention to detail.

Peaceful vibes, tons of space, integrated into astonishing nature. The staff provided outstanding service and accommodated all of our requests, including very specific ones from the littles in the family. The food was excellent as well and the facilities in front of the crate are breathtaking. |Highly recommended if you are experiencing Israel and want to make the most out of your trip.

We’ve stayed at Beresheet five times over the past two years, in all combinations possible: just the two of us, with extended family, and with small children. We've stayed in every room type except the deluxe and presidential suites, experienced the hotel under two different managements, with and without dinner included, and used all the main facilities. Bottom line: Beresheet is likely the most pleasant hotel in Israel for a summer escape (i.e., 70% of the time), though it has its shortcomings. I haven't been to Six Senses further south, so I can’t compare directly, but my hunch is that it offers less value for repeated visits. Other high-end Isrotel properties in the north are probably more suitable for spring and winter. After a few visits, I’d say the best value for money is a balcony room overlooking the crater, without pre-booked dinner. I predict we will continue to return to this hotel—it’s probably the best escape one can have around here without getting on a plane or spending too much (although it is expensive, for sure). Here is my extended review: By far the most important feature of the hotel is the outdoor infinity pool. While the pool itself is quite simple in design, the views are spectacular—open, serene, and not crowded. We’ve spent entire days beside it and felt very content with ourselves. The hotel is designed as an ancient Hebrew village (or at least, thats how I felt), and it really stands out—just walking around gives you a splendid feeling. For comments on the food and rooms, see seperate sections below. As for the spa: it is limited compared to other Isrotel properties. The only jacuzzi available to general guests is next to the indoor pool—it’s quite small and not very pleasant. There is another hot tub in the presidential suite overlooking the crater, but it’s not open to the public. I find this to be a very strange decision in the hotel’s layout. The spa area itself is very small—located underground and quite dark, which is a shame. There is no real sitting area or dipping pool inside the spa itself. The hammam is of high quality, but since there’s no jacuzzi or plunge pool nearby, and no extensive space to relax afterward, the experience is short-lived. Also, the cold tea they serve is actually commercial tea sold in supermarkets, in disguise of a "home-made infusion". It is sweet and pleasant, though, and most guests don’t seem to notice. The spa closes at 18:00 and opens only at 09:00, so doing an outdoor workout and then heading straight to the spa is not an option, which is unfortunate. Just for comparison’s sake: the Carmel Forest Mansion has a large lounging area and an entire wing for saunas and hammams, with dipping pools and showers. They serve homemade tea, sweets, and other refreshments nearby. The gym at Carmel Forest is also much better equipped, whereas here it really isn’t. Even Kedma Hotel, just a 30-minute drive north and supposedly a much lower-tier property, has a massive hammam with a very large dipping pool inside. Of course, these hotels have their own shortcomings, so I suppose it balances out. The hotel is generous in its offerings: they provide bottled water, milk, coffee, and fulfill any room requests quickly and free of charge. Sweet, simple cava is served in the lobby in the afternoon, also free of charge. I already mentioned the commerical tea in diguise of "home-made infusion", and there are also some local sweets, which are OK. As for the service—without being petty, I would deem it excellent overall. Even the bellboys try their best and aim to be charming (with some inconsistencies, likely because they are the lowest-paid staff, and there aren’t enough of them). It’s highly advisable to have a direct contact at the hotel before arrival, as communicating requests like room location or preferences through Isrotel’s central system is nearly impossible. In general, make requests via WhatsApp or directly to hotel staff—any request routed through Isrotel customer service is handled by the central system, which is remarkably lacking.

Visit once to see the location, but be ready for inconsistent staff, from polite and professional to downright rude or just untrained for the job. The location is really amazing and the rooms are well appointed, but we had multiple acute issues including with the pool attendant and bellhop on checkout, as well as some minor staff problems that shouldn’t happen at a “5 star” that charges what this hotel does. I left a detailed review on TripAdvisor for more info.

Fantastic unique view. The lobby and pool have wonderful amazing views over the crater. The choice of food in buffets was large and plentiful. The spa service was good and so was the service by pool. Otherwise, hotel and services totally overrated, especially in comparison to other Isrotel hotels:|1. The room furniture needs to be updated.Bed extremely uncomfortable. Couch falling apart. The front door of the room barely closed. |2.Dining room packed both during dinner and breakfast, to the point it was hard to walk around the buffet. |If you don't like rosewater, very limited deserts and pastries available. |3. The service was average and beĺow. Not much to talk about . Didn't feel anyone went out of their way (especially when they saw an elderly man who walked with a cane- my fatherin law). The staff at the reception were on the cold side and not very welcoming to say the least. The first thing they initiated telling me upon arrival, was what I'm not entitled to regarding my membership in the isrotel club, explaining that in the other hotels they may "round corners but here we follow the rules". Again, without me even saying anything. I felt under attack. No "welcome to the hotel", no inquiriy regarding the unusual weather and crazy sand storm we encountered during our 3.5 hour drive from the center. ||All on all, not worth the very long ride to mitzpeh ramon from center ,just to be at the hotel. OK if you are passing by. Other isrotel hotels, including those not in the exclusive line ,offer much better, nicer, more comfortable ,friendlier accommodations. |Again, totally overrated. A hotel is not just the view!!