Inbal Hotel

 When I left Israel to live in England, I was studying at Ono College.

It was my luck that following corona, the studies moved to zoom and as the year moved on, to hybrid studies. The Dean of Students, Dr. Eyal Richter, was very focused on my needs and gave me permission to continue studying on zoom on the condition that I physically come to Israel for exams.

Now, of course, I no longer have an apartment in the country, so I had to stay during my visits to Israel in hotels.

Three years ago, I did a story on a weekend away at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem for the Maariv newspaper, so I decided to go there again to see what was new and how the hotel had been affected by the corona pandemic.

Already prior to the visit, I saw substantial changes that improved the customer's comfort level. I received an email inviting me to do a check-in independently and I filled in basic details on a computer from home in the UK.

I boarded a flight, Virgin Atlantic, how not! I really like this company due to their service and generosity and with my typical luck, I was upgraded to business class and was able to sleep for almost the entire flight in a chair that turns into a bed.

After I landed, first I reached my parents who recently made aliyah and said hello, then I arrived at the hotel tired but satisfied.

When I entered the hotel, Roni Timsut, the CEO of the hotel came out to say hi. He congratulated me on my wedding and said he hopes one day to see my wife in person. I promised he would get to meet her one day. He told me that during corona they had finished building up the hotel and its in-house restaurant. I bid my farewell to him and the guest service manager escorted me to my room, Room 827, a Grand Premium Room.

On the way, we talked about the fact that many Israelis have recently come to the hotel and enjoy the courteous and full service that the hotel has to offer.

The room was a large space with a large bed and a beautiful couch, which is also a pull-out bed, two closets for hanging clothes and a Nespresso coffee machine and minibar, a desk plus a large TV and two balconies with an amazing view of Jerusalem and the Old City.

A separate room for the toilet and another room with the shower and bath which is great if you're a couple as one can go be excused while the others on the shower.

I took my computer and connected to wi-fi and went into a meeting on zoom. The internet worked without a problem and the session flowed fine. The truth is that wi-fi speed made me feel at home with my browsing speed.

After the zoom, I set an alarm clock and went to bed so I would have the strength for my next appointment, the bed was comfortable and I immediately fell asleep.

My alarm clock went off, I drank some of the water left on the cupboard along with a bottle of wine and cookies, fruit and chocolates and I went down to the lobby for a meeting I'd been waiting for years: a meeting with Hillel Fuld!

Hillel is a well-known blogger in the field of technology and a brother of Ari Fuld HYD. The meeting took place at the hotel's new in-house restaurant called O2. With a hechsher of kosher rabbinate, O2 has a wide selection of meats with incredible tastes. The restaurant owner, Assaf Cohen, understands the food and together with his chef, Nitzan Gross, brings a menu of roast beef with egg salad which works so well, lamb, slabs of meat and steaks in mouth-melting flavours.

Hillel loved it so much that he took an order home to his wife so that his wife could enjoy it too! Sorry, my beloved Esther: it is a little hard to bring meat to England or I would do the same!

I was so full of meat I had no place for desserts which I wish I could have tried. Too bad! Next time, Assaf, remember I will come just for dessert!

I went up to the room for coffee and then left the hotel to meet my brother.

I came back later in the night and went up to the lounge. The lounge was full of cold drinks, cola, water, coffee juices, cakes, sandwiches and more. I took a drink and cakes and sat to study for the test.

I spoke with the lounge attendant who told me about satisfied customers and customers who tell her they prefer the Inbal to the King David and the Waldorf Astoria and that they feel at home with the warm treatment they receive at the Inbal.

She also said that employees receive employee benefits that give them a desire to help and pamper and provide service.

After studying, I went back to the room and went to sleep.

In the morning, I got up it was already nine o'clock so I went into the shower and saw that there is both a bath and a shower which is good, the hygiene products are from a well-known Dead Sea products company. The water flow was strong and hot - a good shower at just the right time.

I went down for breakfast and there were whole rows of different salads, and different cheeses, I asked for a cheese and mushroom omelette which they made me on the spot and with French toast, different cheeses, burekas and coffee, I felt it was a perfect Israeli breakfast.

I went upstairs and packed up and went to check out.

Overall, I was impressed. Yes, corona meant that the service ratio for many hotels was changed but for the Inbal hotel, they used it to make a change for the better for their business model and guest service.

Definitely a hotel worth staying at. See you next time Israel, I miss you!

Follow my socials

http://www.facebook.com/josharonsonisrael 

http://www.twitter.com/josharonson1 

www.instagram.com/aronsonjosh 

:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-aronson-11794129 

https://thejosharonson.blogspot.com