Introduction:
Last month I had a last minute stay at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach.
The Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach is one of the nicer chain hotels in Tel Aviv and is well priced for points redemptions at only 30K per night.
IHG has a strong presence in Israel with properties from North to South including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, Jerusalem and the Dead sea, in total IHG manages 8 properties and will soon open their 9th property, an Intercontinental in Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv
Intercontinental Tel Aviv – 50,000 points per night.
Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach – 30,000 points per night.
Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center – 30,000 points per night.
Hotel Indigo Ramat Gan – 25,000 Points per night.
Haifa
Crowne Plaza Haifa – 30,000 points per night.
Jerusalem
Crowne Plaza Jerusalem – 20,000 points per night.
Intercontinental Jerusalem – Not yet open, to be advertised.
Dead Sea
Crowne Plaza Dead Sea – 20,000 points per night.
Eilat
Crowne Plaza Eilat – 20,000 points per night.
Booking Process
Prices at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach tend to range at around 200-300$ per night before VAT of 17% that only applies to Israeli nationals or 30,000 points.
At this hotel a points redemption makes sense in almost all cases, as it’s easy to buy 30,000 points for 150$.
Check-In & Elite Status Recognition
Arrival was easy enough with a taxi and only took a few minutes from Tel Aviv’s central train station.
As I arrived I noticed that the hotel was taking security seriously, I was asked if I’m already a guest or if I’m checking in, once I replied I’m checking in I was promptly welcomed in and directed to the check-in desk located right of the entrance doors.
The lobby was rather empty and there was no line at check in, later on it was clear that the hotel was’t very full which isn’t too surprising for a mid-week February stay.
A very friendly and welcoming front desk agent checked me in promptly and thanked me for my loyalty to IHG and for having Platinum status, informed me that I was upgraded to a renovated room with ocean view (King Executive room but without lounge access), proactively offered late check-out, two drinks/snacks vouchers as a welcome amenity and asked if there’s anything else I might need.
She also mentioned the hotel is in the midst of some room renovations and if there’s any disturbance I should inform the front desk.
I also quickly asked what would be the supplement to add lounge access for my room, she informed me it would be 90$ per night per room or 65$ for platinum members, I decided not to add it as I was staying by myself and planned on going out for dinner with friends anyway.
The agent quickly called housekeeping to make sure my room was ready and gave me a key.
Room
After I was checked-in I headed to my room located on the 9th floor. the hotel elevators don’t require a room key and are operated using a touch screen where you are supposed to press the floor number and the screens directs you to one of 4 elevators. During my stay I never had to wait too long for an elevator so clearly this new setup seems to work quite well.
The elevators were clearly recently refurbished with virtual “aquarium” screens which was a nice touch.
The room I received was on the 9th floor and was recently renovated with brand new bathroom, hardwood floors, furniture, large flat screen TV and coffee machine.
The room featured a large king size bed, a glass closet, a writing desk and chair, a sitting area with a sofa and coffee table, minibar stocked with items, kettle, an Illy coffee machine and a large flat screen TV with both Israeli tv channels as well as some international channels.
The room had a fairly large bathroom with a large walk-in shower stocked with two bathrobes and miniature toiletries. The shower head was large and high enabling even very tall guests to use it comfortably. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the bathroom had fresh flowers.
Right past the sitting area the room had a balcony overlooking the beach and ocean, the balcony featured a chair and table and was a nice area to sit, read a book and relax.
I absolutely loved the room and thought it had a very modern design and practical layout, I also noticed that the lighting in the room was quite strong which is becoming far too rare in new hotels trying to conserve electricity.
Dinning & Room Service
I initially wasn’t planning on eating at the hotel given how great and affordable the culinary scene tends to be in Israel in general and in Tel Aviv in particular but after some minor noise issue I had the service manager proactively comped some room service drinks and breakfast buffet for my stay.
The Breakfast buffet is located one floor below the lobby and takes place in a large dining room with individual tables overlooking the beach and ocean with floor to celling glass windows featuring unbeatable breathtaking views.
Unfortunately I ran out of battery on my phone so didn’t take too many pictures, but the buffet was very extensive featuring a fresh bread and pastry station, a make-your-own-salad station, a salad bar, hummus and local dips, fresh cut fruits, cakes, muffins, cooked to order eggs including eggs Benedict and omelettes, fresh baked Burekas, some pizza like flat breads, shakshuka in individual miniature pans, potatoes with cream and some noodles.
The Service during breakfast was very attentive, I was offered coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juices several times and plates were constantly cleared. Every employee I interacted with during breakfast was friendly, professional and polished.
During breakfast Linoy the service manager that a talked with on the phone the day before came by my table, introduced herself and asked me how my stay was going while also apologising for the minor noise I heard the day before.
The in-room dinning featured some complimentary coffee and tea, cookies and espresso machine. There was also a stocked mini-bar which was priced a bit high for Israel but within the expected range of a large international chain hotel standards.
There was also a room service breakfast which was actually reasonably priced and could make for a quick and convenient option for guest with early morning flights.
The room service menu was extensive and featured both dairy and meat products despite the hotel being Kosher, I would guess that the food comes from two separate kitchens.
While I didn’t use the in-room dinning other than a few drinks, I found it very reasonably priced both for a hotel and also generally for the location.
Service
Service at this hotel was exemplary and very polished, from the front desk, the bellman, the service manager, at breakfast or at the bar. Every employee I interacted with always greeted guests with a smile and seemed to genuinely enjoy working here.
A few times while walking from the elevator to my room the housekeeper saw me and proactively asked if I needed anything else in my room.
When I returned to my room after leaving for a few hours I had some water bottles and cookies waiting for me.
One issue that I encountered during my stay was some noise during the day from the floor above caused by the hotel refurbishments going on, I called the front desk to ask at what time the work will be over and was informed it should be done within half an hour and apologised profusely. After a few minutes I received a call from Linoy the service manager who wanted to assure me that the noise will be over soon, apologised again and asked me if I’d like to change rooms or if there is anything she can do for me, I said it was fine and unnecessary but she insisted on making up for the minor mishap by adding complimentary breakfast.
Later in the evening Linoy called again to make sure everything is ok and to make sure I’m enjoying my stay, she also proactively comped some free room service drinks and the day after introduced herself at breakfast.
I appreciated how attentive and professional Linoy was, it was clear that she takes her job seriously and wanted to make sure her guests are having a good time and enjoying their stay.
I found the service at this hotel to by a level above other similar hotels in the area, it was clear that employees truly enjoy working here and how well they were all trained to provide professional and proactive service.
Location
The Location of the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach cannot be beaten, it is right on the beach with direct access, right in the center of Tel Aviv with endless number of cafes, restaurants and pubs all within walking distance, perfect for any tourist coming to Tel Aviv.
Amenities
Since I only stayed here for a quick visit while working I never had a chance to use the hotel facilities.
The hotel features an outdoor pool, indoor pool and spa, direct access to the beach and a gym.
Inside the lobby, past the front desk and the elevator area the hotel bar is located, I grabbed a few drinks with a friend after dinner, the service at the bar was professional and quick, unfortunately they ran out of draft beers and only had bottled beers when we visited. one thing to note is the fact that the bar closes a bit early at 11PM, it shouldn’t be a problem given the great location, within walking distance of several bars, cafes and clubs in the area.
Conclusions
In conclusion, I had a lovely stay at this hotel, received a nice upgrade and excellent IHG platinum elite recognition. I found the renovated rooms to be some of the best in the city, the location cannot have been better for my needs, service was attentive and professional and even the minor noise issue was solved quickly.
I wouldn’t hesitate to return to this hotel again and would recommend it to others, it provides an excellent value for money and a great points redemption.
