One aspect of tourism that has shown a noticeable change over these years is the shifting preference for spending the holiday in a city apartment as opposed to a hotel. Not that the hotels are complaining as they still command high prices for restricted sea frontage. There undoubtedly remain some tourists that prefer the hotel holiday lifestyle and will not relinquish this pleasure. Others have realized that their money can go further and explore the alternatives available to them.

As a case study, let’s look at the bustling and ever popular Tel Aviv vacation rental scene. Beautiful long beaches, bars and cafes stretching the length of the sand. Seasoned Tel Aviv visitors have realized that there is much more to the city than just being a ‘beach town’.

In order to maximize their ‘authentic’ Tel Aviv experience they need to live more like a local. This means renting a ‘short-term’ apartment somewhere within the hustle bustle of the city. As well as being significantly more cost effective, there are other benefits that an apartment has over a hotel room. Families prefer having a kitchen to feed children at home, a private balcony or garden means they can enjoy the sunshine without having to go down to the public hotel pool area.

The rise in popularity for apartments can be seen by the increase in the number of companies offering short-term apartment rentals. Tel Aviv based company ‘Stay at my Place!’ offered this insight into the growing trend: ‘Israel tourists today are much more street savvy than they once were. They know that the cost of coming here and eating out and shopping is not cheap so if they can save some money on their accommodation they will.’

It is equally as easy to book an apartment today online from anywhere in the world as it is a hotel. Websites are in English and have a list of apartment options with locations throughout the country. Some companies act as a ‘one-stop shop’ for travelers in Israel wanting to stay in different cities. By visiting www.stayatmyplace.co.il, a tourist could book a trip all the way from Eilat to Netanya, stopping off in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on the way.

Cara Katz of ‘Stay at my Place!’ thinks that the Israeli tourist is inherently different to your typical tourist: ‘They come here because they feel at home. Forget the beaches and tourist sites for a second, they are Jewish and for 2 weeks of the year want to feel like they are in their ‘religious homeland’. A home has to feel homely which an apartment offers much more than a hotel. This trend is only going to keep growing as more people keep coming back again and again.’

Jerusalem hotels, luxury, tourist, boutique or religious – Jerusalem has them all

Jerusalem hotels have to cater for an amazing variety of visitors, each with their own expectations and demands, their tastes and budget. Hotels in Jerusalem can be found spread throughout the city and every visitor will be able to find the perfect Jerusalem hotel for his or her stay.

If you want to stay in one of the Jerusalem hotels overlooking the Old City, you have many to choose from. The newest and most modern is the David Citadel Hotel with 384 rooms and suites, the majority of which overlook the Old City of Jerusalem. Undeniably the best hotel in Jerusalem , the David Citadel Hotel has already earned itself a reputation for excellence, quality and service.

If you want more central Jerusalem hotels there is no shortage, including youth hostels, tourist hotels and luxury 5 star hotels. Like almost every hotel in Jerusalem they are close to public transport and visitors can get to any point in the city with relative ease.

Jerusalem hotels also include a number of unique boutique hotels. Usually small and situated in some of the city’s more colorful neighborhoods, a boutique Jerusalem hotel can add a unique dimension to your stay. Many of these small and exclusive Jerusalem hotels occupy buildings over 100 years old, built from massive Jerusalem stone and with original tiled floors.

There are also special hotels Jerusalem offers its religious guests. While the majority of hotels Jerusalem provides for its visitors comply with Jewish dietary restrictions and Sabbath laws, many ultra orthodox Jews demand even stricter observance of Jewish religious law.

The best hotels Jerusalem provides are waiting for you

A good hotel can make a great holiday perfect. A bad hotel can ruin your vacation totally! In Israel, and especially in Jerusalem, owners and management of hotels in Jerusalem have over the years made strenuous efforts to constantly improve and upgrade their facilities, just like the David Citadel Hotel. Hoteliers know that they provide a service, a service that you pay good money for. They want you to get full value for your money so that you go home with that “WOW” feeling.

Because of this, and because they want you to go home and tell your friends what a great time you had, every hotel in Jerusalem goes out of its way to make your stay perfect. Fine, comfortable accommodation, excellent restaurants, state of the art facilities, helpful and courteous staff – everything you need to put the cherry on top of your vacation.

Instead of waking up to the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, you could find yourself waking up in a log cabin in the Galilee hills, with a sumptuous Israeli breakfast laid out before you, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Or with a vista of the Negev Desert. Or with a snow-capped Mount Hermon in the distance. It’s really down to you and where you plan to go on your trip to Israel.

Another reason you might consider a Zimmer as your accommodation option in Israel: the price. Sometimes prices can reach half of what you’d pay for a reasonable hotel in somewhere like Tel Aviv (let’s say $250 a night), especially in mid-week. Though be aware that at the weekend Zimmer prices often match those in the city hotels, as many locals head out for the weekend.

And another big reason to stay in a Zimmer: many top level Zimmers have a range of extras that provide excellent value for money. For example, many have jacuzzis, cable TV, wine and even a log fire (admittedly not much use most of the year!) at your disposal. They are also a source of great information about where to go and what to do in the area.

Israelis themselves have grown to love Zimmers over the last few years, and many have even been drawn into the lifestyle of running their own bed and breakfast type setup. Zimmer owners in Israel, and especially those new to this branch of the accommodation industry, will have been heartened by recent figures that show growth of some 40% over the last two years which has turned Zimmers into a billion shekel industry. There’s a trend there, for sure.

They will also have been smiling at the Israeli Tourism Ministry’s recent declarations that the number of hotel rooms in Israel is clearly in bad shape, what with big plans to increase the number of tourists visiting Israel (and February’s tourist numbers reinforce that), meaning that many tourists might well consider the Zimmer accommodation option (there are some 9000 Zimmers in Israel today), where in the past they would never have even been offered it…

I have friends who run Zimmers, and have managed to stay in a number of them over the years. I’m actually a big fan of the north of Israel and villages like Amirim, Had Ness and Sarona, where you can find some awesome Zimmers.

Here are a couple of sites (in English) that provide more details of the Zimmers available in Israel:

• www.zimmeril.com
• www.tour-israel.co.il
• www.gogalilee.org (Zimmers in the North only)

Wherever you end up staying, have a great time!

Hence the search for a cheaper, more convenient option. Of course, the ultimate economy drive would mean a stay at one of Israel’s great little hostels. However, as some of us aren’t 19 anymore, and know that the toddlers might find it tricky climbing into the top bunk, hostels aren’t always a realistic option.

So, unless you’ve got friends or family in Israel and a place to crash for a few days, your options are fairly limited. Well, they WERE limited until recently. But with the relatively new, but exploding, short-term rental market, your plans for a great stay in Israel just got a little sweeter.

The worldwide boom in the short-term rental market has meant your accommodation options on your trip to Israel have also been expanded: instead of the standard hotel/guesthouse/hostel option, you can now also rent out a vacation apartment, find a luxury apartment, a sublet, or even hook up with roommates.

I came across a great website, telavista, that wraps up all these accommodation options in one easy to navigate site. Ads are also in three languages: English, French and Russian, with apparently more languages on the way.

They have some great rental options available, mainly focused on the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya and Eilat (although you’d probably base yourself in one of these locations anyway).

You can choose a budget (they have rentals ranging from roommates for $20 a night to $200-300 for a fully furnished pad), the number of people you need to accommodate, and yes, even how close to the beach you want to be (maybe in Jerusalem that should be modified to “How close to the Old City”, because, well, the beach is quite a trek from Jerusalem…). But the site is easy to navigate, you can see a few pictures of the potential rental and easily get in touch with the flat owner at the click of a button. Looks like a good service.

A furnished apartment close to the action (be it the beach or the city center) is a great alternative to hotels/hostels and could be an excellent option for couples, travelers, families, businessmen, students, diplomats, basically anyone looking for a great stay in Israel. It might just turn out to be the real Israel experience you never even expected…