A great accommodation option in Israel: the Zimmer

·2 mins read

Not many tourists visiting Israel are aware of them, but Zimmers are an excellent accommodation option for tourists and locals alike. No, they’re nothing to do with walking frames for the elderly, Zimmers are actually bed and breakfasts, or what you might call country lodging. They are becoming a serious alternative to the standard, and rather boring, option of a hotel in one of the big cities, and can often give a completely different view of Israel.

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: