The Casa Boutique Hotel: Savta-chic in Nahariya

Nahariya is not often mentioned as a vacation spot for Israelis. But with some of the nicest beaches in Israel, new attractions, and more hotel rooms, it may be time to plan a getaway there. Best of all, you don’t even need to drive. The train goes right to Nahariya.

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced hotel with lots of vintage décor, you won’t even need to leave the train station. Casa Boutique Hotel is actually in the same building as the train station. The lobby is on the third floor, rooms are on the 4th-8th, a bar with great views is on the 9th, and the heated pool is on the 10th.

After a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Jerusalem and checking into my room that had both a living room/kitchenette and a bedroom, I was hot and sticky and ready to cool off. I popped up to the rooftop pool which offers beautiful views of the city. I also met Lily and Frank, a couple originally from Venezuela now living in Nahariya. They had come to the hotel for a “yom kef (or fun day)” to celebrate Frank’s birthday.

For NIS 630 (about $165), they had breakfast, two massages, and use of the pool for the day. Lily told me they made aliyah about 20 years ago from Caracas but went back after a few years. But then the crime situation there worsened.

One day she was alone at her job doing payroll for a factory when thieves came in, held a gun to her head, and demanded that she open the safe and give them all the cash. She said she knew there was a lot of cash as it was payday, and salaries were paid in cash. She told the thieves she didn’t know the combination and they sufficed with just taking her wallet and jewelry.

That convinced her to move back to Israel which she did several years ago.

The décor at Casa Boutique is decidedly retro. There are old posters of movie stars scattered around the hotel. The walls of the rooms are painted avocado green, and there are chandeliers like in a 1980s TV program. The beds are very comfortable, and the Bio-Senses toiletries (a few of which may have come home with me) add a touch of luxury.

Food at the hotel

IN TERMS of food, dinner is only served on Friday nights, while breakfast is included in the room rate. The breakfast was a nice spread of salads, smoked fish, and hot dishes with a barista behind the bar making cappuccinos to order.

There is a spa and a fitness room as well and I was treated to a 30-minute massage. My only complaint was that it was too short.

The kitchenette that was part of my room, with a small refrigerator and a microwave, is handy for families or those coming for longer stays. The couch opens to a sofa bed and there is an espresso machine on the counter. What more do you need?

Nahariya has come a long way in the past 10 years. There is a burgeoning culinary scene along with new cocktail bars along the Gaaton, the main street of the town. The Western Galilee Tourism Association arranges all kinds of tours and experiences. For example, local towns and villages, both Jewish and Arab, are all coordinating a range of events from cooking classes in the Druze village of Hurfeish, to tours of the Knights Hall in Akko, to boat rides between Haifa and Akko, to hiking in some of Israel’s most beautiful areas. The Eshkol Galilee Tourism Association has put together dozens of options for tours in the area that combine archaeology, food, and culture.

And there is the sea. Nahariya has beautiful beaches. Next to Nahariya is one of Israel’s most beautiful nature reserves at Achziv, which also has a nature park in the sea. Several companies offer tours of the five islands in Achziv, one of which is called The Island of Love, and has hundreds of nesting birds. When I agreed to join the tour, I thought it was a calm boat ride along the coast. But given that the name of the company was “Xtreme Yam” I should have been a little more careful.

The ride in a Tornado Boat was fast, bumpy, and scary, but also fun. We stopped opposite The Island of Love and saw the baby birds, and a mother flying in with fish in her beak. We also saw Achziv and Rosh Hanikra from the water which is exceptionally clear. There was a glimpse of a sea turtle, but I missed it.

If you haven’t been to Nahariya, October is a great time to visit.

The writer was a guest of Casa Boutique Hotel (casahotel.co.il) and Xtreme Yam (xtremeyam.co.il).