Palace

A Slavic kind of atmosphere.

I liked the view of the Mediterranean from my room, and the location was handy for the beach, city center, and bus station. Breakfast was included, served as a kosher buffet, which suited me. I did have to go down to reception to get hot water. It’s apartments now rather than a hotel, but the location and price are the main pluses, and for the cost it was okay.

Good enough for a night or two, especially if you’re after a place close to the sea, about two minutes away. The sheets were clean, towels were changed, and they cleaned on working days. Breakfast was decent. The furniture is old and there hasn’t been a renovation, so choose somewhere pricier if that matters to you. Wi-Fi was available at reception. We didn’t try the air conditioning or phone. No strange animals.

The rooms were cleaned very well, and they left two soaps and four shampoos each day. The elevator was unusual, too. Those were the only good points for me. The walls were peeling, lampshades were missing, and a cornice was coming loose, just as other reviews had said. The glass blinds never shut fully, so the room stayed windy and as cold as outdoors. Other tourists told me they had to block the window with a blanket. I was there off-season, when it was hot in the morning and cold at night with a strong chill in the air. Since the window wouldn’t close, I ended up with a runny nose and fever for the last two days. I’d come alone to see Israel and get away from the bustle of Moscow, not to go clubbing or partying. I dressed in jeans, a zipped-up windbreaker, and a T-shirt because the weather kept changing. One staff member, around 60, kept kissing my hands and winking. I assumed he was being fatherly. Later, while I waited for the excursion bus, he kissed my hand for a long time, winked, and said he’d come see me that night. I locked the door and wedged a chair under the knob. That night he pounded on the door, but the barricade held. The next day and after that he left me alone, but then the hotel’s builder began winking at me. I tried hard to make it clear he should stay away. I was scared to be in the hotel. Netanya’s streets felt very safe, but the hotel didn’t. Staff kept tabs on guests and were intrusive, brazenly asking where people were going and why, even when they went to the restroom. Many guests complained about it openly. I couldn’t relax or get time alone, and I genuinely feared for my life. The place and its staff made me feel in danger. Be careful.