By Alexander J. Apfel/TPS
A new luxury hotel, which took more than 20 years to complete, is set to open in Israel’s Upper Galilee. The Galilion hotel features 120 luxury rooms, a large conference center, a health spa and a swimming pool.
The project was planned and overseen by chief architects Gadi Rubenstein and Oshrat Brown, who were able to secure an investment totalling NIS 90 million ($23 million) for the project, which began in 1995. In an interview with Tazpit Press Service (TPS), Rubenstein said that residents from Kibbutz Kfar Giladi of the Upper Galilee approached him with the idea to transform kibbutz-owned land into a tourist project.
Rubenstein said that while the hotel was not the first in the region, it is the first independent hotel unattached to a kibbutz or pre-existing enterprise since the land was acquired from Kfar Giladi some distance from the kibbutz itself. The hotel, whose construction began in 2011, is part of a larger venture which will include the opening of an industrial center that will have a farmers’ market, a spa health club and restaurants.
“There has never been such a project in the Upper Galilee,” Rubenstein told TPS.
Additionally, tourists will also have the opportunity to fly in an observation balloon and see the entire Galilee region and Mount Hermon from a height of 150 meters. Organized walking and driving tours will also be available into the Agamon Hula bird nature park in the Hula Valley.
“The Agamon Hula nature park is a great tourist attraction – hundreds of bird species come here during migration seasons,” pointed out Rubenstein.
“Previously people would come to the north just to travel around but now I hope that they will stay for longer periods of time,” said Rubenstein.
Rubenstein anticipates that the Galilion hotel will be open for business by May or June.