Are you planning a trip to Israel and don’t know where to stay? I want to share 10 hotels in Israel that are worth looking into. These hotels all practice sustainable management, from locally sourced food, to energy-saving light bulbs, and bans on plastic waste. From luxury hotels to a simpler, rugged desert experience, I have covered them all.
1. Six Senses Shaharut
Six Senses Shaharut is a magnificent place to stay if you are traveling to the Negev Desert. This beautiful property is committed to being a sustainable hotel, and they even list their sustainable measures on their website. The hotel is the first in Israel to be certified to achieve LEED by the US Green Building Council, although some Middle East countries use their own standard rating called Pearl.
The hotel was designed in a way that reduces energy consumption by 25 percent. The lighting systems are made motion censored and are energy-efficient. The food waste is composted and then used on-site in their garden. They also produce and bottle their own water in glass bottles and partner with BevGuard to ensure high-quality drinking water. The oil they use for cooking is recycled into biodiesel and they do not discharge any waste liquids via the use of a palm grove that absorbs all the treated wastewater.
They even have an Energy Lab where they encourage their guests to come and learn about the resort’s sustainability efforts.
2. The Vera
This hotel is located in Tel Aviv just north of the Florentin neighborhood and has much to offer. Designed by Assaf Solomon, an architect, and designer of many hotels in Israel, this hotel is well worth staying in if you want to stay in a prime location in Tel Aviv. Besides having great amenities like a spa, cafe, bar, and fitness center, the hotel has a modern design that incorporates sustainable measures into its operation.
Firstly, they were the first hotel to ban single-use plastics. “The elimination of single-use plastics is an obvious decision and a forward step for the hotel industry,” says Danny Tamari, CEO and founder of The Vera. “We continually strive to build an environmentally-conscious society, and The Vera’s action reflects our vision of what a modern hospitality experience should be.”
In addition, The Vera uses locally sourced products they get from a company called Arugot, which their products are made from seeds in the western Negev. They also use an energy-efficient air-conditioning system and use eco-insulation.
3. Abraham Hostel
One of my personal favorites which I stayed in myself was Abraham Hostel. Located on Levontin St in a prime location in Tel Aviv, this hostel was much to offer. Environmentally, the hostel takes part in sustainable practices to encourage sustainable travel for its guests.
They encourage recycling by having recycling spaces throughout the hostel. They also use LED lighting and use timers for the shower heaters to conserve energy. In terms of food, they make accommodations for vegans and get their food from local sources. They encourage public transportation with awareness campaigns on buses, bikes, and scooters. The hotel created an entire sustainable guide to travel that they share with their guests and is up on their website.
They also have locations in Jerusalem. Eilat, Nazareth, and Sinai, although the Sinai location is rumored to have shut down over political issues between its local owners there.
4. Dan Hotels
This Israeli hotel chain has 18 locations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Herzilya, Eilat, Caesarea, North, and Haifa. They are highly regarded as being a sustainable and eco-friendly hotel. The hotels earned a 9.1/10 on the ETIC ethical and sustainable score according to the ETIC Hotels.
Most of the properties are made with isolated windows to increase thermal efficiency, which decreases the amount of energy needed for cooling and heating. They are also switching all our their lighting to LED, Neon lamps, or Fluorescent bulbs.
This energy-saving system that Dan Hotels are currently working to incorporate into all their locations works as a two-fold system, it saves energy lost while also being able to share energy generated from the air conditioning to heat the pools and so on.
5. Tzlil Hateva
The Tzlil Hateva Hotel in Hosen is inspired by a wood cabin design that is located alongside the mountains and the valley. This hotel takes big steps to be an eco-friendly hotel. This hotel uses biomass as its renewable energy source, which reduces its emissions of greenhouse gases. It’s not a luxury hotel so don’t expect the look and feel of Tel Aviv or other hotels on this list, but it’s a decent budget option that puts sustainability into its practice.
Some of the other practices the hotel takes part in are getting materials for building from sustainable sources, using LED lighting, sustainable toilets, having low-flow toilets, composting organic waste, diet for vegetarians, and so much more. In addition, the hotel is part of the Travel Sustainable program, which is designed to adhere to the needs of the environment and sustainable development.
For more budget eco travel in Israel, here are some tips to avoid the very high prices of hotels. Israel runs a network of SPNI field schools and basic lodging. Usually set in Israel’s most untouched nature, an SPNI Field School in locations like Ein Gedi are a the nature-lover’s dream destination. SPNI Field Schools provide accommodation, and educational hiking and walking tours. Don’t expect the amenities of an eco hotel, but these sites are adequate for getting out into nature.
6. Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv – Diamond District
This luxurious hotel located on Aholiav Street in Tel Aviv is modern, elegant, and spacious. The hotel is part of the IHG Green Engage system, showing that sustainability is a major player in their operations. This system allows the hotel to measure and manage their impact on the environment by providing all information they need to reduce their energy, waste, and emissions.
Nestled in the sophisticated Diamond District among eclectic architecture and fashion boutiques, the Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv Diamond District hotel is designed to be an Art Deco reinterpretation of the world’s most precious stone.
The hotel was rated 9.3/10 on their ETIC ethical and sustainable score because they completed all requirements to be an IHG hotel. This means they have reduced their energy consumption by 25 percent. They also earned a bioscore sustainability level A. Similar hotels are found in countries around the world and this boutique hotel has a location in Oman and one in Dubai.
7. Hotel Saul
Hotel Saul in Tel Aviv is the heart of Tel Aviv and commits to a range of sustainable practices. The Saul is the first hotel in Israel to be a part of the Green Key Program, which sets standards for global sustainability tourism. The Green Key Program, which started in 1994 pushes the hotel and other operations in the tourism industry to pledge to sustainable practices and technology.
The Shaul specifically, has numerous operations that are sustainable. Some of which include the separation of waste and locally sourced products. They also use LED lights and harness a Miso system for lighting which is a power-saving technology. They use an economical water heating system and use Sunergy windows which help to maintain room temperatures by use of natural light.
8. Desert Shade Eco-Lodge
This lodge is for people who like to be out in nature. In the Ramon Crater, the Desert Shade Eco-Lodge is a hand-built, unique desert experience that is known for the breathtaking views of the night sky. This hotel is eco because it allows its guests to reconnect with nature and get away from the craziness of the world. It supplies many desert activities such as stargazing, Nomad breakfast, fire pits, and bedouin tents, as well as drinking wine from their boutique winery.
There are 7 eco-huts, which were made sustainably with mud bricks and straw. In addition, the lodge only uses composting toilets. If you are looking for an authentic desert experience, this is the place for you.
9. Fabric Hotel
This hotel in Tel Aviv is in a prime location on Nahalat Binyamin Street. Like many other green hotels, this hotel does not use single-use plastic and gets all of the food locally sourced. In order to promote sustainable travel, the hotel has free bikes available for its guests. The green spaces all use LED bulbs and the rooftop is a hit among guests. The directors of the hotel also own a chain of hotels, including Shalom & Relax, Tal by the Beach, Backstage Hotel, and more. All these hotels use similar sustainable practices to inspire and spread the sustainable tourism industry.
10. Alberto by Isrotel Design
This hotel has numerous sustainable practices with waste, water, energy, and nature. They take numerous initiatives towards sustainable waste management by not using single-use plastic, recycling, and water dispensers to promote reusable water bottle use. They have water-efficient toilets, showers, and the option to opt out of room cleaning so guests can reuse towels.
Food in the hotel is locally sourced and great for vegans. They use LED bulbs, and double-glazed windows, and have green spaces such as gardens and rooftops. They also invest a large portion of revenue in community/sustainable projects.
