Family Fun at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach Hotel

November 16, 2016 Margalit Sturm Francus

Centrally located at 145 Hayarkon street, the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv Beach Hotel is the perfect place to make a home away from home. The hotel is comfortable, and the personnel was welcoming, friendly and helpful. We had a fantastic stay!

What Makes it Family Worthy?

The Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv is located along what we call Hotel Row, as guests can find hotels all along the beach strip. The hotel is built on the Mediterranean beach, next to Tel Aviv Marina. Guests can go boating, fishing, windsurfing, or play volleyball close to the hotel. The hotel is also centrally located, within walking distance of the many markets, museums, retail outlets, and coffee shops of Tel Aviv. Travelers are only a ten-minute drive away from main shopping streets, Dizengoff and Nahalat Benyamin. Finally, the hotel is not far from the ancient port city of Jaffa.

This hotel is ideal for businessmen , locals and tourists alike. They have a strict policy of not allowing anyone under 18 to walk around without adult supervision. This fact is ideal for the gym, indoor and outdoor pools and other public areas in the building.

Hotel Decor

The furnishings and trimmings in the hotel were tasteful and modern, complementing the natural focus of the design to the natural surroundings of the sun, sand, and sea. With a combination of fresh flowers and foliage, there was attention to detail in the public areas as well as the rooms – each of which boasted a sea view.

A fun little feature we liked was that each elevator had a theme and digital screen. As the elevator moves, guests could watch themselves going up and down either an aquarium scene or the solar system.

Our Room

The hotel upgraded us to a spacious Executive Suite in room 1309, situated close to the exit which we prefer in the event of an emergency.

The decor in the room was simple and modern, much like the rest of the hotel. Our room had tan carpeting and cream walls with lots of dark brown and black furnishings.

We had a large comfortable king sized bed. There were plenty of night lights providing adequate lighting on the side tables that also featured deep drawers.

Over the window, we had a double curtain so we could block out the bright early morning light if we wanted to sleep in later. The view of the Mediterranean beach from the windows and the small balcony was stunning!

Our room featured a sizable black office desk with an Apple computer provided, which would come in handy for those who don’t have their own laptops. There were ample power outlets throughout the room for charging gadgets. An unexpected bonus we found was the fact that the safe, which was large enough to store a laptop, had its own power outlet!

The closet felt as big as a whole room, with deep shelving and drawers, a luggage rack, mirror, hanging space, and even an ironing board. We saw complimentary drinking water and mints in the room as well as a surcharge mini-bar fridge with snacks and chocolates. Everything in the room was well thought out, and all needs were taken into consideration.

Our Bathroom

Much like the rest of the room, the bathroom featured modern, basic furnishings. Our bathroom had white and soft green walls with a white topped black counter. The counter had a lot of space and came equipped with a useful magnifying mirror, hairdryer, a Dead Sea mineral gift set as well as a disposable sewing kit, makeup remover, and shower cap.

We liked that the shower had both an overhead showerhead as well as a hand-held attachment.We were happy to see an extendable and retractable cord for hanging up damp towels or swimming gear – helpful and lacking in other hotels. The water pressure was strong which was remarkable for being so high up in the building.

The Breakfast Buffet

The buffet breakfast was elaborate and a highlight of the day. We had our breakfast in the dining room with a stunning view of the beachfront.

In the breakfast buffet, we saw fridges full of different yogurts and drinks. There was also a selection of hot and cold cereals near the fridges.

We found pancakes, pizza, and other warmed pastries at the chef station. However, the omelets made to order station proved the most popular.

As diners move through the buffet, they will find cheese-stuffed pastries called bourekas. We also saw cheesecakes, kugel dishes, and traditional shakshuka, which were eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce.

Guests could build their own salad with a variety of roasted or raw vegetables and dressings. There was also an assortment of white and yellow cheeses, both local and international, including a yogurt-based cheese called labneh.

For those who like fish, along with salmon and herring there was even sushi!

Diners with a sweet tooth could enjoy the dessert table, where there are cut up fresh fruits as well as dried fruits, jellies, halva, marble cakes, muffins and even sugar-free cake options.Guests could enjoy a selection of fresh fruit juices, teas or coffees. There was even a traditional rosewater dessert drink called Sahlab, which means orchid in Hebrew and Arabic.

All of these great foods could be eaten with a huge selection of bread, pastries, croissants and rolls, crackers and rice cakes.

Shabbat Lunch Buffet

The Saturday afternoon meal was beautifully prepared before sunset on Friday evening and served in the main dining room overlooking the Mediterranean.

The Saturday meals were different than other days of the week because, to maintain the kosher laws, everything had to be prepared before the Shabbat began and kept either cold or hot, with no further cooking done at all.

The menu was full, and the options were endless. We enjoyed roasted vegetables, rice, bulgur wheat, chicken dishes, and even huevos haminados or long-boiled eggs. We tried the Hamin, a traditional peasant stew cooked for many hours, and were not disappointed.

The desserts were all non-dairy to maintain the kosher element of the meal. There was no way anybody could leave this buffet hungry or dissatisfied!

Amenities

One of the things we particularly liked was the fact the hotel had an excellent 24-hour laundry service. Another unique amenity this hotel offered was their free shuttle running every two hours to and from the Azrieli Shopping Mall and sister property The Crowne Plaza City Center.

The hotel had an onsite fitness center featuring essential equipment like a stair-stepper and stationary bike. Families who like swimming could enjoy either the indoor or outdoor pool, and the outdoor pool was heated.

Executive Lounge

While we stayed, we got to check out their Executive Lounge. We were not disappointed with all that the lounge had to offer.

The hotel kept this lounge open early morning until late evening. They had plentiful offerings for the morning buffet and their happy hour as well as excellent snacks during the midday. We got to enjoy little dessert delights like macaroons as well as coffee from a turn of the century holder.

Of course, this was yet another part of the hotel showcasing beautiful views of the beach, although the view felt much more personal and relaxing than in the dining hall. The staff at the Executive Lounge was incredibly helpful and friendly, especially towards our son with autism.

Cost

Pricing starts at $180 and includes free wifi as well as access to the amenities mentioned above. Self-parking on-site is $20 daily.

Autism Travel Tips:

Parents should remember that this is a mostly business hotel and the rooms reflect this fact.
Parents of escape artist children will want to take the necessary precautions. They can make use of the double lock for the room and balcony, or ask housekeeping to remove the handle on the balcony door.
Families should bring their own bathmats for the tub.
Extra beds are not available in the rooms, as this is more of a business hotel than a family hotel.
The staff was autism friendly and understanding, so parents can always ask the staff for any questions they have or anything they require.