Put the organic Ritz at the organic restaurant, hotel and spa “Mitzpe Hayamim”

Going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land does not mean staying in a stable. Addressing the rich and famous, including celebrities like Sharon Stone and Donna Karan, Mizpe Hayamim (“Lake View”) is Israel’s most luxurious hotel, spa and organic restaurant located on Mt. Canaan between the mystical city of Safed and the picturesque art city of Rosh Pina.

Mizpe Hayamim (Karen wrote about the organic restaurant and hotel earlier this summer) is an ideal base for exploring the Galilee region, biblical traditions and a healthy organic lifestyle while enjoying total pampering. Local health-conscious celebrities also visit in abundance, with guests including Israel’s top politicians, models, singers, actors and doctors.

Local pop stars like Shlomo Artzi and even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (before he took office) stayed at the hotel, sales manager Adi Kaplan said. She won’t reveal the names of additional VIP guests: “We need to protect their privacy, but I can tell you we had a lot of celebrities here last weekend.”
Book early for a room at the organic inn

Mizpe Hayamim, which offers incredible views of the Sea of ​​Galilee, Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights, gives new meaning to the words “luxury” and “green”. Its two organic restaurants (one meat and one vegetarian) offer meals with ingredients from the hotel’s private gardens and farm.

With 96 rooms, there might not always be availability at this hostel, says Kaplan, so it’s advisable to book early, or even months or a year in advance. Rooms start at around $ 600 a night for a couple, for the Standard Room, which includes meals at the hotel’s organic restaurant and a spa treatment. “You can book on the website and we are often booked – almost full… but we have a place almost all the time,” says Kaplan.

Speaking to people belonging to a “high social economy class because of the prices,” she notes, a stay at the exclusive resort is out of reach for most people, but could be a worthwhile investment for the hotel. experience. The age range tends to be around 40 and over, and if price isn’t an issue, Kaplan advises booking a junior or regular suite, each exquisitely and uniquely decorated.

What is most exciting about Mizpe Hayamim is her holistic and authentic approach to providing her clients with the best of nature. Beyond the wellness spa and beauty treatment center are the beautiful indoor facilities, the swimming pools and the garden where streams flow and plants from biblical times come to life. If eating local and organic is important to you, you won’t find a better hotel in Israel.

A unique experience of flavors and textures

The grounds include the hotel’s own herb and vegetable garden, an olive grove, fruit trees, a winery and an animal farm for meat and cheese which guests can visit. A hotel / spa stay includes field hikes and earthwork and art workshops. Mizpe Hayamim models his approach on the values ​​of the French organization Relais & Châteaux, of which he is a member.

“Unlike conventional farming, there is no maximizing our milk production to the detriment of our herds, and our animals are treated differently than in regular farming,” says hotel staff, noting that compost and animal manure are used to fertilize the soil in the hotel’s gardens and orchards.

Free of toxic pesticides, hormones and herbicides, the hotel gardens grow a wide variety of plants and gardeners regularly rotate crops to avoid pest infestations and disease.

All this organic and sustainable goodness fuels the hotel’s two restaurants. Brought in daily from the organic farm, expect a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs grown on site, while oils and herbs from the field are transformed into relaxing spa treatments or homemade candles and soaps .

A story that goes back a long way

Founded in 1984, Mizpe Haymamim was built on an existing structure and a history that began in 1923. The Safed region has a rich history since the inception of the state and dates back to earlier times, when it was home to Elders Jews known for their writings on the Cabal.

In 1923, a German immigrant named Dr Yaros was walking past the very spot where the hotel is located today, when he suddenly asked his driver to stop. He was on a mountain halfway between Safed and Rosh Pina and he felt that it was there, in this exact spot, that he should build a sanatorium for his patients. His dream came true in 1966 with the help of Yehezkel Rosenberg, an architect at the Bauhaus in Tel Aviv.

Located near Rosh Pina, home to many artists, Mizpe Hayamim seems to attract and inspire the arts in others. The hotel has an art gallery that displays pottery, sculpture, jewelry and paintings. Customers can create their own art and craft candles.

Situated on the eastern slopes of Mount Canaan at an elevation of 570 meters, Mizpe Hayamim is one of those places you will never find when venturing out on your own. Despite grounds that cover vast acres of walking trails and orchards, it’s barely noticeable from the winding road to the wooded area and the hotel’s closed path.

While it’s a well-kept secret to the rich and famous in Israel and abroad, ordinary people can certainly stop by for a meal at one of the two organic restaurants. And that just might inspire you to linger a little longer in the Galilee region.

Want to learn more about travel and nature in Israel and the Middle East? Browse the Travel and Nature section of our magazine.

(This story first appeared on ISRAEL21c – www.israel21c.org)

:: Site Mitzpe Hayamim

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