Hotel Online Special Report
---
Red Sea Resort Opens in Israel: 
Herods Sheraton Resort Eilat Offers New Theme Hotel, 
Convention Center and Spa
 
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov. 24, 1998 - Sheraton Hotels Resorts, the winner of the State of Israel's 50th Anniversary Travel and Tourism Award, is continuing its development in the Middle East with the addition of Herods Sheraton Resort Eilat, a unique, 468-room theme resort managed by Sheraton Israel. Built on the shores of the Red Sea, the Herods development is a unique, three-stage venture that combines a modern, theme resort and convention center with a spa and tower.

Herods Sheraton Resort Eilat will consist of three separate entities: Herods Palace, Herods Vitalis and Herods Forum. The first to open is Herods Palace, a 300-room complex where everything from furnishings and artifacts to guestroom decor and restaurants will follow light-hearted
historical themes.

"This dramatic, year-round resort will be unlike any other in our portfolio," says Juergen Bartels, chief executive officer - hotel group for Sheraton's parent company, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. "Not only will it be the first theme resort, but it will also mark a Starwood milestone. When the Herods Vitalis opens next year, we'll introduce the Middle East to our most exclusive brand, The Luxury Collection."

The architectural design features a gleaming white facade that complements the blue sea and purple-hazed desert mountains. Spectacular panoramic views of the Red Sea provide a dramatic backdrop from public areas and guestroom balconies, which offer privacy and shade. Although a modern resort with state-of-the-art technology and conveniences, the Herods Palace will evoke a feeling of the past. Staff will be dressed in desert-colored costumes, and from the time a guest arrives and throughout his or her stay, there will be special ceremonies and activities celebrating the legends of the past.

Cuisine Fit For A King

The whimsical themes will continue in Herods Palace restaurants.  For fresh Mediterranean breakfasts and dinners prepared in an open kitchen, there is Tzaparim (Birdwatcher).  The adjacent Tzaparim Terrace restaurant specializes in grilled fish for dinner and self-service lunches.  The taste of North Africa and fusion cooking are featured at Tamarind.  For rest and relaxation, there is the British Empire-themed Officers Club bar complete with pool tables and darts.

Cafes and a pub will be available in Herods Cardo - Promenade Souk, a Middle Eastern marketplace with exotic spices, handicrafts, objects d'art, a spa store and international fashion and jewelry.

Herod's Vitalis

Dedicated to promoting well being, Herods Vitalis -- the second stage of the complex -- will open in April 1999.  The health and lifestyle resort will feature a 64-room tower and exclusive spa facilities.

Taking advantage of Eilat's year round sunshine and good weather, the spa offers a thermal mineral salt pool, indoor and outdoor exercise pool, hydromassage waterfall, and dry and wet saunas. Treatment rooms are offered in the tropical sun or shade, indoors or out. They include seven skin care rooms, 23 body treatment rooms, three hydrojet massage rooms and 10 massage rooms.

Fitness facilities are unrivaled and include a state-of-the-art fitness center with pneumatic exercise equipment, aerobics studios and a gymnasium with panoramic windows overlooking the sea. Whether guests are interested in weight fitness assessment, sports training, body toning, weight reduction or lifestyle adjustment, there are three-, five- and seven-day Lifemasters programs to meet their needs and interests.

Convention  Center Link

In summer 1999, the Herods Forum Sheraton Convention Center will open, giving the facility complete meeting, conference and convention capabilities. Linked by an elevated walkway to Herods Palace, the center will offer complete audio-visual services, exhibition booths, simultaneous translation and other business services.  Herods Forum will have its own self-contained residential wing with 104 guestrooms including a presidential suite, 10 junior suites, and nine cottage suites.  Guest facilities will include a swimming pool, snack bar, card room and synagogue.

All guests will be able to take advantage of the unparalleled watersports including sailing, water-skiing and swimming in crystal clear waters. The nearby Eilat Coral Beach Nature Reserve, with its protected reef and myriad of fish, provides a perfect backdrop for world class scuba diving and snorkeling. For those more interested in land activities, Eilat is a Trade Free Zone, providing great values to shoppers.

Sheraton began its expansion into the Middle East in 1961 when former Prime Minister David Ben Gurion opened the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers, Israel's first international hotel. In 1996, Sheraton Israel Ltd., a joint venture of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Inc. and Koor Tourism Ltd., was established to manage and develop all future Sheraton properties in Israel. Its portfolio includes the Herods Sheraton Resort Eilat, Sheraton Jerusalem Plaza, Four Points - Jerusalem, Four Points - Eilat, Four Points - Red Sea, Four Points - Tiberias and, opening in 1999, the Sheraton City Towers in Tel Aviv and the Sheraton Sea Village in Hedera on the Mediterranean Sea. Today, Sheraton Israel is the fastest growing hotel management company in Israel. Sheraton Hotels Resorts, with more than 335 hotels and resorts in 64 countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc., through its Sheraton, Westin, Luxury Collection, Four Points and Caesars subsidiaries, has more than 650 hotels in 70 countries with 125,000 employees and is one of the leading hotel and gaming operating companies in the world. Starwood Hotels Resorts is the largest real estate investment trust in the United States. Shares of Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide, Inc. are paired and trade together with shares of Starwood Hotels Resorts (NYSE: HOT).

###
 
Contact:
Deborah M. Bernstein, 914-640-8361, or [email protected]
or Jodi Barrack, 914-640-8259, 
both of Sheraton Public Relations/
 http://www.starwoodlodging.com
 --
 
Also See: Starwood Hotels Resorts Opens the $368 Million Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel Towers / Sept 1998 
First Marriott-Flagged Hotel in Israel to Open in Nazareth in Mid-1998 / Jan 1998 

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search
Back to Hotel.Online Press Releases
Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.