Kedma by Isrotel Design

Kedma’s combination of phenomenal design (serene, Moroccan-influenced, terracotta colours throughout, combined with tasteful greenery) is only trumped by the top-notch service offered by its friendly and attentive staff. On this second visit we were struck again by the small touches and attention to detail at every touchpoint and by the overflowing abundance of the dinners and breakfasts. Definitely a place to visit and revisit on future trips to the holy land! And a special shout-out to manager Shani Ben Moshe, whose competent excellence and personal approach made our second stay all the more special. Highly recommended!

Why a helmet? Well, you'll know if you stay with me till the end of this review But first things first, meaning Pros & Cons as I have experienced them this week when I stayed in this incredibly beautiful and original resort (Now you probably don't really understand my low rating, don't you, but you will, I promise) The Reception Check-in: + Very efficient attendant, I must admit one of the best experience in Israel ever - Check Out on the other hand was clumsy enough, couldn't get a receipt, and when finally I got one, it wasn't that (But I noticed it only on my way back home) The room: +Superb, beautifully designed +Spotless +Really big (biggest I ever got in Israel) + Totally well equipped with all the amenities, including a Nespresso machine and best of all noXno limit capsules supplied But -No bath robe nor slippers Kind of harsh for a room which price starts close to 400$ a night But then on the morrow, I just asked at the reception if we could get them and they were immediately delivered Yet, why did we have to ask for them? - Room on 1st floor but no elevator, only stairs actually there is an elevator... but didn't work...so we had to carry our heavy luggage up to our room (over 60, bad back, needless to say that I didn't enjoy that) Bathroom: + Huge But -Shower didn't work well, we couldn't get the temperature we wanted, scalding hot to freezing cold without staying at the one we wanted. However after calling the maintenance problem was fixed Swimming pool: +Heated water which is great in winter Lounge: +Beautiful, no, Superb design -Food not cheap and the dish we ordered was not a success: Beduin Salad Adding to that that no bread was supplied with the salad so we had to order a fucacha (freshly baked bread) which indeed was really delicious but still cost close to 10$ (28ils), why? +But the day after, the pasta was superb Parking: + plenty enough of spaces Gym: +opened 24x7 which is rare if not priceless and well enough equipped Surroundings and hotel grounds: + Absolutely loved it, like a desert city, Shivta, Mamashi, Avdat, all these Nabatean cities A unique experience, really. -But bring a...helmet! No kidding! For the alleys where the branches of the small trees invade your path. By day you can avoid them as long as you watch your steps and don't look at your text messages (like me), but by night, no way, you can't see them. And if unluckily someone crosses your way, surely enough you'll get them on your forehead or worse depending on your height. And yes, it happened to me not a few times, and I wasn't the only one as I witnessed many times. If someone, anyone from the Kedma staff reads my review, please do something and trim these small tress, they indeed are beautiful but...not worth the pain. Spa: -Another unexpected and rather weird con: you have to pay a fee to enter the sauna and Turkish Bath.. Again, when you pay almost 400$ for a room you expect a free entrance to the sauna in the spa and not be required to

Electrics in the room buzzed all night and kept me awake. Impossible to get a drink after 10.40pm. As a venue of hospitality and a place to sleep, major fail. Probably instagram’able though, in parts. Noisy otherwise too, between rooms and the highway directly outside. Just avoid.

The location is great and the building blends into the desert landscape very well. The public spaces are beautifully designed, but when the hotel is busy (which it was when we were there) it's very crowded and doesn't feel relaxing. Our room with a "balcony" had a extra 2 square meters with little natural light - not worth the extra money. The more expensive rooms have a coffee machine, ours had a kettle with the cheapest "nes" coffee. When I asked for something better, they grudgingly managed to find me some ground coffee. I don't understand why a special hotel can't manage a coffee machine in all rooms, it's not as if the basic rooms are cheap! The TV didn't work and the tech guy spent an hour in the evening trying to fix it -unsuccessfully! The following day they didn't fix it either. The food in the lobby bar was delicious and not over-priced. Pola Cafe next door has excellent coffee and a great wine-tasting set up - not to be missed!