Daniel Hotel in Herzliya – A welcome break from our daily routines

I have had many massages in my life, and this was one of the best.

By LINDA GRADSTEIN JANUARY 26, 2025 00:27

THE DANIEL Hotel in Herzliya. (photo credit: SIMPLEX)

Somehow, I chose the day with the most intense rain so far this year for my visit to the Daniel Hotel in Herzliya. It was Hanukkah; my youngest son was home from the army for a few days, and it seemed the perfect time. But as we made the pilgrimage from Jerusalem, the rain was so intense that twice I pulled over as I couldn’t even see where I was going.

So I was especially happy when I arrived at the hotel and walked into the spacious lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the sea. It was still raining but much less intensely, and there was something very cozy about being inside watching the waves during the rain.

We were welcomed at the front desk by Hilary Cohen, who immigrated to Israel from Ireland many years ago. “I’d love it if you’d put my name in the story,” she said. So here you go, Hilary.

The hotel offered us a suite, which may be the nicest room I’ve ever stayed in. It had a large living room and two bathrooms, one of which was large enough to hold a meeting of my Ladies Who Drink if we chose to.

THE DANIEL Hotel in Herzliya. (credit: SIMPLEX)

There was a huge wraparound balcony with a beautiful view of the sea, and they welcomed us with a bottle of wine, a tower of yummy desserts, and a handwritten note. Unfortunately, because of the weather, we couldn’t really enjoy the outdoor porch, but even the view from the window was beautiful.

The hotel is made up of three buildings: the Daniel Hotel, the Shizen Spa, and an apartment complex where people bought apartments in the 1970s. The Shizen spa has an indoor heated pool, a jacuzzi, a gym, a wet and dry sauna, and treatment rooms.

The massage

The hotel treated me to a 45-minute massage with Tanya. 

I have had many massages in my life, and this was one of the best. These days we can all use a little relaxation, and I highly recommend the spa, where I also enjoyed the heated pool and jacuzzi. Hotel manager Shadi Nassir said that days after October 7, the hotel was filled with evacuees, mostly from Sderot, who were housed in 200 rooms, meaning most of the hotel. 

Nassir stressed that the staff did everything they could to welcome the evacuees and make them feel at home, although raising children in a hotel room is challenging. He added that the Herzliya municipality sprang into action, opening two nursery schools in the hotel and finding places for all the other kids to study.

“The guests came with nothing – they got off the buses in pajamas,” Nassir said. “People came and donated all kinds of things – clothes, toys, diapers. It was really heartwarming.” 

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In March, some of the evacuees began returning to their homes, and for the next few months the hotel functioned partially as a hotel and partially as a home for evacuees, which was challenging, Nassir said.

Now all of the evacuees are home, and the hotel has reopened completely to outside guests. Because there is almost no tourism from abroad, all the guests when I was there were Israelis. There was a Hanukkah candle lighting every night in the lobby, which was also nice.

The food at Daniel was quite good. The buffet at dinner was expansive, starting with more than a dozen fresh salads. There were about nine main dishes, including a really good moussaka (an eggplant or potato-based dish), one of my favorites and not something I’d make at home. There was a chef grilling fresh spring chicken (pargit) that I really enjoyed. I avoided the parve desserts as I’ve yet to find one that is worth the calories.

Breakfast was even better with a table of freshly made pastries that I was unable to resist. There were plenty of healthy options as well, including a chef making omelets, as well as salads and smoked fish. The coffee was also very good.

In the summer, there is a large outdoor pool and, of course, the ocean. I plan to come back in the warmer weather.

The writer was a guest of the hotel