EILAT  אֵילַת‎

Flying into the hot, dry desert climate of the Gulf of Eilat, an obvious connection point to Petra, Jordan, I knew that staying by the warm, Red Sea would be a huge relief in a region that can reach a top of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). 

I had selected “The Princess Hotel” resort for its location about ½ hour away from Eilat’s centre on the coastal road at TABA BEACH, as I preferred the idea of being away for the strip of themed resort hotels along the beach at Eilat downtown. The Princess is a large, white modern midrise hotel, far bigger than I would normally choose if I had a boutique option; but it’s tiered layers jut out of an oasis of date palms, massive turquoise pools and subtropical gardens nestled on the coast by craggy desert hills.

The whole resort is oriented away from its desert setting, towards the flat Red Sea. Despite its slightly middle of nowhere location, the hotel is always abuzz with that typically Israeli high energy, social feel. There are people walking around in all directions and the hustle and bustle of large holiday groups.

It’s a family paradise, with a swimming pool that was packed with kids by late afternoon. Eilat is where local Israelis can go all year round, even in winter when it is freezing cold in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; I also saw plenty of French, German and Russian families. It’s a popular spot for people who love guaranteed sunshine, a mainstream hotel that meets your every need and a one-stop break with their family - so there are a lot of happy repeat customers who come back for their ritual summer stay at Taba Beach.

For any traveler stopping in Eilat because of its logistic importance as the spot where Jordan, Israel and Egypt all meet, I would still recommend The Princess Hotel for its lovely, tucked away position rather than staying in the actual city of Eilat itself. 

When I drove in at night by taxi it was unrecognizable from my last visit 25 years ago. This resort town has been transformed into a high-rise, seriously commercialised tourist theme park, similar to Surfers Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast or Cancun in Mexico. The tourism flow overwhelms and dominates the spirit of the place; but of course people continue to pour in for the beaches, shopping and nightlife.