You probably conjure up images of a magical (healing) oasis in your mind when you think of the Dead Sea. And, if you are here for the alleged health benefits of bathing in the Dead Sea – counting Herod the Great amongst its past visitors – then then Royal Rimonim should you be your first port of call. The Royal Rimonim is a sleek, modern, 5* hotel, with extraordinary culinary meal-time feasts and a beautiful spa. Its proximity to The Zohar Hot Springs, only 3 kilometers away, makes it an ideal base to explore the area.
The Royal Rimonim is situated in front on the Dead Sea (separated only by a road) and guests are frequently seen meandering between the salty sea and the cool haven of the hotel.
Our check-in was somewhat chaotic due to the overwhelming demand of guests queuing – a sign of its popularity. The reception is clean, cool and vast, which allows for a pleasant wait if the hotel is busy. Staff are courteous and obliging but service is often a little slow if the hotel is operating at maximum capacity.
We stayed in a ‘Deluxe Pool View’ room with magnificent views over the pool, the dead sea and the mountains facing it on the other side. The Royal Rimonim is a 5* hotel, however, to expect luxurious, flamboyant European styles when one is essentially in a desert (the Dead Sea is not near any ports of large cities) would be a folly. That said, rooms are large, clean, very comfortable and ultra-modern, with large, state-of-the-art bathrooms. The products are excellent and the conditioner, in particular, will leave your hair feeling soft and very shiny.
One is in total comfort in the large rooms and the balconies have sweeping and utterly breathtaking views over the Dead Sea. Special mention goes to the air conditioning which was not overwhelming and much needed in the arid heat!
The pool is expansive and a fantastic way to cool off or ‘desalinate’ your skin from the the Dead Sea experience. Although we did not get a chance to try the spa, the facilities look wonderful and the treatment list is equally tempting.
Now for the food…
Although its location is somewhat isolated, food options are anything but depleted. For both breakfast and dinner there is a buffet. The breakfast consists of various fruits, salads, pastries and protein-based options (there was an extraordinary queue for the omelettes so we would recommend trying this!) The dinner buffet, American-style, is a 21st century Belshazzar’s feast (without the writing on the wall). Mountains of salads and vegetables are on offer as well as various traditional Israeli-style dishes. There is also a large selection of meat and carbohydrate dishes. We tried a white Israeli wine with our hedonistic meal – a sweet, almost Moscato-like wine and very delicious! The dessert selection, too, is very large and an absolute indulgence for any sweet tooth.
Ein Bokek, Dead sea
Tel:+972-8-6688555
Fax: +972-8-6688500
Email: info@rimonim.com
http://english.rimonim.com/dead-sea-hotels/royal-dead-sea-hotel
Like us on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
