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March Highlights

by Ofer Yair

Architectural modeling

Photo: Mike Yudin

Photo: courtesy of Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab

Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion is set for a serious upgrade | The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has issued two tenders to expand Terminal 3, which include upgrades to border control areas, security screening zones and the construction of a new entry gate for arriving passengers. The duty-free food court will also be expanded. A new structure, called “Tel Aviv Gate” will span 2,000 sqm, and provide entry for passengers arriving by bus, replacing current airplane jetways. The new gate will offer quicker access to border control and baggage collection. The IAA announced that the upgrades aim to improve operational capabilities, reduce waiting times, and streamline passenger flow. New border control zones will spread across four floors to accommodate additional hand baggage screening stations and upgraded technology. Construction will begin later this year, and is expected to take about two and a half years.

Major achievement for Abraham Tel Aviv | Abraham Tel Aviv has won Best Extra Large Hostel in Asia at the 2025 Hoscars, the awards given out by the leading global hosteling online travel agent Hostelworld. Other category winners include leading hostels in Shanghai and Koh Samui. “This award, especially at such a difficult time for the Israeli tourism industry, shows our social activism-based tourism model works”, said Abraham Hostels CEO Gilad Shaulof. “We’re proof it’s possible to combine business success with social commitment”. One example of the Abraham Group’s social endeavors is the mental health initiative they launched last year in cooperation with the Gvanim Association called the “Abraham Tent Program”, for young Israelis grappling with trauma and ongoing grief in the wake of October 7.

Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab: Dubai’s ultra luxury resort opens this month | Reservations are now open at Dubai’s new ultra-luxury resort, Jumeirah Al Arab, located to the east of the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel, and set to open on March 14 th . Shaped like an immense super-yacht, its 386 rooms and suites, 4 penthouses, and 83 luxury hotel apartment suites have been crafted by the world’s leading interior designers. Guests will be able to enjoy a three-story spa with a dedicated female-only floor, a 20-metre indoor pool, a collection of 10 restaurants and bars, a private marina, and more. From Dhs 4,587 a night (around NIS 4,500).

5 new Isrotel hotels opening this year Israeli hotel chain Isrotel has announced plans for major expansion during 2025, with five new hotels set to open, at an investment of NIS 1 billion. With the addition of the new hotels, the chain will have a total of 28 hotels across the country. New hotels include: the Gymnasia Hotel on Tel Aviv’s Montefiore Street, the Ayelet Hotel in Kibbutz Ayelet Hashachar in the Upper Galilee, the Daroma Hotel in Mitzpeh Ramon – formerly the Pundak Ramon, and comprehensively renovated, the 44-luxury suite Kayma Hotel in the Dead Sea, and the Dizengoff 99 Hotel in Tel Aviv, located at one of the White City’s most legendary addresses, with 122 rooms, a business lounge, and a rooftop pool overlooking the city. Isrotel’s sister company Aluma, will also be opening its third Athens location, the Adia Hotel.

Hotel Kayma I Illustration by Peri Engineers

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ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2025