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March Highlights

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Photo: PR

Photo: Itay Dahan, Didea

The Atlas hotel chain wins the Booking.com Traveler Review Award Israeli hotel chain “Atlas” has won the 2026 Booking.com Traveler Review Award with an incredible average rating of 9.0 for all its 15 locations combined. The Booking.com awards are a prestigious annual award attributed by the tourism platform to hospitality establishments around the world, based on verified guest reviews that consider various parameters such as level of service, cleanliness, comfort, and overall experience. The chain’s Tel Aviv hotels, Backstage and Fabric, each received a score of 9.4, while the Atlas coastline locations, Shalom & Relax and Yam, each obtained a score of 9.2.

Reopening of Ad’ad Spring in Emek Yizarel Thanks to funding by the Israel Lands Authority (ILA) the Ad’ad Spring in Emek Yizrael has been entirely restored and reopened to the public. The spring and surrounding area have been transformed into a beautiful eco-park and is part of a more extensive long term plan to restore all of the wetland habitats of the Kishon river basin. This plan will involve improving the quality of the water as well as a variety of safety reinforcements to make the area safer and more accessible. As part of the renovation of the Ad’ad Spring, the spring’s floor was tiled with stone to prevent sediment drift which can impair the quality of the water.

A new boutique hotel opens in Jerusalem The new boutique hotel Jrose has recently opened its doors in central Jerusalem near the Mahane Yehuda Market. Built at an investment of millions of shekels, the Jrose brings to the city a contemporary hospitality concept designed for a young audience, couples and businesspeople, looking for a direct connection to the urban pulse of the capital. Sister establishment to the longstanding Eldan Hotel, it has 32 rooms designed in a classic-modern European style and a quiet inner courtyard offering moments of relaxation in the heart of the city, as well as a rooftop with gorgeous views of the city.

The Qasr el-Yahud baptismal site has been reopened after renovation works After extensive renovations at an investment of NIS 25 million, the Qasr el-Yahud baptismal site, (the third most important Christian site in Israel), was reinaugurated last month. The works were carried out thanks to funding by the Ministry of Tourism through the Government Tourism Corporation and involved external infrastructure development, including the construction of changing rooms, a wide wooden deck for safe descent into the river, a worship pergola, and more. The site is a pilgrimage site for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists who come to immerse themselves in the river here, the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, some two thousand years ago. The renovation works were carried out to ameliorate the site’s visitor experience, and more improvements are yet to come, including the construction of an air conditioned auditorium for prayers and events to be held throughout the year and in all weather conditions. For more information: parks.org.il

Photo: Shai Isaacs, Israel Nature and Parks Authority

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ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2026