The well-established Herods Vitalis is an adult-only spa hotel located within the Herods complex but separated from it. Vitalis is a boutique hotel with 53 rooms and suites located in a high tower. The entire hotel exudes luxury, peacefulness, calmness and pampering. The spa spans over two floors, and next to it, fine culinary services are available throughout the day, so that one can unwind and relax on a full stomach. Add to that the stunning weather and view of Eilat - who needs more than that?
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| Herods Vitalis Eilat – immersing in a world of spas |
On the entrance level of the hotel is
the reception, a small lobby and spa office. It is also where most of the spa
facilities are located: a huge Jacuzzi, wet and dry sauna and an outdoors massage
pools with hot and cold waterfalls. The waterfalls, in my opinion, are the
highlight, the gravity of the water gives a strong and pleasant massage to all
parts of the body; all that is needed is just to lie down and direct the body
towards the waterfall.
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| Herods Vitalis Spa |
On the second floor is the Vitalis pool in the shape of a dumbbell - half inside and half outside, with a water passage between the parts. It is well heated inside so it is easy to enter and spend time in it even now during the winter time. Pool noodles are provided for the benefit of swimmers, and they seem to be very popular here. Those who want to swim can do laps along the pool or go to Herods’ huge pool located in the complex.
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| Herods Vitalis - Pool |
The highlight of the spa is the
variety of treatments. Among them is the hot stone massage, the most pampering
treatment for winter. The therapist demonstrated impressive skill in hot stone
massage to relax and soften the muscles. As an avid therapy enthusiast, I know
how to distinguish a professional therapist so I highly recommend.
Although the hotel is over 20 years old, it is well maintained and accessible. Every corner of it has charm with architectural touches in the spiral staircase and plenty of work art in the hallways. The massage-room area has a Japanese wooden style with patios. Further along the corridor there is a fully equipped gym overlooking the views of the Red sea, where the spa relaxation room is situated, offering a selection of herbal tea. When not in the water, it's fun to walk around and explore its different corners.
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| Herods Vitalis Staircase |
Rain Suites
In most of the spa hotels I've stayed
in, the rooms are of a high standard, some of them have a Jacuzzi, rain shower
or some other treats. But none of them compare to the rain suites of herods
Vitalis! The suite itself is very spacious; it includes a seating area, a
canopy bed, a desk area, an additional seating next to the balcony, and a
balcony. The highlight here is a huge 24 sq meters bathroom connected directly
to the room without a separating door. The décor of the bathroom combines
turquoise colors, tree trunks for decoration with garden lighting and a French
window with a view. The bathroom is equipped with a large Jacuzzi and a huge
shower with a built-in bench and two separately operated rain shower heads. A
couple can bathe at the same time and we joked that there is room for the entire
family here. There is also a double sink and, of course, a separate toilet
(with a door ;-). There are no words to describe the indulgence of this
bathroom.
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| Herods Vitalis - Rain Suite |
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| Herods Vitalis View |
Gastronomy
Currently, the stay at Vitalis is based on half board plus two lounges for drinks and light meals/desserts that are open throughout most of the day. Breakfast is served at the Lawrence restaurant, the main restaurant of Vitalis, until noon, so there is no problem sleeping late and still not miss it. Breakfast is a combination of a high-quality buffet and a served menu that includes a selection of types of eggs, coffee and freshly squeezed natural juices. Before drinking the coffee, it's worth looking at it - it often comes with a Good Morning print or one cute drawing.
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| Good morning the Herods Vitalis way |
For those who didn't have time to eat
or are already hungry for lunch but don't want a full lunch, from noon, a light
complimentary dairy buffet is served at Lawrence, which consists of a cold and
warm buffet including hot fish dishes. This buffet changes in the late
afternoon to an impressive dessert buffet. In addition, from noon to evening,
Vitalis guests have access to the Herods lounge on the 11th floor with a
stunning view to the east and west and can come for a snack, drink wine or
beer, or a selection of alcoholic beverages in the evening.
Vitalis guests can choose between dinners at the Lawrence, at the Herods dairy Italian restaurant, or have it at the Herods Hotel buffet; all are kosher. Thus, when staying a few days one can vary. We ate at Lawrence and the Italian restaurants and they are both excellent.
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| The Lawrence |
Dinner at the Lawrence is fabulous;
it is a high-scale chef restaurant with gourmet food and immaculate service.
The menu includes plenty of options so that you can eat here every evening
something else. We started with bread and dips, an excellent beef Carpaccio
(highly recommended!) and gnocchi. For the main course, we ordered filet
medallions on gratin. It was a huge portion of 3 mellow medallions made
accurately to order, with a touch of sweet berry coulis sauce. Desserts did not
fall short as well, the lemon tart we had was fabulous.
The other evening, we ate at the
Italian restaurant at Herods. It has a casual Trattoria style with red
checkered tablecloths but with a high-scale service. The meal is a la carte,
with each Vitalis’ diner getting a first course, main course and dessert. We
ordered focaccia with dips, fresh Caesar salad, arancini,
4-cheese gnocchi, fish with risotto full of mushrooms, and for dessert,
tiramisu and pistachio crème brûlée. The
main dishes were superb - homemade gnocchi with a rich thick sauce and grilled
fish filet served with a risotto full of fresh mushrooms of different types.
The desserts are huge and very tasty!
In summary, it is highly recommended
to come for at least two nights, even three, in order to relax and enjoy what
the hotel has to offer!
The author was a guest of the hotel.
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