Hatira | Bahof Hacarmel

'How could I not have heard of this crazy place?' I ask myself as the car climbs up to the 'castle' between two rows of tall trees. About 14 seconds later, as I park in the plaza of the building, I feel all the skepticism I had about the word 'castle' disappear through my open mouth.

Udi, the owner of the place, can't stand the flood of questions I rain on him, as he climbs with me to the suites by steep external stone stairs (these crusaders had great fitness...).

Upstairs, a large, stone-paved lobby awaits us with a fully equipped kitchen for cooking, which serves two special "super" suites. "We renovated the place by ourselves with 10 fingers" Audi says and I think why the hell I don't have fingers like that either. Audi's fingers know how to do a few other things besides renovating ancient castles. He is an artist and furniture designer and when you enter the suites you immediately see it in a unique design, which blends perfectly with the vaulted ceilings, the stone floor and the alcoves in the walls.

And it's not that the outside looks less good. The castle is located at the highest point in the vineyard from the Harel and from the balconies of the suites you can see a lot of Carmel and a little sea and hear a lot of silence. The castle yard is also not a sucker and offers trees and areas of grass with seating areas where you can easily imagine the Lady Marian makes eyes at Robin Hood.

I don't know if it's the boy who built sand castles or the man who never missed an episode of 'Game of Thrones' but every meter in these suites mesmerizes me. Audi took the timeless experience to the end when he blocked the reception of the Internet and separated the toilets and showers from the suite space only with a curtain, but for my part, if he also forced me to wear knight's armor - I would not give up such an adventure.

The design message is based on a balance between splendor and restraint, authenticity and creativity, elegance and simplicity. Forget loudness, exaggeration and clutter which often characterize luxury complexes. The approach here is less is more and every design element is very sensitively adapted to the original style of the building. All this and more: soft, romantic and mysterious lighting emanating from the large windows here creates games of light and shadow on the ancient stone walls, highlights the niches carved in them, and illuminates the seating areas built on the window sill surfaces. At the same time, these spaces do not convey a museum feeling, frozen in time - but full of animals and the spirit of creation.

The suites themselves are beautiful, full of character and love for the restored original.
The first floor is built as an extremely large central space, a bedroom, a gallery and a large kitchen room, fully equipped and ready to prepare gourmet meals. The bathroom is modern and luxurious with a rain shower head. The floor can be rented as an extra large suite, suitable for hosting family or friends.

The second floor contains the two suites: the "western" and the "eastern"
The western suite is built on two levels - the central space with the living room corner, the sleeping space and a beautiful balcony, and a gallery floor where you will find a sitting area (with a "skylight" window that opens to the stars) and another amazing balcony overlooking the view.
The equipment is comfortable, aesthetic and luxurious: a beautiful double bed with a quality orthopedic mattress, an LCD screen connected to YES and an audio system, a sitting area and a coffee table, a wood-burning fireplace for warm winter days, a tea and coffee corner, and... a spectacular mosaic bathtub, which here replaces the 'The Standard Cozi.

The eastern suite is built as an open space decorated with large windows for the view, with thick walls and a stone floor that create here a mysterious and ancient atmosphere, full of sensuality and romance.
A unique color palette mixes delicate shades of pink, white - cream and golden brown. The sleeping area with a wooden bed in pink tones, a matching screeter under the window, a wood-burning fireplace and a living room area with two armchairs and a coffee table. Pay attention to a special sitting area built on the windowsill.

The kitchen in the eastern and western suites is shared and is located in the lobby between the suites. The east and west suites share a large balcony. In addition - to the west there are 2 private balconies.

• The entire complex can be booked during August
• Instead of original pieces of furniture and works of art, the owner of the place, the artist Udi Stoler, is responsible for all of them.
• The complex is a few minutes' drive from the beautiful Bonim Beach.
• A variety of attractions within a 10 minute drive (horse riding, hiking trails, paragliding, skydiving and more).

There are not many places like this in the country, which make use of a real ancient building for vacation purposes. This is a rare opportunity to have a different experience, full of character, and in a great location that is not so far from the center and offers proximity to endless entertainment options.