Ahuzat Lev Hakarmel

Kerem Maharal is a beautiful village located between Zichron Yaakov and Atlit, on the slopes of Mount Carmel. A 40-minute drive from Tel Aviv and a 15-minute drive from the Mediterranean coast. This location allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. I arrive at the complex and find 4 suites located down the hill, but the real surprise awaits me in a separate complex, called "The Palace." It is a modern villa designed for one couple only, and if you ask me, you could film a TV series about the good life here. The guesthouse is located at the top of the complex and is not noticeable. There is ample parking.

I will start, of course, with "The Palace," which is located in a complex adjacent to and separate from the suite complex. As soon as I enter the complex, I realize that I have arrived at a place that is "the end of the road." Beyond the location, right in front of the view, this is a structure that is the fulfillment of all fantasies, with planning, design, and furnishings at the highest levels. It is a modern and spacious mini-villa designed for one couple only, with a huge living space that includes a large, fully equipped kitchen that allows for full cooking, a large dining area, and a living room with a large, comfortable half-moon-shaped sofa that stands in the space in front of a breathtaking view, like from a poster. The bedroom is large, beautiful, and also overlooks the view, with an LCD screen and a variety of storage solutions. The large bathroom contains a freestanding bathtub with a crazy high-heeled shoe design ("I have no logical explanation, I just wanted it," the hostess Gitit tells me). Yes, there is also a great shower and a closed toilet.

From the living room, which also contains a bar with alcohol and a huge 70's TV, you exit to a spacious and high balcony with a panoramic view that begins at the huge swimming pool and ends somewhere in the green fields and mountains behind them. In order to reach the swimming pool (which is not heated), you have to go down to the lower level of the complex, which is entirely yours.

In a separate complex, as mentioned, there are four additional suites: The entrance to the "Moroccan Suite" is via a path that runs alongside the guesthouse, on the highest level. I arrive at the suite's built-in courtyard, which contains a beautiful heated swimming pool that overlooks the wonderful view. The unit is attached to the "Roman Hall" suite by a shared wall, but the design makes it difficult to feel this visually. A stunning door with copper inlays leads to the suite, and we immediately discover a design world rich in Moroccan motifs in every corner. It seems that there is no point in the design that is not Passover: the painted flooring and kitchen tiles, the upholstered headboard, the arched windows, the special curtains. Some of the items, Gitit, the hostess, tells me, came directly from Morocco. The oriental colors that are embedded in the various items certainly provide the necessary atmosphere. The space has a designed seating area, a fully equipped kitchenette and a comfortable dining area, a jacuzzi facing the view, and a double bed. There is also a shower and a closed toilet.

The "Roman Temple" suite is inspired by the temples of Rome. The design includes a multitude of columns, capitals and cornices in shades of cream and gold. The suite is located next to the "Moroccan Suite" on a shared wall, but the privacy is excellent. This is a luxurious suite with a bedroom and a separate living room, a large bed (1.8 wide) and a fully equipped kitchen. Inside the suite there is a double jacuzzi. On the large balcony, facing the wonderful view, there is a private pool (7X2.5).

The "Dream in White" suite is similar in size to the "Moroccan" and the entrance to this suite is from the lower level with 12 steps. I go up and reach a private balcony, with a sitting area waiting opposite. In an excellent location, I also found a private spa jacuzzi. I enter a space that is well organized: a sitting area, a well-equipped kitchenette, a dining counter, an open jacuzzi and sink, and a sleeping space. In addition, there is a shower and a closed toilet. The design lines here are very clean in bright, pleasant colors, with very good privacy despite a shared wall with the "Tuscany" suite.

"Tuscany" is a suite designed like a small palace of the French royal family. The design begins with the special furniture in bright red and gold, continues with the crystal chandeliers and velvet curtains that provide the special atmosphere. The suite is adjacent to the "Dream in White" suite by a common wall, but the privacy is excellent.
Inside the suite are two bedrooms, each with a double bed (1.40 meters). The bathroom is shared between the two rooms with a massage shower. The central space contains a living room and a fully equipped kitchen. On the private balcony there is a huge jacuzzi (2 by 3) with a sound system and television.

This estate is an example of a resort that does not compromise, and proves that even in Israel you can find super-special things. I predict great success for it because it has a combination of solutions in both "regular" suites and in a palace that is no less than a modern palace, and all of this in a great location, facing the view, in peace and quiet, and only 40 minutes from the center. A place that is an experience, with a hostess who does not compromise on anything less than a perfect vacation.