Independence Square and the seafront
The heart of the city and of French-speaking life. Hotels, restaurants, cafés, direct access to the promenade and the elevators to the beach. Lively until late in summer.
Hotels in Netanya: the French-speaking city on the Mediterranean
Netanya is probably the city in Israel where a French speaker feels at home the fastest. French is spoken in shops, restaurants and medical practices, and much of the tourist offering has been built around this clientele.
The city stretches along thirteen kilometers of beach, atop a sandstone cliff. The difference between a seafront hotel and a hotel three streets back is measured in view, noise and price.
This page is organized by type of stay. Find yours before comparing rates.
Good deals and small budgets: two streets from the sea
Moving three hundred meters away from the seafront often cuts the rate by a third, for the same beach and the same restaurants.
What this category looks like
Simple hotels and residences in the streets behind Independence Square and toward the city center. Functional rooms, breakfast generally included, no sea view. The beach remains a five- to ten-minute walk away.
Who it's for
Stays where you spend your days outdoors, trips of several weeks, family visits, and those who prefer to lengthen the stay rather than the daily bill.
What we check for you
The climb to and from the beach, as Netanya is built atop a cliff and the way back up is noticeable. And access to the public elevators down to the sand, some of which are under works at certain times.
Ideal for families and long stays: the apartment with a view
In Netanya, many French-speaking families book an apartment rather than a room. Over one or two weeks, the budget difference is considerable.
What this category looks like
Residences and aparthotels with a fully equipped kitchen, several bedrooms and often a sea-facing balcony, mainly toward Nitza Boulevard and the south of the city. An option suited to long stays and holiday periods.
Who it's for
Large families, stays of a week or more, multigenerational trips, and those who return every year on the same dates.
What we check for you
The floor and whether there is an elevator. The kitchen's actual equipment, often more basic than in the photos. And the balcony's exposure, decisive in summer as in winter.
Comfort and prime location: the cliff and the promenade
Here, you pay for the view of the Mediterranean and the promenade right outside the door. In Netanya, that is what justifies the price difference.
What this category looks like
Seafront properties on Nitza Boulevard and around Independence Square, with spacious rooms, sea-facing balconies, spa and pool. The clifftop promenade, restaurants and elevators to the beach are a few steps away.
Who it's for
Short stays, trips marking an occasion, couples, and those who want to be able to go back up and rest between moments on the beach.
What we check for you
The difference between a front sea view and a side sea view, as the rate gap is often significant. Exposure to noise from the promenade, very lively in the evening in summer. And the state of renovations, as several seafront hotels work in phases.
Which neighborhood to stay in, in Netanya?
Nitza Boulevard
The seafront avenue running along the cliff, with the properties offering the best views. Quieter than the square while remaining a few minutes' walk away.
The city center
Set back from the sea, commercial and convenient, with the gentlest rates. The right choice for a long, economical stay.
Ir Yamim and Poleg, to the south
Recent, residential and family-friendly neighborhoods, with a shopping center and quieter beaches. A car is useful there.
Kiryat Sharet and the eastern neighborhoods
Residential and far from the sea. Little interest for a tourist stay, but more affordable rentals for long stays.
Kosher hotels and Shabbat in Netanya
Netanya is one of the easiest cities in Israel for observant travelers. Most seafront hotels are kosher, certified restaurants are numerous in the center, and synagogues are within walking distance everywhere.
What lies behind a “kosher hotel”
The kitchen's certification and the rabbinical authority that issues it, the Shabbat elevator and the floors it serves, how key cards work from Friday evening to Saturday evening, meal times and whether they must be booked, the hot plate, and the hotel synagogue or the nearest one.
What we do
We check these points property by property. For apartment rentals, we specify what is provided on site and where the nearest synagogue is. We also give you the Shabbat start and end times for your dates.
Traveling during the holidays
Netanya is one of the most sought-after cities in the country during Passover and the Tishrei holidays, as the French-speaking community returns in large numbers. Seafront hotels and rentals go several months in advance, and full board often becomes mandatory.
Do you need a car in Netanya?
Not if you stay on the seafront or near Independence Square: everything can be done on foot, and parking there is complicated and paid.
It becomes useful as soon as you stay in the south, toward Ir Yamim, or want to explore: Caesarea is twenty minutes away, Tel Aviv thirty, Haifa forty-five. Many of our clients only take the car from the third or fourth day.