The fast-growing city in central Israel has just opened its first hotel in a bid to attract business and leisure tourism.

By Rolene Marks

(*First published in the JNS)

Modi’in, situated halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is considered a quiet city that is more sleepy suburbia than fast-paced metropolis. But that may be changing rapidly, symbolized by the recent opening of its first hotel.

The city is an attractive destination for many immigrant families. It boasts a diverse community composed of olim from English-speaking countries as well as from France, South America and elsewhere. They enjoy the “soft landing” provided by the municipality, which seeks to ensure that all the bureaucracy associated with immigration is made as easy as possible. 

Like many Israeli towns and cities, Modi’in straddles its ancient roots and the modern day. Often dubbed “The Chanukah city” in a nod to the Maccabees who lived and are buried there, Modi’in is also Israel’s only “learning city” and is regarded as the first and most modern “green city” in the world.

Orna Mager is the director of the municipal Multidisciplinary Center (MDCM) and is responsible for growing small businesses and tourism in the city. Mager, who represents Israel at the UNESCO Global Forum of Learning Cities, explained what this meant in an interview with JNS.

“A learning city is a model that the global forum is running that focuses on understanding that the world is changing so quickly and [that] people need to learn how to adapt to these changes,” she said. “There are a lot of crises in the world. It’s about learning how to adapt and learn to live with all the changes,” she added.

“Learning cities means that the municipalities take responsibility for the lifelong learning of its citizens. We also deal with other issues like climate change, sustainability, gender equality and social cohesion. The policy of the mayor [Haim Bibas] is to promote learning for every citizen.”

Modi’in’s municipality is hoping that the city will soon become a popular tourist destination, and Mager stressed that growing tourism is a top priority for the city.

“Even during these difficult times, we have taken a huge leap forward with tourism,” she said. “We have mapped out the tourist attractions in the city in order to map our story. There are archaeology, culinary courses, nature parks, the museum, businesses that cater to tourism. We have found a treasure in human resources.

“The city has invested a lot in courses to help people who have stories to tell or something unique about their homes to share their stories. For example, we have unique collections in some of the homes. Someone has a collection of cactuses and another ancient menorahs; some have art and many more. We are preparing routes that tourists can follow.”

On Feb. 15, the city received a major boost in its endeavor to brand itself as a tourist and business hub—the opening of the Jacob Modi’in. The luxury hotel is part of the Jacob Hotels chain and has 85 rooms and suites, high-quality facilities for conferences and events and public areas for relaxation.

The hotel is a short distance from the city’s entertainment area, with restaurants, bars and stores, and is next to the Azrieli Center and train station. Because it is conveniently close to Ben-Gurion International Airport, its owners hope to attract both business and leisure tourism. 

The hotel is located in the new West complex of the Azrieli Group, which combines commerce, offices and rental housing. The Jacobs Hotel chain has invested approximately 7 million shekels [$1.9 million] in the hotel’s design. There are rooms of various sizes, spread over two floors, in an area of approximately 5,200 square meters (56,000 square feet). These include rooms for couples and families, as well as suites.

All rooms are equipped with a smart system for operating the electrical and air conditioning systems. The public areas are large and include a luxurious lobby. Future amenities will include a spa with five treatment rooms, a bar and restaurant open to outside guests, and two large play areas for children.

Einat Ganon, the hotel manager and CEO of the Jacobs Hotel chain, said this was a milestone event.

“We are very excited to be the cornerstone of the hotel industry in the city of Modi’in,” she said. “The Jacob Hotel Modi’in is great news for the city and for the hotel industry in Israel.”

The owners are confident that the Jacob Modi’in, which has five meeting rooms, an event hall and a large garden, will attract companies wanting to hold seminars and conferences. The hotel caters for Shabbat and family events and has a large synagogue. It can accommodate events of up to 150 people and has been fitted with state-of-the-art technology to facilitate both professional and family gatherings at a high level.

Modi’in has plenty to offer. Among the attractions is the Hashmonean Heritage Museum in the center of the city, which connects the modern with the ancient. Many archaeological finds in the city and surrounding area that testify to its rich, historical past are featured in the museum’s exhibitions. The museum presents the story of Modi’in from the time of the Hasmonean dynasty until the establishment of the modern city.

The modern city of Modi’in was built in the 1990s and later merged with the nearby towns of Maccabim and Re’ut to create the unified municipality of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut. Now home to more than 100,000 residents, Modi’in is on the way to becoming a desirable tourist spot with all the essential amenities, including shopping malls, a variety of good restaurants, entertainment facilities and sports fields.

On March 14, Modi’in is scheduled to officially open The Wall—the largest climbing wall in Israel that includes a variety of walls for all levels, from children to adults.

Other attractions include a popular water park and Givat HaBroshim, where people from around the country visit to see the blooming flowers and enjoy local cuisine from food trucks. In April, an exhibition of sustainable art called Land Art will open to the public.

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