We stayed at Galei Kinneret Hotel on May 31st, 2025 using a special discount for army reservists. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing. • Check-in delay: Although check-in was supposed to be at 18:00, we had asked to get the room earlier since the pool closes at 17:00. Even at 18:00 our room wasn’t ready. We were offered a different “upgraded” room, but it was not what we wanted and we only accepted it so we could lock a personal weapon in the safe. • Pool bar service: The pool bar was empty, yet the bartenders ignored us, stayed on their phones and chatted with others. It took half an hour to get a cocktail – which was both overpriced and not tasty at all. • No water in the entire hotel: The next morning there was no running water in the whole hotel for the entire day. No shower, no toilets, no basic hygiene. We eventually had to leave the hotel without taking a shower or even using the bathroom. • Compensation: After complaining, we were offered a day-pass voucher for another hotel in the chain. However, the voucher is not valid on weekends, July–August or holidays – which makes it practically useless for us. Even after follow-ups, management refused to provide any real compensation. Overall, this was an exhausting and frustrating experience. As army reservists, we were hoping to rest and recharge, but instead we left upset and disappointed. Sadly, we cannot recommend staying at Galei Kinneret or at any hotel of the Israel Canada chain, due to the poor service, lack of care, and inadequate compensation.

It is a nicely renovated hotel but there are way too many issues to enjoy a nice vacation. Consider skipping this one at least until the end of the year or the war, so that hopefully they get back some more professional managers and employees to better run the property (since one has to assume it is so badly run because the main management/employees are deployed in the war at the moment). There are too many issues to list, but just to give you an idea of a couple: -Your GPS will take you to a hotel gate that doesn't have any sign that you are at the right place/hotel name. -People at check-in and everywhere at the hotel will likely Not speak English so be prepared to try to speak in Hebrew. -You might book a room and be given a different type that is not suitable with enough beds. -Weird situation where you have to go through the hotel lobby when going from the pool to the spa since the spa area (e.g. indoor hot tub) is all locked from the pool area. -Similarly weird, need to walk through the dining room area (e.g. in between people trying to enjoy their meal) to take elevator to your room. -No shade at all in the pool until later in the day (consider some trees or tarp at least on 1 end of the pool??). -Only 1 complimentary activity a day at 8:30am (we went to morning yoga but the instructor never showed up/was apparently running late). -No communication from staff to address concerns during or after stay. From the reviews online, it appears that customer service is a common issue with many of the nicer hotels in the area (e.g. Galei Kinneret, The Setai across the lake..). Consider staying in a different area/hotel altogether with better customer service until these issues are resolved, and just do a day trip there instead. The Ritz in Herzliya is a clear winner in that department at the moment and a perfect alternative.