Bringing back a crown to its former glory: the solarium complex is getting a facelift

The solarium complex in Ein Bokek, located in the heart of the hotel area and adjacent to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Dead Sea, is without a doubt one of the most popular sites in our region over the years. One that provided relief for thousands of patients from Israel and abroad. After a long period in which the complex was in a state of poor maintenance, under the leadership of the Tamar Regional Council and the Dead Sea Economic Company, it will change its face in the coming months beyond recognition.

This will happen thanks to a glamping site combined with a travel center and enriching content activities led by the Avraham Hotels group, with an estimated investment of approximately NIS 4 million. The goal: strengthening the independent, environmental and social tourism segment, in favor of an optimal solution for a desert hospitality experience at fair prices. The intriguing location will open next year as an integrated glamping complex, offering accommodation in 32 types of tents intended for individuals, couples and families as well as large tents for groups and companies. Next to them, a central building will be upgraded and will house a lounge bar, a reception area and a place for activities.

The complex will be built according to the principles of the Avraham Group, which places at the center the values ​​of sustainable tourism, including social and environmental activities to preserve the Dead Sea and the desert. In addition, due to its geographical location between Jerusalem and Eilat, the complex will also serve as an important connection point for tourists on their way to Avraham Eilat, as part of Avraham Tours’ combined packages and tours – Israel, Jordan and Egypt. It should be noted that the issuing of the tender and all the processes for the development and upgrading of the solarium complex were done at the initiative of the Dead Sea Economic Company, which serves as the executive arm of the Tamar Regional Council, which included the needs until the realization of the project.

The accommodation is just an excuse

The solarium was originally established decades ago as a healing site for skin diseases, primarily psoriasis. Over the years, the project that was built with great fanfare was emptied of its contents, as a result of a variety of reasons, including healing complexes that were established on the roofs of the hotels, alongside other medical alternatives, as well as additional solarium complexes that were opened in the hotel area in Jordan and in other tourist centers.

In light of the need for an ‘updated version’, the heads of the Dead Sea Economic Company came up with an idea, with the aim of returning the site to its former glory as a tourist complex, while trying to extract the potential inherent in it, both from a business and public point of view.

According to Shiri Ben Shahar, CEO of the Dead Sea Economic Company. “Already in 2019, an idea came up to build an integrated complex with solarium services along with camping. We started with a dedicated tender to which several companies approached. At first a local group of entrepreneurs won, but after a few months they chose to return the win. We then turned to the Avraham Group, which also entered the tender and met all the necessary criteria. One of the main reasons for choosing them was the fact that they will operate the complex throughout all the seasons of the year, with an abundance of enriching content and leisure activities”

Ben Shahar further adds: “The idea of ​​an active vacation with the possibility of gaining shared experiences is nothing small. The possibility of going on a vacation with accommodation is only a secondary thing, when the content and activities in the environment are the main value, in combination with the public complexes that are the highlight of the place, When in fact the entire open space will become a lobby and a meeting place with an emphasis on an active vacation with shared experiences.”