4 Best Hotels in Haifa and the Northern Coast, Israel

Batia's and Claude's small B&B is quiet and hidden behind masses of hot-pink bougainvillea. The ground-level Provence Apartment has a little garden and patio and is furnished in antique French provincial style, with armchairs and a pullout sofa in the large living area, plus a good-size bedroom and kitchenette. The two-level Green Room studio has art deco touches. Olives from the yard, local cheeses, and homemade bread and jam make breakfast, which costs extra, a treat. Be sure to visit the antique store and Batia's art studio.

Plain but pleasant, this lodging has three floors of small rooms; each room has wicker furniture, beds with fluffy duvets, and good reading lights. The public areas have some comfortable seating in sunny spaces. A healthy breakfast is served cafeteria-style, and you can enjoy it on the patio. Beth Shalom is on a busy street, but the front rooms are quiet thanks to the double-glazed windows. The manager, a licensed tour guide, runs minibus tours.

A haven for budget travelers, this inn occupies a beautifully renovated Arab house that's painted shades of pale yellow and is set in a neighborhood filled with interesting shops. The dormitories with bunk beds mainly interest backpackers (one is for women, one for men, and two are co-ed), but there are 10 double rooms with private bath, and several apartments (with kitchens) that accommodate up to five.

If you'd enjoy a dip in a pool ringed by olive trees while you gaze at the blue Mediterranean, consider this delightful lodging. Host Yakir rents three suites, each with a hot tub and stunning view of Atlit Bay, plus a kitchenette and a sitting area for reading or watching satellite television. A bountiful brunchlike breakfast costs NIS 60 per guest.