Pesach hotel in Israel? What would you do?

amother

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:58 am

We live in Israel and are booked in an Israeli hotel for Pesach.

If we're cancelling, we can get almost all our money back, which is great.

The question is - and I know, we're all trying to predict the future - is:

IF THEY STAY OPEN are we fools for going, since we'll likely be exposed to someone who isn't being diligent about Misrad Habriyut dictates? or will they even open, or maybe decide at the last minute not to??

SHOULD I JUST start frantically Pesach cleaning now?

amother

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:16 am

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

Most people haven't started yet so you're not behind.

Other years when I've made Pesach, I've always had the bedrooms done by Purim, and more done organizing before cleaning, you know? Nailbiting now....

amother

Peach

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 5:38 am

YES based on what we know as of this moment, I would cancel and start cleaning. Also I would want to cancel now so as to have best opportunity to get back my money.

Wishing everyone a Pesach Kasher v'Freilich!

imasinger

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 6:27 am

Let's look at end results both ways.

If you clean for Pesach, and end up going anyway, you have a clean house, and you've gone through some stress.

If the program ends up getting cancelled and you haven't cleaned for Pesach, you'll have a lot more stress.

The one and only time I and my family went to a Pesach hotel (when my IL's couldn't handle the stairs in our house and I was very pregnant), our rav told me I should clean and cover at least a minimum in the house and kitchen anyway, so that if something went wrong, I'd be able to make do in my home.

My suggestion is to sit down with some good information about what is and isn't necessary for Pesach cleaning, and make a plan. Forget about the bedroom organizing -- if you weren't planning to do it because you were going to a hotel, don't bother with it this year.

Focus on actually cleaning out chametz. Even if your home is the type where there's bissli in the bedrooms, once you're not sorting clothing sizes, it doesn't take a huge amount of time to clean a bedroom.

You can rearrange your linen closet another year.

Hatzlacha!

DrMom

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 7:51 am

Iymnok wrote:

If everyone else cancels then you’ll have the place to yourselves!

This was my first thought. There is a lot of uncertainly around the ability of people coming from abroad to stay in Israel unless they are under quarantine. Many are rethinking their plans.

amother

Jade

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 7:54 am

I would stay home people on the princess cruises two of the cruises who got quarantined had two stay in their rooms for at least 14 days many of the staff and passengers got it

DrMom

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 8:15 am

amother [ Jade ] wrote:

I would stay home people on the princess cruises two of the cruises who got quarantined had two stay in their rooms for at least 14 days many of the staff and passengers got it

Cruises are different, as you are basically trapped on a ship with your fellow passengers the entire time.

amother

Denim

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 8:48 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Other years when I've made Pesach, I've always had the bedrooms done by Purim, and more done organizing before cleaning, you know? Nailbiting now....

No organizng this year. Going through each room looking for chometz with your hands and eyes. Only dining and living rooms get deep cleaned.

Amarante

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 3:18 pm

Israel is now quarantining all international arrivals so I would say the decision has been made for you.

It would be remarkable but wonderful if things cleared up by then for lots of reasons - least of all inconvenience for Pesech guests - but I don't think things will resolve by mid-April.

Amarante

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 3:20 pm

DrMom wrote:

Cruises are different, as you are basically trapped on a ship with your fellow passengers the entire time.

I don't think a cruise is that much different than a "program" in a hotel where there are a large number of people gathered who are all sharing the same facilities including buttons and railings and breathing the same air in the dining room.

Any public facilities would be prone to contamination including any kind of communal food service stations.

DrMom

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 3:25 pm

Amarante wrote:

OP lives in Israel.

Elfrida

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:14 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Yes. But if the program is dependent upon foreigners, its likely to cancel. If its largely Israeli, all is well.

Whatever the previous population of the programme, it has now become all Israeli. The hotel is there and they have running costs. They'll do whatever they can to get those costs covered, at least partly. That's more likely to include special offers for all the Israelis who are now staying here for Pesach than closing down.

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:19 pm

Elfrida wrote:

Not necessarily. The 14-day mandatory quarantine for all incoming travellers is only effective for 14 days and will then be reevaluated.

Elfrida

Mon, Mar 09 2020, 4:28 pm

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

Not necessarily. The 14-day mandatory quarantine for all incoming travellers is only effective for 14 days and will then be reevaluated.

I know. And it is a real problem closing the country down just before peak tourist season, when so many sectors make so much money. But realistically I can't see them completely rescinding this decision in two weeks. They might ease some of the restrictions, but by then most tourists will probably have given up and made other plans anyway.

The only two scenarios that I can see the restrictions being completely cancelled are:
1) by some miracle, the entire thing clears up on a global scale.
2) it has become so widespread in Israel that stopping people coming in and out of the country won't make any difference.

The first is unlikely, and the second undesirable.