Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Gaza gets new luxury hotel

Luxurious banquet halls, first-class restaurants and shining swimming pool await guests of Moby Dick Hotel in 'besieged' Strip

Ronny Shaked

As the world deals with attempts to deliver aid to Gaza, the Strip's residents are preparing for the inauguration of a new luxury hotel.



The hotel, called Moby Dick, will be inaugurated in the coming days, and Gazans hope it attracts not just Hamas men but also Western tourists. If they do arrive, they'll be able to enjoy luxurious banquet halls made of marble and stone, first-class restaurants and a shining swimming pool. n the meantime, the hotel staff refuses to disclose rates or let the press take pictures of the rooms.



The inauguration of the new hotel is another sign of the economic recovery in the Strip. Despite campaigns calling on Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza, even Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh admits that things are going well.



"We have emerged from the siege stage and are now at the development and construction stage," he said. "We have no problem obtaining cement, iron and other construction materials. The storehouses in Gaza are full – we received everything through the tunnels."



Indeed, this summer marks the start of a new fashion in Gaza: Renting out rooms on the beach. Such a room will cost a family about NIS 1,400 (about $405) a day, and the demand is high.



A resort village with swimming pools and restaurants opened in Rafah several weeks ago, and another restaurant is planned off the city's coast.


As opposed to Hamas in Gaza, which likely receives a lot of money from Iran and other sources in the Arab world, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' government in the West Bank is finding it difficult to make ends meet and has only been able to pay PA workers half their wages this month.

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