“See this?” the taxi driver paused just before entering the forecourt of the Club Hotel in Eilat. “This fell here,” he said, pointing to the site of a drone strike a month ago near the hotel’s entrance, which exploded and caused injuries and damage. “There was a brief scare, but it’s already forgotten. Eilat is full of vacationers. Israelis, right?” he emphasized. “Foreign tourists haven’t come back here since the war began.”
The strike is only one in a challenging five-year run for the Club Hotel amid a broader tourism crisis. It began with the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, followed by the October 7 war. Added to this was a private crisis: in February 2024, entrepreneur Moshe Bublil, founder and controlling owner of the Club Hotel chain, died at age 69 after an illness.
Now, as a post-war return to routine is tentatively underway, the Eilat hotel is attempting a comeback. There are no longer evacuees onsite, reservists have returned to work, the Houthi missile threat has paused and the hotel—positioned as a suites resort for families and groups—is nearing full occupancy. Simultaneously, the hotel is busily preserving Bublil’s legacy, awaiting delivery of a bronze statue of him from Italy, created by an Italian sculptor over months.
Gave out large sums to charity
The chain—which includes Club In and Club Hotel in Eilat and Club Hotel in Tiberias—was founded in the 1980s by Bublil and Nisan Hakshori. In 2011, Bublil bought out Hakshori’s stake and became sole owner.
Club Hotel Eilat opened in 1997 with about 700 suites spread over 10 acres. In 2017, Bublil invested tens of millions of shekels in renovation and added an amphitheater for up to 4,000 people, becoming strongly associated with artist Idan Raichel, who performed there each Saturday, and the two had a close personal relationship.
Bublil was also a notable philanthropist: he donated substantial sums to children’s charities, converted two of his hotels into isolation centers during the pandemic, and for years hosted bereaved families and widows at Club Hotel Eilat through the Defense Ministry.
On October 7, he housed hundreds of evacuees at his hotel, donating dozens of suites. In total, around 4,000 evacuees were accommodated at his hotels during that period.
A longtime associate described him this week: “Most saw Moshe as a tough businessman, but those who knew him well knew his sensitivity and that he was a man of great kindness.”
Following his death, the future of his life’s work became uncertain. Industry insiders assumed the family might consider selling the chain.
This week, speculation grew following reports that Israel Canada Hotels, led by Barak Rosen and Assi Tuchmaier, signed a lease agreement with Club Hotel Tiberias to manage the property shortly. The lease covers 15 years with an option to extend another 10, and entails a joint investment of 45 million shekels for renovation. Similar negotiations on Club In Eilat may follow.
'It was clear I would step into his shoes, even though they were so big'
“My family has no intention of selling or leasing the flagship Club Hotel Eilat,” says Bublil's widow Bat‑Sheva in an interview with Ynet.
Since Bublil’s death in February 2024, insiders say Bat‑Sheva has become deeply involved in the daily management of the Club Hotel chain alongside CEO Nur Amer.
When asked about whether major hotel groups, including foreign ones, approached them to buy Club In or Club Hotel, she responded: “They approached and approached many, but the answer then, as now, is that we are not selling and not leasing. Moshe was a businessman with other businesses, but Club Hotel was always the crown jewel for him. So from the moment he passed, it was clear I’d step into his shoes—even though they are so big—and with our children and the management team, I’ll continue his path and vision.
“The children and I became the beating heart of Moshe’s Club Hotel. From the very first moment after his death, we operated as if he were present. Moshe knew how to spot people; the managers he chose have been with the chain for decades. They—and certainly Amer—are continuing his legacy.”
“Look,” she takes a breath, her voice catching. “I met Moshe when I was 24. We were together 32 years until his passing—there was a phenomenal connection. Over the years, I worked at some level in the chain, while raising our children and managing our home. Moshe was tough in business, but as straight as a ruler; he was a marathoner in business and life, and he loved sports.
“Discussions regarding Club Hotel Tiberias began with Moshe. But then the war broke out and Moshe’s condition deteriorated, so the process was put on pause. Because it was Moshe’s vision, we reopened the agreement and signed it. Club Hotel Tiberias remains under our control—also the renovation will be joint, and we’ll invest a lot of money."
“He was a wonderful father, and he wanted every child to follow their dream, and he was magnanimous enough to tell the children to do so. What kind of father who built this empire would say that to his kids? We will protect everything he built—especially Club Hotel Eilat, which was so dear to his heart. His death is hard for all of us, but we operate as if he’s here—and he is. That’s the message to every manager. Everything he promised them will be fulfilled. The results this past year prove that.”
So what’s the current status of the link between Club Hotel and Israel Canada Hotels?
“Discussions regarding Club Hotel Tiberias began with Moshe. But then the war broke out and Moshe’s condition deteriorated, so the process was put on pause. Because it was Moshe’s vision, we reopened the agreement and signed it. Club Hotel Tiberias remains under our control—also the renovation will be joint, and we’ll invest a lot of money. But for a moment, Club In and Club Hotel Eilat were never on the market—it won’t happen.”
Do you think the media coverage would have happened the same way if Moshe were alive? Maybe you’re continuing his path in every detail and people don’t fully recognize it?
“I prefer not to address that issue. The children and I together are strong, determined and know how to stand our ground. We have future plans for Club In and Club Hotel Eilat, which was Moshe’s life’s work and his heart. There are other businesses I might consider selling or leasing—not Club Hotel Eilat. Right now, there is no thought or talk of that.”
Amer was selected last June as chairman of the Eilat Hotels Association. “There isn’t a day I don’t miss Moshe, there isn’t a moment here I don’t feel his absence,” he said, sitting in his office beneath a photo of Bublil. “But it was clear we wouldn’t stop the operations and continue his vision, and I’m not alone here—that is the entire team; that is the resilience.”
Additionally, the chain is now investing NIS 90 million in refurbishing the hotel, including the synagogue named the Moshe Hall. Amer has served in executive roles at the chain for 30 years and was also one of Bublil’s closest confidants. The chain’s ownership also includes Bat‑Sheva and Bublil’s four children: Ben, 28, Adam, 26, Tom, 24 and Eden, 21.
4 View gallery
Club Hotel CEO Nur Amer and Bublil's son Ben at a memorial dedicated to the late owner
(Photo: Club Hotel)
These are turbulent times for the chain. This week, it was reported that after a decade‑long legal battle, the court approved a settlement in a class‑action suit against the club network. Under the settlement, the chain will grant timeshare owners at Club Hotel and Club In Eilat a total of 5,000 vacation days. The benefit is valued at approximately NIS 5 million. The claim alleged excessive maintenance fees charged to timeshare owners, due to inflation of cost line‑items in violation of agreements.
'Even the statue’s location he considered from a marketing angle'
“My father was the Israeli Walt Disney," says Ben Bublil, Moshe's eldest son. "His dream and vision always aligned with Walt Disney’s — the goal was to build the happiest place on earth, where parents, children and families come together. They created escapism for visitors, a positive impact for humanity. Club Hotel Eilat was designed by Disney‑park architects, and even the circumstances of his death were similar in age and cause. From here on, each of us in the family — my mother, my siblings and I — advance his legacy in our own way, so that everyone understands who Moshe Bublil was.”
What do you remember of your father?
“I was a small child when he woke me up early in the morning, on one of our family visits to Disneyland, and said, ‘Get up, because the donut shop is opening soon.’ I remember us choosing our donuts together and eating them as the park began to wake. A personal moment I’ll hold forever. He was a special father who taught us to follow our path and our heart.”
What will the memorial corner look like?
“Very soon the statue from Italy will arrive. Incidentally, it was Dad himself who advised us where to place it. He was close to his passing, and it wasn’t a sad conversation but a discussion about the project. He said that if we’re going to install a statue, it should be placed where it would be most effective from a marketing perspective. To the very end, he thought both emotionally and strategically.
"In addition, a fountain will be installed with a laminar flow, a stream you cannot see where it begins or ends. The structure itself will be built like our family: in the center, a fountain representing Dad; around that, seven fountains representing Mom, Bat‑Sheva; and four lights underneath like a compass, representing us four children. Beside all this will be the inscription in Hebrew and English: ‘Moshe Bublil Founder of Club Hotel. Thanks for a legacy of inspiration, dream, vision and realization.’”
What roles do you fill in the hotel’s management?
“Look,” he smiles. “We grew up with a father who was the ultimate centralizer. But that’s how he advanced his major agendas. We weren’t active players in the hotel at first, but we’ve always been involved in understanding and supporting it. Dad was a modest man who didn’t direct us toward a lavish life but a considered one. He used to say life is like a ladder — you should strive to climb higher, but always look down and remember there are people there.
“We’re moving the hotel forward in a competitive era, keeping the guest in focus and aiming to maximize their experience, continuing to invest in emotional and fun elements that give people the ‘wow’ factor. Our entire family is involved in his memorialization alongside the team. We aren’t interested in titles—they’re not meaningful or relevant to us. What matters is the work, that the hotel continues exactly as Dad thought and wanted.
"Each of us contributes to his memorial in our own way; Mom participates fully. When people say ‘without Moshe’, it’s physically true—but personally, he continues to be here. We feel him in every moment of life. The question ‘What would Dad say or do?’ accompanies me all the time, in every situation. I act according to the answer I know he would give. His soul and spirit are here, even if his body is gone.”