Maccabiah Games Leave Foreign Owners Locked Out of Their Apartments at Kfar Maccabiah Hotel
The 22nd Maccabiah Games, held after a one-year delay, brought thousands of athletes from around the world to Israel, but about 40 foreign owners of apartments at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel claim they were blocked from accessing their properties during the event. These owners had purchased the apartments, which were sold starting in 2005 for $230,000 to $270,000 each, as a way to stay in Israel during visits. The hotel has 260 rooms, with roughly half sold as 2-3 room apartments, typically rented out by a management company for at least half the year.
According to the agreement, owners must reserve their apartments at least two weeks in advance through a digital booking system. However, the owners say their access to the system was blocked for the Maccabiah dates, with the hotel citing the need to allocate all rooms and resources to athletes. The owners' lawyer, Michael Dvorin, stated this policy violates their contract, which contains no exceptions for the Maccabiah or other sporting events. The owners expressed concern for those who had already purchased flight tickets but could not stay in their units.
This dispute adds to previous complaints from owners about unilateral hotel decisions, including canceling late checkouts for Sabbath observers, denying access to spa and pool facilities, and declining quality of synagogue services. Additionally, the owners are suing the hotel over an alleged debt of approximately 2.5 million shekels related to rental income. They claim the hotel failed to provide transparent financial data and withheld payments owed under an agreement to share 13% of rental revenues.
The Kfar Maccabiah Hotel responded that no forced evictions occurred and that alternative accommodations were offered. The hotel emphasized it respected owners who chose to remain in their units and criticized the timing of the owners' public complaints during the international event. The hotel stated it is focused on the success of the games while safeguarding owners' rights amid ongoing legal proceedings.
