Early morning arrival in Tel Aviv - Lounge or Hotel?
 

Planning a holiday to Tel Aviv early next year, a delightful 4.45am arrival from LHR. We'll be in CW on the 787 but not really enough of a flight to get decent shut eye.

Is there an arrival lounge in Tel Aviv or a hotel very near the terminal? Otherwise looks like booking an extra night at our hotel.

Thanks in advance.

I don't think there's an arrivals lounge, but I wouldn't want to hang around at an airport hotel and then move again in a few hours. Unless it's crazy expensive or not available, I'd head straight to my hotel.

from experience, some of the hotels in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will offer you a room at 50% of the cost for an early arrival but you'll need to deal directly with the hotel.

If you have any hotel status that would help. the hilton or IHG properties have always let me check-in, or at least use the facilities until my room is ready

Indeed, no arrival lounge and no hotel very close. I'd recommend calling the hotel to ask for the cost of an early check in, as hb133 says, some will be willing to do it for less than the cost of a full night as very early arrivals (but also very early departures) are fairly common for TLV and some hotels are organised to be able to prepare rooms quickly at those counter-intuitive times.

Incidentally, TLV is a truly 24 hour city (a lot more genuinely so than, say, London or New York) so by the time you arrive at 6am, you can comfortably go for a coffee as some cafes will already be open or for a walk or on the beach as the city if generally very safe.

I have always had a hotel booked of the night before and then check in at 6am, most hotels in Tel Aviv especially the business ones expect people to do this, and youd be surprised how many people are checking in at this time

You may even expect traffic getting into TLV at 6am. I have taken that early morning flight and yes it is too short to get decent sleep, but you get into TLV before rush hour and can make your way to the city and enjoy a true Israeli breakfast by the beach.

Definitely go straight to the hotel. There's nothing at the airport and travelling at that time you should get to your hotel before the rush starts. Make sure they know of your plans - my usual hotel didn't have a room ready for me at 6PM when I arrived last time. I was somewhat annoyed.

I always avoid the red-eye on this route - far too short for a decent sleep. WTP and a daytime flight is the sweet spot for me.

Another thing I'd say is on your way back, don't arrive too early. If you get there longer than 3 hours ahead you'll have to wait for the desks to open. And if you're early it gives them more time to ask lots of questions about stamps in your passport. You will also be increasingly likely for a full security check. The check itself isn't too bad, but you can queue for over an hour for it. Once you get through, the lounge is nothing special. Worth going to for a cold drink, but that's about it.

Totally agree. The Arbel lounge is awful!!

I would very strongly recommend getting a hotel /making sure you can check in early. I felt AWFUL when I arrived in June, although that may be down to the quantity of LPGS consumed...

Had a very early arrival in TLV once (4am) and by 5am I was in the Intercontinental David. They didn't make any issue about early checkin as a Gold Ambassador. They gave me a normal room at first and then moved me to a suite in the afternoon. Also could still use the 4pm checkout the next day.
So I would say (paid) status helps in this case.

The 4:45am arrival is one of the first two flights to come in at that time. There is virtually no one at immigration at that time, and that is if you don't arrive earlier than scheduled. I wouldn't waste the cost to get through at that time.

Fake news I'm afraid! ;) The length of the questioning depends strictly on your assessed risk. If you are low risk it will only take 5 minutes (thankfully my case usually) including if you arrive hours before. Conversely, if you are judged to be high risk, the length of the questioning will be whatever it takes (can be 1 hour if you are a 6) and if that means that you miss your flight so be it, they are certainly not going to shorten it or lengthen it because you have or do not have time before your flight.