If you’re not expecting a baby, you can ignore this post because it isn’t a place you can just eat at without having just given birth!
Months before we were due to have our baby, we thought about booking two nights at Babylis, or מלונית, as Israelis call it. Most of our friends had also stayed there and they all raved about it. So we decided to check it out.
(By the way, if you book early enough, you get a 5% discount! Also, insurance covers some of it)
After two nights in the recovery ward of the hospital (which in itself was top notch), and a quick pack of our bags, we were picked up from the hospital and taken via a bridge to Baby Lis.
The Food
Overall, the food was good. It was fresh and tasty.
It was a crazy couple of days but on the menu was the following:
- Teriyaki Salmon and Green Beans – 6.5/10
- Gnocchi in a tomato sauce – 8/10
- Lavrak pasta – 7.5/10
- Tortellini in a butter sauce – 7/10
- Freekah – Didn’t have this
And since we stayed on Shabbat, we also got the following but they’re not on the regular menu
- Curry – 8/10
- Lasagna – 9/10
Now you might be asking: “I have a baby that’s hours old and I’m a wreck. How am I supposed to show up for meals?”
- Meal times are quite long so you will likely eat at least a few meals in the dining room
- You can drop your baby off at the tinokiya
- You can have your meal delivered to the room
I have two complaints. My first is that it got a bit repetitive. The problem is that you’re there for 2-3 days and for lunch and dinner, you choose from 6 dishes total. If you’re only interested in a few of them then you’ll be eating the same thing a few times.
My second complaint is that when the meals were delivered to the rooms, they weren’t brought under cloches (those domes that keep food warm). The reason we ordered to the room was because our baby was occupying us, and when the food came, we were still busy. So we ended up either eating cold food or sending it back to be reheated.
At each meal there was also a buffet of salads, cheeses, dips, and bread. Once again, I found it to be quite repetitive, with only a few of the salads changing between meals.
What was quite nice though, was that a dessert corner was available 24/7. The cakes were fresh and delicious. I was even able to bring our visitors some cakes.
Also, the staff will make you as many coffees as you’ll need. And trust me, you’ll need them!
The Room
Our room (just the basic one) was quite nice, offering a comfortable and calming environment for new parents. I remember the beds being very comfortable, but I probably would have found any horizontal surface comfortable then!
Your experience in the room, and generally in the hotel, will actually be pretty dependent on which part of the maternity ward you came from. Hopefully, you’ll be coming from a couple nights at יולדות א. But if you do, you’ll actually be coming from a much bigger room compared the basic hotel room. More specifically, I much preferred the baby changing area in the hospital as it was larger, with paper towel and soap dispensers very close by (whereas in the hotel, they aren’t quite in the same area).
However, I couldn’t help but notice that the changing area was a bit lacking compared to what I had in the hospital. It could have been more spacious and better equipped to accommodate the needs of both the new baby and the parents.
Despite this minor inconvenience, the post-birth hotel served its purpose well, offering a comfortable and restful space for us when every ounce of comfort matters.
