Ten months ago 42 years old Lioz Hamo from moshav Amnun by the Sea of Galilee had a look at the “Villa Tehilla”estate, built in 1882 as a farm and later on transformed into a travelers’ inn in Rosh Pina. A Galilean famous guest house. The owner Tehilla Yisraeli, who was among the first to rent out rooms in the picturesque town, passed away 3 years ago. This establishment is renowned for not being exactly a boutique hotel or a resort. 20 years ago Lonely Planet called it “Israel’s most unique accommodation option”. The estate was for rent and Lioz and his wife Adva, tourism lovers who mainly operate a camping compound and rent out all-terrain vehicles (ATV), decided to meet the challenge. In the middle of a war with Hezbollah they signed the contract and the legendary farm guest house became theirs. Ever since guests hardly arrived and in September a rocket crashed in the hotel’s backyard with fragments penetrating into the dining room and one of the guest’s bathrooms. Hosting mainly evacuees was the only option for the Hamo couple. “Who is making such a business move in the middle of a war? I ask Adva. “Tourism is the only thing we know and Lioz always had good instincts in this arena. The 14 rooms “Villa Tehilla” was a dream come true for us”, she says. Lioz makes me a great espresso, dressed in military uniform, just arriving from an assignment on the Syrian border. A short vacation during months of reserve service. The ceasefire agreement on the border with Lebanon appears to be promising and a turning point for the two. The place was fully booked on a midweek Wednesday. Adva was constantly on the phone smiling and registering new bookings.

Thirty years ago Tehilla Yisraeli (Tehilla means fame in Hebrew) and her husband Amichai bought this 19th-century farm and converted the former stables and dairy into a charming guesthouse. Over The decades it became world-famous and visitors to northern Israel headed to old Rosh Pina to experience “Villa Tehilla”. The Hemo couple continue to carry the torch. We were impressed how the farm’s original central courtyard is still preserved with the original stone walls and the additional decorating antiques. This is certainly a walk through a........

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