Football and Champions League fans were pretty excited about the arrival of Paris St Germain football team players, headed by the world’s famous three superplayers: Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Before their arrival, the team’s leaders sent a list of rigorous requirements related to the star players’ security, hotel location and hosting details.
The PSG football team, arriving in Haifa as part of the Champions League, faced off against Maccabi Haifa, Israel’s champions. A buzz was already in the air as the group landed at Ben Gurion International Airport. One demand of this star team was that no cameras, curious onlookers or fans be allowed to take photos or even get close to the team members who wanted to stay fully focused on the game ahead.
The team boarded buses at the airport and under heavy security, headed direct for Dan Carmel Hotel located in the Carmel’s center in Haifa. Some players, headed by Neymar and Messi, were quickly transferred to the bus to ensure top level security and zero access to the renowned players by the public.
Football-fest in Haifa
Paris St Germain players flew in briefly to play Maccabi Haifa, Israel’s champion team. A sizeable number of fans, hoping for a glimpse of Messi and his renowned team mates, waited at the Dan Carmel Hotel’s entrance as the team arrived. Despite Maccabi Haifa’s loss, our players in green gave the guests from France, considered the best in the world, a good run for their money.
Among fans waiting for the team at the entrance to the Dan Carmel Hotel were some who tried to break through the human security chain and get close to Messi and the other team members. Heavy security well planned in advance prevented them reaching the players. Some 30 police took up positions around the hotel in Haifa. Dan Carmel staff assisted by organizing easy access to the hotel for the Paris St Germain players and ensuring they had all they needed for a wonderful, safe stay, without disturbance during the evening and night, nor on the following day.
Dan Carmel Haifa’s international standards
Even though the Dan Hotel Chain is accustomed to hosting VIPs, it excites us each time. Our VIP guests range from football players to heads of state. In this case, the heads of the football team from La Cité de la Lumière, The City of Lights, the world’s best football team, set conditions that few hotels in Israel could have taken on. Team members were hosted in Dan Hotels Haifa luxury suites outfitted in advance, according to the team’s request, with Sony PlayStations, TV screens, heavy curtains in all the rooms, air conditioning set to precisely 19 C, drinking water only in glass bottles, snacks and fresh fruit.
The team was also given full access to the hotel’s business lounge located on the penthouse level, as well as all other Dan Carmel facilities such as the gym, half Olympic swimming pool, the health club, and the hotel’s advanced spa.
