David Lewis, owner and founder of the Isrotel hotel chain, died Tuesday night in London at the age of 87, according to a statement released by Isrotel CEO Lior Raviv. Lewis, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, is credited for bolstering tourism in Israel's southern resort city of Eilat. Born in London to a middle-class family, Lewis served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and took part in the bombing campaign against Germany. He later completed a degree in accounting and in 1947 founded the Lewis Trust Group, an investment company, together with his three brothers. The company now owns the Isrotel hotel chain, among other assets. The first hotel in his chain, the King Solomon Hotel (originally King Solomon's Palace), was inaugurated in 1984 in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat. Soon after, many other hotels sprouted up in the city, making it one of Israel's preferred tourist destinations. Lewis's strong ties to Israel date back to 1973, when he established a foundation dedicated to the rehabilitation of IDF soldiers wounded in the Yom Kippur War. He regularly invited hundreds of families of disabled IDF veterans to stay at the hotels he owned in Eilat. Lewis's low-profile philanthropy extended to dozens of organizations in Israel. In 1995, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lewis Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), a distinction just short of knighthood. In an event held last year in Britain, then Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor praised Lewis, saying he had "revolutionized" Israeli tourism in Eilat. The city made Lewis an honorary citizen in 2001.
David Lewis, owner of Isrotel hotel chain, passes away at 87
Lewis made Eilat into tourist hot spot by constructing first large hotel • He secretly supported many philanthropic causes in Israel • Former Israeli ambassador to Britain Ron Prosor praises Lewis, saying he had "revolutionized" Israeli tourism in Eilat.
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