You can find my recommended hotels below, but first a few things you need to take into consideration:
- In general, the northern part of Tel Aviv is richer, cleaner, and quieter. The younger and livelier areas are in the south: Neve Tzedek, Florentin and Jaffa. That being said, Tel Aviv is tiny. It will take you less than an hour to walk from Jaffa to the Hilton hotel, which is in the north.
- If the beach is important to you, then book a hotel on the promenade. Some of the hotels have direct access to the beach, with no need for you to even cross the road.
- Another aspect to consider is the size of the hotel. While some hotels have a dozen or so rooms, others have hundreds. The big hotels may have less of an individual, stylish atmosphere than the boutique hotels, but they generally have a better range of facilities. If a big gym, swimming pools and indoor restaurants are important to you, then book a room in one of the bigger hotels.
I’ll be pointing out a few hotels that fit into two categories: expensive and very expensive. Those are the only two hotel options in Tel Aviv.
Seriously though, Tel Aviv is very expensive. If you just want a clean and simple room for about $130-$170, then check out the private rooms in the Abraham Hostel. They really are great – I’ve just made a video about them.
Here I’ll start with the 5-star hotels and then move on to the 4-star hotels.
Let’s start at the top end.
The Norman Hotel
My favorite hotel ushered in a new standard of luxury boutique hotels in Tel Aviv. It comprises two historical buildings and has around 50 rooms and suites. There is an infinity pool on the roof, as well as a fitness center, two restaurants and a bar. The Norman is located on Nachmani Street, a minute’s walk from Rothschild Boulevard. The only downside is that it’s about a 15-minute walk to the beach.
All the other 5-star hotels I’ll be recommending are on the promenade or very close to the beach.
The Setai
The Setai is also located in a historical building that actually served as a prison and a police station from the Ottoman era until relatively recently. This beautiful hotel is located right on the beach, on the border between the old and the new, between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. There are 120 rooms and suites. The hotel also boasts a Turkish hammam spa and a rooftop pool overlooking all of Tel Aviv. Jaffa is the more Arab part of the city and poorer than the area of Rothschild Boulevard, which is noticeable once you leave the hotel.
The Jaffa Hotel
Opened in 2018, the Jaffa is another luxury hotel in Jaffa. It is on a quieter corner than the Setai, but you don’t have the views of Tel Aviv from most parts of the hotel. The main building actually used to be a French hospital. In the lobby, you can see walls that were built by the Crusaders and the building that formerly housed the hospital’s church now serves as a bar. It has 120 rooms and around 50 apartments.
The following two hotels are on the promenade.
David Kempinski
The David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv is located on the shore. It is a new building with 214 rooms and suites, and guests can enjoy views of the Mediterranean Sea from the privacy of their own balconies. The hotel is located in the center of the city, with Dizengoff Center just a few minutes’ walk away.
Hilton
The Hilton Hotel is a Tel Avivian institution. Even the prime minister attended its opening ceremony in the 60s. It used to be that guests had to wear a tie until they realized that this is Israel… (Israelis don’t understand dress codes.) There are 500 rooms and the building is 17 stories high. There is an old-fashioned atmosphere in the lobby, with a few small shops selling Judaica. I like it. You will find all the facilities you can expect from a Hilton. The thing I like about this hotel is that it has its own beach – you don’t need to cross the road to get into the water.
Here are my recommendations for the not super-pricey hotels.
I don’t have too much to write about them, as hotel reviews are not my strong point. You just need a clean room with a bed. One sentence about the neighborhood surrounding the hotel is more than enough 🙂
The Sheraton – a standard grand hotel on the promenade that I like to recommend.
Hotel Tal – a small hotel close to the beach set in a nice, quiet part of northern Tel Aviv.
Cinema Hotel – located in a lovely part of the city, right on Dizengoff Square. The boutique hotels around here can all be recommended.
Market House – a boutique hotel next to Jaffa’s flea market, in a poorer but livelier area.
Tel Aviv:
Jerusalem:
Galilee and the desert:
