Room with a Rothschild view

The most attractive street in Israel is now also the hottest spot for boutique hotels.

By NERIA BARR
Rothschild hotel (photo credit: Courtesy)
Rothschild hotel
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The past year has seen the opening of five new boutique hotels in the vicinity of Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. The avenue, which became synonymous with the social protests and the tent demonstration, is now home to some of the loveliest small hotels, offering guests a home away from home. Hotel Montefiore, which was opened in 2008, was the first to set the new trend. But others soon followed.
The Rothschild
The Rothschild boutique hotel, a beautifully renovated apartment house, is the only one of the small hotels that is actually located on Rothschild Boulevard. The hotel is located on the site of the family home owned since 1934 by Dr. Moshe Krieger, one of Tel Aviv’s most prominent physicians. He treated all the who’s who of Tel Aviv in the days when to be a celebrity one had to at least be a poet or the prima donna at Habimah. Photos documenting the famous patients and the history of the house are hung in the hotel lobby, giving guests a sense of the olden days. Udi Krieger, one of the descendants of the good doctor, is an architect. He and Moshe Kastiel designed the hotel, maintaining the atmosphere of a home while sparing no comfort or luxury.
All the 25 suites of the hotel are spacious, giving the feeling of an apartment rather than a hotel room. They are designed with bright, clean lines, with wooden floors, modern furniture and the utmost comfort.
Each suite has a kitchen, complete with refrigerator, coffee machine and much more.
There is a dining table, as well as a small sitting area, all impeccably designed and furnished to provide a warm atmosphere with contemporary art and decor.
The bed is very comfortable and covered with Egyptian cotton linens you wish you had at home. There’s a large flatscreen HD TV, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet and a desk. The bathroom offers pampering bath amenities by L’Occitane and the thickest towels.
The penthouse suite is a place which, given the opportunity, I would never leave. It is spacious and luxurious, with a rooftop garden and a dining table large enough to seat 12.
Guests of the Rothschild are invited to sit in the lobby, designed like a comfortable living room, to have coffee from the espresso machine or a glass of wine, read the newspapers or socialize. Continental breakfast is served there, which is included in the price of the room. For guests who want a more substantial breakfast, the Cantina, a bistro located in the building, serves full breakfast for guests of The Rothschild. Guests also have free access to the nearby gym and can take out a pair of bicycles to ride around the city.
The service at the hotel is very personal and attentive. All in all, the feeling one gets staying at the Rothschild is that of generous hospitality.
Since many of the guests are Israelis looking to spend a weekend in the most attractive address in town, the hotel also has an arrangement with a nearby parking lot that offers reduced rates for guests.
Daily room rates range between $250 and $1,000.The Rothschild, 71 Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv. (03) 629- 0444; www.the-rothschild.com.Townhouse Tel Aviv
The newly opened boutique hotel on Yavne Street, just off Rothschild Boulevard was designed by Yehoshua and Dafna Kastiel. It is situated in a preserved historic building, which means all renovations had to be done very carefully.
The concept of the hotel, according to its designers and owners, is to give guests a contemporary interpretation of the intimate and warm hospitality experience that greeted guests in the small Tel Aviv pensions of the 1930s.
The hotel’s 19 rooms, each designed differently, welcome guests with dark wooden floors, high ceilings, small picturesque balconies and top Israeli art. There is also an espresso machine, free Internet access, high-quality bedding, towels and bath products and other comforts.
The manager says that the lobby was designed to “give a feeling of a living room.” Well it feels more like the kind of living room you may encounter in a high-end design magazine. It is beautifully furnished with eclectic pieces, as well as pieces designed especially for the space. There is a well stocked liquor cabinet and a large dining table that encourages guests to share coffee, a drink or the complimentary breakfast of fresh pastries from a nearby bakery (one of the best in Tel Aviv).
The open-plan kitchen in the lobby is stocked with cheeses and fruit, dried fruit, cookies, milk and cold drinks for the guests to enjoy.
The suite on the top floor is very luxurious, with extra room and a large balcony. A secret room next to it has its own small rooftop and is very popular with the young and trendy guests looking for privacy.
The art collection is very impressive not so much for the price of the pieces as for the deep understanding of the person who chose them, in the contemporary art scene in Israel.
In business for only a few months, the hotel already attracts return guests from abroad, mainly businesspeople who come to Israel often and prefer the homelike feeling and convenient location to the large five-star hotels of Hayarkon Street. It is also popular among Israelis who have discovered the benefits of taking a short vacation without having to go through an airport.
Prices vary according to room size, ranging between $200 and $400 for the rooms and more for the suites.
Townhouse Tel Aviv, 32 Yavne Street, (03) 944-4300; www.townhousetelaviv.com.