The business hotel unafraid to show off its creative side
A hotel with such a focus on the high-tech world might easily lose a sense of what draws in guests, but the Link Hotel & Hub does not forgo a warm atmosphere for its hi-tech environment.
By AVRAHAM GOLDSTREET ART dots the walls of the Link Hotel & Hub in Tel Aviv(photo credit: URI ACKERMAN)
In the heart of downtown Tel Aviv sits a business hotel with Tel Aviv at its heart. The Link Hotel & Hub, situated a stone’s throw from Azrieli Center and the Sarona Market, a five-minute walk from Savidor Central train station and a short bus ride from Rothschild Boulevard, shows off the best the city has to offer. The boutique hotel was designed primarily for clientele in the area for business, yet offers enough for leisure travelers to find a stay appealing.Guests of the hotel are greeted by courteous wait staff and a large television screen introducing visitors to Tel Aviv and its sister city, Jaffa, and providing information about daily and upcoming events across the two cities. To check in, guests are asked to record their information through a tablet, the first inkling of the hotel’s hi-tech nature. But that hi-tech nature is just part of the Link’s atmosphere.Street art dots the building’s rooms, common areas and hallways, exhibiting another aspect of the Link’s atmosphere. The street art features a wide array of figures, ranging from historical to pop-culture, including: Albert Einstein, Jimi Hendrix, Karl Marx and Matt Smith’s incarnation of The Doctor, from Dr. Who, among many others – engendering a modern, hip ambiance in the hotel.The rooms of the hotel, which overlook downtown Tel Aviv, including Azrieli Towers and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, also contribute to the chic atmosphere of the stay. Soft mood lighting welcomes businesspeople and leisure travelers alike as they enter the room, customizable for both day and night settings. The colorful splashes of the street art hanging above the beds stand in contrast to the angular white walls and desk, each symbolic of the two different sides of the LINK’s atmosphere. As a hotel designed with the business traveler in mind, the bedside lights have a built-in USB outlet, perfect for charging cell phones. And all can enjoy the 55” smart television, equipped with a wide array of content channels.Where the hotel remarkably stands out is in its “Hub,” the common areas designed for communal working. The Hub, like any communal working space, has offerings for individual seating, lengthy communal wooden tables and private conference rooms. The Hub uniquely excels in its combination of leisure with work. Alongside the communal tables are retro arcade machines and a pool table with the hotel’s kitchen and bar positioned just off to the side. The kitchen and bar, open from 7 a.m. until midnight each night, offer meatless light meals and refreshments, frequented by all types of people. Couches and tables adorn the rest of the room, with additional seating a half floor above. Like the rooms, each of the furniture pieces adds to the modern atmosphere, sitting at the intersection between work and leisure.Though the Hub is somewhat light on activities for pure leisure travelers, the hotel provides other opportunities in the area, highlighting the city itself. A gym and spa, set to open soon, are available for patrons’ use and the personalized smart televisions offer a wide collection of films available for rent. Hotel staff members are happily willing to recommend places of interest in the city, most of which are a short bus ride from the premises. And the television keeps a guest up to speed with flight information from Ben-Gurion Airport, maps of Tel Aviv and Jaffa and access to social media, like Facebook and Twitter, if desired.A hotel with such a focus on the high-tech world might easily lose a sense of what draws in guests, but the Link does not forgo a warm atmosphere for its hi-tech environment. Each facet of the hotel is designed to bring a guest a sense of relaxation and place, highlighting the host city for business and leisure travelers alike. A hotel in the heart of Tel Aviv with Tel Aviv at its heart, the hotel combines the bustling nature of the hi-tech world with the serenity of street art, perfectly balancing business and leisure.The Link Hotel & Hub, Sderot Shaul Hamelech 39, Tel Aviv. Rooms from $185 per night.The author was a guest of the hotel.
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