A new kosher boutique hotel has opened in Tel Aviv, just a block and a half from Trumpeldor Beach.
The MUSE has 35 rooms and was previously part of the neighboring Metropolitan Hotel (built in 1972), which is owned by the same group of private investors.
The hotel has been extensively renovated and embellished with the works of Israeli artists. Each floor’s stairwell has a different color scheme and is decorated with murals by graffiti artist Dudi Shoval (aka “OneLove”).
Sharon Guvrin, CEO of the hotel, says that all of the hotel’s fittings, fixtures, and artwork are Israeli-made.
Breakfast is served in the hotel lobby, and can also be eaten in the rear patio, which offers a green “living wall” and a slice of sunshine between the high-rises. The pastel tableware was designed by ceramic artist Esti Castro.
In addition to a buffet of salads, breads, spread, and pastries, the hotel also serves cooked items like omelets, poached eggs “Florentine” or “Royale,” lasagna, quiche, French toast, Belgian waffles and (of course) shakshuka.
Free drinks are available in the lobby around the clock. Cute little glass tea pots can be filled with a selection of loose teas. A computerized Nespresso machine can make two lattes at the same time, and smaller Nespresso machines are in each of the rooms.
The hotel is kosher, under the supervision of the Religious Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv-Jaffa. A synagogue in the basement isn’t in regular use but is available for guests upon request.
Rooms are stylish and modern, with comfortable beds, high-quality linens and plump pillows. The hotel provides waffle weave cotton robes from Arad Textiles – an Israeli brand – along with slippers.
The best views are from rooms on the top (5th) floor, where you can see the sky instead of the massage parlor and liquor store across the street. As with many places in Tel Aviv, the block includes a mix of upscale hotels and decrepit apartment buildings.
The room storage options leave something to be desired. There are no drawers where you can stash your undies in a “Deluxe” room, and the storage unit isn’t tall enough to properly hang a shirt – let alone a dress or a coat. An extra clothes rack is available on request.
Another issue is the centrally controlled temperature, which left the room uncomfortably warm on a balmy March night.
The MUSE is conveniently located for a visit to the next-door Imperial Hotel Wonderland, a 37-room art installation designed by 50 artists that’s scheduled to close on April 22.
The hotel is a short walk to the Carmel Market and the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. It’s also very close to the Tel Aviv branch office of the American Embassy.
It’s about two kilometers from the hotel – a 25-minute walk along the beach boardwalk or a short bus ride – to Nordau Beach, which is open to men and women on alternate days.
Room rates for bed-and-breakfast range from NIS 800-NIS 1,200 per night for double occupancy.
The writer was a guest of the hotel.