I wasn’t quite sure if our host was pulling up to a hotel when my travel companion and I stopped in front of the building with a health food store and an enclosed pathway alongside the building. Indeed it was the Art + Hotel.
Stepping into the well lit cool and funky hallway with a painting of the evolution of man we were delighted to find that it led to an inconspicuous and charming boutique hotel.
We were cheerfully greeted with, “Shalom,” by the hotel manager and hotel clerk upon entering through the glass doors and were quickly signed in and shown where we could get guides, maps and material that would be of interest to us.
The lobby was contemporary with a minimalist European style modern art and colorful chairs added color to the well lighted room and clean white surfaces and walls. Guests could sit at complementary computers hooked up to the Internet situated in a nook before entering the dining area and outdoor patio area dining or enjoying a cool cocktail during the complementary cocktail hour. In the other direction up a couple of steps were the elevators and stairs leading up to the rooms and the rooftop lounge.
The Art+ Hotel is small in comparison to the larger beachfront resorts that flank it. It has only 62-rooms, but a lot of style, charm and character.
Keeping with the European style, the rooms were small and the bathrooms even smaller. The room comfortably and economically fit a queen bed, two night stands, a built in desk that ran along one wall, a comfortable reading chair to sit in beneath the window with a lamp. The bathroom was tight, even for a petit person, such as myself. I kept hitting my elbows against the walls and had to negotiate getting in and out of the shower. By the end of my stay I was quite expert in my new yoga positions entering and exiting the bathroom. I found it refreshingly different from the spacious hotels I am used to as an American. I appreciated the economics of the usage of space and the eco-friendly and artistic touch.
Inside the hotel it was tranquil, peaceful, and calm providing the perfect place to rest in between escaping the summer heat to take a nap during the day before going out late at night.
The Art + Hotel is two blocks away from the Mediterranean Sea and is centrally located on Ben Yehuda in the heart of Tel Aviv only six blocks from Montefiori, one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods bustling with dinning, shopping, and nightlife.
Relax on Shabbat, the Art + Hotel observes the day of rest, so only food that doesn’t have to be cooked or prepped is served and the electricity is shut down.
Not up for going out, hang out pursuing any one of the books and magazines in the lobby, hang out on the back patio, or grab some drinks at the local market and hang out on the open air rooftop deck taking in the day or night.
Life is easy at the The Art + Hotel and friends are made easier with the friendly staff.
THE FLUFF
Art + Hotel, 35 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv 63807, Israel, Tel Aviv, Israel, (972-3) 797-1700, Atlas.co.il/art-hotel-tel-aviv
TYPE OF LODGING: Boutique Hotel
VIBE: Casual cool in that hip, but not too hip kind of way.
SCENE: Causal easy, go with the flow.
LOCATION: Central and two blocks from the beach it is easy to get to anywhere and anything you want: beach, park, restaurant, shopping, nightlife and more.
ROOM: Funky, cool chic. A compact minimalist dream.
BATHROOM: Small and tight, but a few bruises later Americans will get used to it and love it.
AMENITIES: Flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, complementary breakfast and afternoon snack and drinks (except Saturdays for Shabbat), free parking and more.
SWEET DREAMS: The service was warm, welcoming and friendly. Staff was always helpful. The location was ideal and the rooms immaculate.
CHECK OUT: $$$ = $175 – $350
WORTH THE SLEEP?: This was divine! = zzz
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