BorderLines: Former Prison Is a Lock as Favorite Hotel in Tel Aviv

Prisoner of Tel Aviv? Not exactly, but I am ever in its sultry thrall, even when not there. It is the only place I know that has a lock on two near necessities for a properly languorous interlude: a ribbon of sandy beaches where billionaires rub shoulders with bus drivers and an absence of tourist attractions to lure one away from them. To my mind Tel Aviv represents Israel at its exhilarating best, but anyone who has been there — whether like-minded acolyte or resolute detractor — will confirm that it is both a city and a state of mind.What one needs to plug into the place is time, a commodity particularly precious in the Middle East, and a certain stripe of hotel. For nifty accommodations the traveler is, these days, spoiled for choice. Fans of Bauhaus might try a spanking white gem like the Poli House Hotel. Foodies delight in the city’s original boutique hotel, the Montefiore, where a clutch of cosmopolitan guest rooms are situated one flight above the eponymous restaurant, one of Tel Aviv’s best. If for others a deep sense of history is the sine qua non of a successful sojourn, there is the Setai, which also features modern touches like a rooftop pool with a commanding view of the beachfront.The Setai Tel Aviv occupies a prominent spot in very old Jaffa, the biblical port named for a son of Noah that today is an integral part of the modern Tel Aviv mosaic. The imposing principal edifice is about as far away from Bauhaus as one can get. From the courtyard at the Setai. The New York Sun/Anthony GrantOnce called the “Kishle,” a Turkish word for jailhouse, it was built in the late 19th century by the Ottoman Turks as a prison, itself on the site of what had been a Crusader-era fortress at the northeast corner of the old city walls. It is just steps from the seaside promenade that links up Jaffa to the heart of Tel Aviv, with sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the modern city’s modern towers rising in the north. The hotel is owned by the Nakash family, who built the Jordache jeans empire in the late 1970s and early 1980s and underwrote the iconic television ads to match. (Who can forget the jingle of “the Jordache look”?) Israeli business newspaper Globes reported that as a teenager, investor Joseph Nakash got caught up in some horse theft that left him holed up in the Kishle for a few days. Back then the place was rather more foreboding, which was as the Ottoman overlords intended. According to Globes it was “designed as a closed compound surrounded by a wall, containing three main buildings with a mixture of confinement and isolation cells, administration and service rooms, yards, and later additions.” After Israel’s independence the police took over the Kishle but they decamped to more modern headquarters in 2005. Souvenirs of the site’s fortress past remain: Turkish cannons pepper the promenade that leads up the historic Jaffa hillside behind the hotel grounds.Given the region’s history of tumult and transformation, a historic Jaffa clink’s rebirth as stylish postmodern perch seems almost inevitable. The Setai is sumptuous but avoids the garishness that sometimes comes with renovations on this scale. Behind the lobby there is a discreet bar with the original stone arches; it is the perfect spot to sip something cold and bubbly after a long day of exploring the fantastic Jaffa flea market or strolling by the seafront. It’s simply a great hangout regardless of whether you’re a hotel guest. The original stone arches at the Setai. The New York Sun/Anthony GrantIf you are a guest, you can have the run of the place and feel like you’re on a kind of motionless cruise, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. One of those is the main restaurant, Jaya, which opens up onto a tree-lined courtyard that is a rare haven of calm in central Tel Aviv. From the courtyard a stairway ascends to the spectacular swimming pool. Large and rectangular, it has an ample deck to catch the sea breeze. Prying oneself away from the ravishing views of the Tel Aviv shore and skyline is almost as tough as hammering out a functioning peace deal, but you can still catch an eyeful from any number of the bright and airy rooms. If you can swing it, book one of Setai Suites or, if you’re feeling particularly regal, the Presidential Suite. That magical top-floor space comes with floor-to-ceiling windows affording sea views that would be the envy of any sultan or oligarch. While I did not stay in a suite, I did on a recent visit make a stop at the executive lounge where an array of beverages and fresh, gourmet nibbles was ready for sampling.This is neither the only luxury hotel in Jaffa nor the newest entrant on the burgeoning Tel Aviv hotel scene, but when it comes to hotels among other things, novelty is seldom synonymous with superiority. For its history, position, and verve, the Setai is a stylish standout and rare conduit for channeling the Tel Aviv experience. That all adds up to its status as my favorite hotel in town.

BorderLines: Former Prison Is a Lock as Favorite Hotel in Tel Aviv

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