If you don’t care for large hotels but you like the convenience of guest services you can’t get in a vacation apartment, we have great news for you: Hundreds of boutique hotels dot the Israeli landscape from north to south, offering a cozier alternative to large chain hotels.
Ronit Copeland of Tel Aviv-based boutique hospitality consulting firm Copeland Hospitality by Design tells ISRAEL21c that boutique hotels are characterized by size (no more than 150 rooms and often much smaller), premium location, personalized service and no-two-rooms-alike design.
“A boutique hotel needs to have character, soul and even theatrical qualities,” Copeland says. “Some are budget, but most are perceived as a little more upscale in very good locations, such as city centers or near the beach.”
Among Israel’s most famed boutique hotels are the Norman in Tel Aviv, the American Colony in Jerusalem and the Efendi in Acre (Akko). Below are 12 others worthy of joining the list, none with more than 70 rooms.
THE MONTEFIORE: Best Tel Aviv business-district boutique hotel
Hotel Montefiore embodies the essence of quiet charm in a picturesque, meticulously restored 1920s Eclectic-style private home transformed in 2008 into a 12-room boutique hotel just off Rothschild Boulevard, the heart of the Startup Nation. All rooms boast black marble bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stacked with classic books in multiple languages, and contemporary artworks by Israeli artists.
Address: 36 Montefiore St., Tel Aviv
Amenities: French restaurant, 24-hour concierge, nightly cocktail hour, lobby library, private trainers, massage therapists, in-room beauty treatments, yoga and Pilates by arrangement
Parking: Valet
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BROWN BEACH HOUSE: Funkiest beach hotel in Tel Aviv
On a coastal strip filled with hotels in all shapes and sizes, the Brown Beach House stands out for its 1950s-style Miami-slash-French Riviera design complete with pink flamingos. Across the boulevard from Tel Aviv’s famous beaches and boardwalk, this hotel has 55 rooms and suites, most with sun terraces. Guests can enjoy a classic Israeli and Mediterranean breakfast menu created by celebrity chef Meir Adoni.
Address: 64 HaYarkon St., Tel Aviv
Amenities: Lobby bar, spa, breakfast lounge, complimentary bicycles, free entrance to a professional gym, free entrance to a local museum
Parking: Underground lot, nearby municipal lots
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HOTEL NORDOY: Oldest active hotel in Tel Aviv
Hotel Nordoy isn’t a repurposed old building: It was constructed in 1925 in the historic neighborhood of Nachalat Binyamin as a hotel and claims to be the oldest active hotel in Tel Aviv. Housing 20 rooms and suites, the Nordoy is a local landmark due to its dusky pink art-deco facade and silver rooftop dome that provides a dramatic setting for its spa. This hotel has appeared on classic postcards and in famous photographs and art exhibits.
Address: 27 Nachalat Binyamin St., Tel Aviv
Amenities: Rooftop lounge and jacuzzi, spa, European-style café
Parking: Nearby municipal lots
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GORDONIA: Best villa boutique hotel
This exclusive adults-only private villa hotel in the rolling green hills of Ma’aleh Hahamisha, wine country west of Jerusalem, is surrounded by groves, wildflowers and herbs. Each of the 16 single-story vacation suites has a deck with a heated swimming pool, hot tub and fully stocked outdoor cooking station. Guests may choose their own pillow and mood music.
Address: Kibbutz Ma’aleh Hahamisha
Amenities: Shared lounge, private chef for room service, spa treatments, dining options nearby
Parking: On site
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ALEGRA BOUTIQUE HOTEL: Most historic Jerusalem boutique hotel
Located in a renovated authentic Crusader inn from about 1,000 years ago as well as a 200-year-old former synagogue across the lane, Hotel Alegra overlooks the forested village of Ein Karem on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Opened in 2011, this boutique hotel was the 1930s home of Alegra and Jabra Persis. Each of its six rooms and seven suites is named after a pair of historical or mythical lovers. Changing art exhibitions hang in the public spaces. Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, contains many churches and monasteries, art studios and galleries.
Address: 13 Derech HaAhayot St.
Amenities: Chef restaurant, spa, wet sauna, meeting room, sunbathing/observation deck, courtyard and garden with splash pools, waterfalls and fish ponds
Parking: Nearby public lot
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VILLA BROWN JERUSALEM: Best pastoral urban boutique hotel
Housed in a restored 19th-century villa near the capital city’s historic Russian Compound, the 24-room Villa Brown is decorated in a fusion of neoclassical, Ottoman and contemporary styles in hues of red, emerald and mauve. The towering arched doorways were preserved for an authentic look, and the outdoor café is set off from the street by lush greenery, making it popular with tourists and locals alike.
Address: 54 HaNevi’im St., Jerusalem
Amenities: Rooftop spa, lobby library, underground Cave Bar, Garden Café, business facilities
Parking: Nearby lot
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ARTHUR HOTEL: Best downtown Jerusalem boutique hotel
Tourists are buzzing about the 58-room Arthur Hotel, named after Lord Balfour and run by the Atlas Boutique Hotels chain. Decorated in an early 20th century theme complete with photos from that era, Turkish rugs, tiled floors and handcrafted Armenian plates in the bathrooms, the Arthur is tucked into the restaurant- and shop-filled Ben Yehuda pedestrian thoroughfare close to the light rail on Jaffa Road.
Address: 13 Dorot Rishonim, Jerusalem
Amenities: Free happy hour, buffet restaurant, free bicycles, tour desk, laundry, pets permitted upon request
Parking: At nearby Harmony sister hotel; guests and their luggage are transported to and from there via electric golf cart.
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MARKET HOUSE HOTEL: Best boutique hotel in Jaffa
Another Atlas property, the 44-room Market House is situated next to the iconic Jaffa Clock Tower and near the famous flea market. Through a glass panel in the lobby floor you can see the archeological remains of a Byzantine chapel. The hotel itself is decorated in bohemian urban style.
Address: 5 Beit Eshel St., Jaffa
Amenities: Bulgarian/Middle Eastern-style breakfast buffet, free bicycles, free happy hour, tour desk, pets permitted upon request
Parking: In nearby municipal lot
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HERODS VITALIS EILAT: Best Red Sea boutique hotel
This Fattal property on the beach boasts a huge spa menu (60 treatments) and 53 luxury rooms and suites. Its premier Rain Suites offer Jacuzzis for two, double rain showers surrounded by eucalyptus trees, and sea or Gulf of Aqaba views. Free evening entertainment is on offer at the adjacent Herods Palace hotel. A shopping center is also in the complex – remember, no sales tax in Eilat!
Address: 8 Ha-Yam St., Eilat
Amenities: Heated rooftop pool, hydrotherapy waterfall, saunas, spa, pool bar, wine bar, chef restaurant, bicycle rental, business lounge, gym
Parking: on site
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THE SCOTS HOTEL: Best boutique hotel in Tiberias
Housed in a three-building complex constructed in 1894 as a hospital run by the Scottish Church, The Scots Hotel opened in 1999 offering 50 rooms in the main building and eight rooms each in the smaller, magnificently reconstructed former hospital director’s residence and maternity hospital. Original basalt rock and high ceilings have been preserved.
Address: 1 Gdud Barak St., Tiberias
Amenities: Swimming pool, beach garden, art gallery, wine cellar and bar, health center with spa
Parking: on site
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LA CAPPELLA HOTEL, Haifa: Best business boutique hotel
An urban business hotel located in the Castra shopping, recreation and art center next to Haifa’s Matam high-tech park (home to the likes of Intel, Microsoft, Apple and Google), La Cappella keeps things intimate with 29 rooms and suites offering urban and sea views. It’s only a 10-minute walk to the beach and boardwalk promenade.
Address: 8 Moshe Fliman Street, Haifa
Amenities: 24-hour gym, treatment rooms, high-tech conference room, business lounge
Parking: on site
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CHATEAU GLILI WINE HOTEL & SPA: Most luxurious Upper Galilee boutique hotel
Château Glili on the border of Safed and Rosh Pina encompasses just five premium suites, each uniquely designed and accessorized. Every suite has a wine refrigerator, mini bar, sound system and movie library, among other amenities. A sun deck overlooks the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights.
Address: 7 Nof HaEmek St., Safed
Amenities: Spa, jacuzzi, outdoor heated swimming pool, private chef available
Parking: on site
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