February 21, 2017, Updated February 27, 2017

The City of Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Israel Tourism Ministry and the Brown Hotel chain are launching a project to convert a lifeguard booth into a luxurious hotel suite. Winners of an international competition launched in partnership with Hotels.com will get a night in the matchless beach accommodation.

The goal of this joint initiative is to showcase Israel as a leading tourist destination in the winter and shoulder seasons.

“The transformation of a lifeguard tower into a luxury hotel for tourists is a perfect example of the innovation that drives Tel Aviv-Yafo’s success – in tech, in tourism, and in lifestyle,” said Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ron Huldai.

“This unique project takes advantage of Tel Aviv-Yafo’s world-renowned beaches in an exciting and creative way, giving us an additional tool in our daily efforts to promote the city as a top international tourist destination.”

The idea to turn an unused lifeguard booth into a temporary hotel actually came about in 2012. The local Atlas Hotel chain signed up to be part of the worldwide Pixel Hotel project and announced its intentions of converting a lifeguard shack into a the city’s most unconventional hotel room.

The new marketing campaign will fly competition winners into Israel for a four-day vacation in Tel Aviv at the end of March. Their first night will be spent inside the lifeguard tower at Frishman Beach, which will be renovated to meet the criteria of a five-star hotel including a personal butler and room service.

To take part in the competition, participants need to upload a photo of themselves to Instagram, against the background of their city, wearing beach gear they would take with them to Tel Aviv. The hash tag “#TAKEME2TELAVIV” must be accompanied by an explanation of why they deserve to win.

The deadline for the contest is March 5. Winners will be announced on March 8.

“Over the last two years, the Ministry of Tourism has revolutionized its marketing approach and now we are breaking into new niche markets and developing fresh, creative marketing campaigns, especially in social media.

“As part of our Two Cities One Break campaign, this project aims to encourage incoming tourism to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Each city has its own unique attributes, and in Tel Aviv, we are focusing on the nonstop nightlife, the growing culinary scene, and its famous beaches,” said Minister of Tourism, Yariv Levin.

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