Tel Aviv - Tel Aviv has embraced the boutique hotel trend with gusto, with lovely, stylish offerings such as the Rothschild and the Montefiore scattered through the city centre.
One of the first was Brown TLV, which opened in trendy Neve Tzedek in 2010. In July, its owners, the ambitious Leopard group, opened a little sister by the sea.
The Brown Beach House’s claim to fame is that it is the first boutique hotel on Tel Aviv’s seafront.
Certainly it doesn’t look a bit like the glistening chain megaliths – the Carlton, Sheraton and Hilton – that line the promenade.
Instead, it has a moody black entrance that looks more like that of a night club.
A giant pink neon flamingo hangs above it, lighting up the cocktail deck set into its façade. Very striking.
The hotel is just 25 minutes by taxi from the Ben Gurion airport. It makes it feasible for many visitors to spend a weekend at the beach, with a spot of shopping and partying.
When I visited last month the hotel was in its “soft opening” stage and finding its feet. Eventually, it will serve food all day, but for now breakfast is the main event. The service was a little erratic, but when the food finally arrived – fresh, spongy bread and tiny jars filled with tahini and feta, yoghurt and jams, with scrambled eggs and strong Israeli coffee – it was delicious. A sign of better things to come.
There is a small spa offering massages (starting at 320 Israeli shekels, or R1 110) and there’s an outside Jacuzzi, but no gym – guests may ask for a pass to Holmes Place two minutes down the road.
The Beach House is one minute from the pristine sands, set back one street from the promenade. The buzz of Dizengoff Street and the tempting shops and bars of Shabazi Street are 20 minutes’ walk away.
The Museum of Modern Art and the old port of Jaffa are about a 30-minute walk – or borrow one of the hotel’s free bikes. The hotel is next door to the Imperial, voted the best cocktail bar in the Middle East. It is tiny, with a vintage vibe and an overwhelming menu of 150 carefully crafted drinks. Bookings are a must, although I preferred the breezy terrace and less fussy menu at the Beach House. Be sure to ask the friendly reception staff for a copy of Telavivian, an excellent up-to-the-minute guide to the coolest bars, restaurants and shops in the city.
What’s black, white and yellow all over? The rooms at Brown Beach House. The carpets are monochrome zig-zags, the sofas sunshine yellow, the woodwork black and the tables cool, creamy marble. Don’t be fooled by the name.
The feel is glamorous and fun, with oversized black-framed four-poster beds and playful design touches like bedside lights in the shape of golden pineapples.
There are 40 rooms, from small doubles to giant family suites with offices and double balconies.
The penthouse suite has an outdoor Jacuzzi. My studio boasted a giant bathroom with a whirlpool bath, a pharmacy’s worth of toiletries and bathrobes, a seating area with sofa bed and a small balcony overlooking a handsome 1930s renovation opposite, but the sea is right behind it.
All rooms have free wi-fi and air conditioning. Bottled water and beach towels are free at reception, which also has an interesting library of design books and an endless supply of chilled cava – the perfect place to kick off a weekend in Israel’s party city.
The Independent
l Brown Beach House, 64 Ha’Yarkon Street, Tel Aviv, Israel (00 972 3 760 5000; www.brownhotels.com/beach)