In the first second of entering Tel Aviv's Nordoy Hotel, it feels like you've travelled back through time. The icnoic, historic building from the first years of Tel Aviv's Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood embodies a genuine success story. The hotel first opened in 1925 and just two years ago came under new ownership, which has breathed new life into place upgrading it through renovation and restoration. It is just about the only building on the street that remains intact.
Located at the corner of Nahalat Binyamin and Gruzenberg Streets, the hotel has a distinct European ambience due to its meticulous, conservative design, both exterior and interior, with each piece of architecture preserved down to the smallest detail such as wall decorations, almost forgotten and fully restored floor mosaics and the original concrete staircase, which has had layers of dust removed and all combined with contemporary designs and materials that both stimulate the senses while creating calmness and ease.
The hotel has only 20 rooms, each 30 square meters in size and with a balcony. There are also two suites, large in size for a boutique hotel at 44 square meters, on two floors with the bedroom and a luxurious bathroom below and a workroom and sitting room above. The smallness of this room makes it less ideal than the sitting area in the regular rooms for entertaining guests.
The suite on the roof of the building borders on the part of the roof used by all guests and this compromises privacy. The hotel has scant public areas and the roof is probably the best place to sit and sip wine while soaking up the sun. There is also a cosy sitting area in the lobby near the entrance for afternoon tea and the hotel's spa offers some of Israel's best care treatments.
Service in the hotel is courteous, efficient and swift but the place lacks a restaurant, although one is due to open in the coming months. But within 10 minutes' walk are some of Tel Aviv's finest cafes and restaurants. For anybody seeking an urban vacation, the location is ideal for exploring Tel Aviv.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 28, 2017
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