Tel Aviv, Israel – July 11, 2023: Today marks the official opening of the Elkonin Tel Aviv hotel, part of the prestigious MGallery Hotel Collection featuring 44 rooms-and-suites and housed in Tel Aviv’s first-ever hotel, originally built in 1913. Located in the charming Neve Tzedek neighborhood, the Elkonin Tel Aviv opens following a soft launch in February 2023.
Restored with meticulous attention to detail by architecture studio, Bar Orian, and interior design studio, ICONIQUE, Elkonin Tel Aviv also encompasses a glass-ensnared modern structure, which combined with the original edifice, reflects the past and present of Tel Aviv.
HISTORY
The hotel was originally constructed in iconic Eclectic architecture and Art Deco-styles in 1913 by Malka and Menachem Elkonin with the mission of creating a welcoming retreat for international and local visitors to Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The hotel quickly became the gathering place for some of the world’s most prominent figures in art, literature, politics and royalty, including Albert Einstein, King Abdullah of Jordan, and the first prime minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion.
Following the passing of Menachem Elkonin, the hotel lay dormant for several years before being acquired in 2004 by Franco-Israeli entrepreneur Dominique Romano, who was captivated by its rich heritage and set out to revive the boutique hotel in avant-garde French style.
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Working alongside local architecture firm Bar Orian, Romano restored the 20th-century property, preserving its original architectural motifs while also adding a sleek and modern site-specific glass tower that provides access to the rooftop on the seventh floor. The exclusive rooftop at
Elkonin Tel Aviv is elevated with a swimming pool complete with stripe tile flooring and the Rooftop Bar inspired by the Côte d’Azur, serving a carefully curated menu of cocktails and light snacks and featuring sweeping vistas of the Tel Aviv cityscape, its charming Neve Tzedek district, the original neighborhood of Tel Aviv built in the early 1900’s, as well as the glistening turquoise-coloured Mediterranean Ocean. Open to both guests and local residents alike, the Rooftop Bar at the Elkonin Tel Aviv serves lunch, aperitivo and snacks best enjoyed on the stylish Ethimo outdoor furniture and sun loungers.
The interiors were designed by Adriana Schor of ICONIQUE studio, who created a timeless and sophisticated European-style ambiance with custom-designed furnishings and lighting by Art et Floritude. Schor presents a sense of understated elegance and simplicity throughout the hotel, drawing inspiration from the culturally rich city of Tel Aviv and the spirit of the French Riviera. The neutral colors and soft materials used throughout the hotel serve as a prelude to its peaceful atmosphere. Much of the hotel features exquisite herringbone floors, rattan (wicker) accents, custom-made Italian terrazzo and original ceramic tiles, coupled with a blue and terracotta color-scheme. Elkonin Tel Aviv boasts 42 thoughtfully designed rooms and two suites with well-appointed bathrooms stocked with Clarins amenities and bespoke furniture made exclusively for the project.
DINING
The crown jewel of the property can be found on the hotel’s ground floor, adjacent to the lobby, at the property’s flagship restaurant L’Epoque by Robuchon. The first hotel to partner exclusively with the prominent Robuchon International group, the restaurant promises guests an exquisite gastronomy experience from breakfast, lunch and dinner. Presenting a refined dining concept that combines French haute cuisine with Middle Eastern influences, flavors and spices, the menu at L’Epoque restaurant is characterized by its refinement, attention to detail and quality seasonal ingredients.
Seating up to 70 guests, L’Epoque provides an intimate restaurant experience that is drenched in natural light and candle-lit in the evening. The restaurant was distinctively designed and accented with brass and glass interiors. The restaurant also offers a private dining space for up to 20 guests offering a library-style ambiance. Alternatively, the restaurant offers a Bar Lounge on its ground floor, adjacent to the main restaurant, and is open from morning to night for those wishing to enjoy a gourmet breakfast by Robuchon, business lunches, aperitivo, dinner or drinks served until late.
WELLNESS
Tranquility lies at the heart of Elkonin Tel Aviv’s ethos, which is home to Israel’s first spa by Clarins. The spa is designed as a peaceful sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation, with five treatment rooms, dressed in shades of white and beige, a relaxation lounge and hammam.
The spa offers an impressive full range of Clarins innovative body and facial therapies, including the Elkonin Signature Treatment, which was created exclusively for the pleasure of hotel guests and is intended to revitalize and refocus the mind, while leaving the body toned and revived. Located in a charming surrounding, Elkonin Tel Aviv is the place to arrive, enjoy and leave with a renewed sense of vitality.
ROOMS AND SUITES
Each of the rooms and suites at Elkonin Tel Aviv are dressed in bespoke stylized interiors and furnishings by ICONIQUE studio in Paris. The property offers 13 different room and suite categories to accommodate its guests. Each room reservation is replete with breakfast at L’Epoque, access to the rooftop swimming pool, 24-hour room service, as well as the indoor gym and hammam, and board meeting room and event spaces for up to 20 persons. The highlight of the property’s accommodation is the Menachem and Malka Suites, set in the contemporary tower of the hotel, each featuring a separate, luscious living space, bedroom and luxurious bathroom. Each suite is stocked with a mini-bar, espresso machine and tea station, as well as bath products by Clarins.
ART
Beyond a traditional hotel, the Elkonin Tel Aviv is a testament to the rich art and culture scenes of Tel Aviv. The property showcases Israeli artists in its public spaces, rooms and suites. Hand-selected and curated by Adriana Schor, Elkonin Tel Aviv has acquired original pieces by leading international artists and photographers, including a specially commissioned “Love Wall” by James Goldcrown, located in the outdoor terrace area. The hotel also collaborated with photographer Tom Hegen to adorn its walls with a series of aerial photographs of salt fields, creating a symmetry between the interior design and color scheme of the Mediterranean location of the property. Reviving the building’s artistic heritage, on the second floor stairwell of the preservation building, adjacent to the entrance of the hotel, is a hand-painted fresco dating back to the early 1920s, which the hotel commissioned expert restoration artists, Shay Farkash and Eli Shaltiel of Israeli preservation studio, Tchelet, to protect and beautify.
Rates at Elkonin Tel Aviv start from $520 USD per night on a B&B basis. For more information please visit www.all.accor.com/hotel/9674
Website coming soon…
