Israel: Tel Aviv’s latest boutique hotel, The Drisco, will open on June 3.
Set in Tel Aviv’s American Colony neighbourhood, the 42-room luxury boutique property pays tribute to the 1866 original grandeur of the building, where John and George Drisco set out to open the very first luxury hotel in the region, just outside the Jaffa wall.
In 1870, Ernst Hardegg, a Templar hotelier, acquired the hotel and neighbouring property, renaming it The Jerusalem Hotel. Over the next century, the property became one of the most prestigious destinations in the region, attracting famed international guests such as Thomas Cook and Mark Twain. Following the deportation of the German Templars by the British mandate authorities in 1940, the building was left abandoned and neglected. A lengthy restoration process began in 2006 to reconstruct the landmark hotel, preserve its original architecture and revive its unique murals. After more than a decade of intensive work led by architect and interior designer Ari Shaltiel, The Drisco is ready to open its doors on June 3.
The Drisco Tel Aviv features 37 rooms and five suites, all equipped with upscale amenities, state-of-the art technology, and Carrara marble bathrooms. Balconies offer views of Tel Aviv-Jaffa or the Mediterranean Sea while select rooms overlook cobblestone streets.
The Drisco Bar, in the lobby of the hotel, will be a gathering spot for visitors, business travellers and the neighbourhood’s creative community. At Zada, the hotel’s upscale restaurant, chef Shahar Bitton will serve a contemporary take on Ottoman cuisine, drawing inspiration from meals and dishes traditionally reserved for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire’s table. He will reinterpret the classic dishes using sustainable, local ingredients, focusing on fresh fish and seafood, selected meats, and local vegetables.
