The Setai has opened its latest property, The Setai Tel Aviv, a 120 key hotel located on the Mediterranean Sea at the entrance to the ancient city of Jaffa. The urban resort is the second Setai outpost in Israel following the 2017 opening of The Setai – Sea of Galilee, and the first property in Israel to be designated as a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organisation.
The property was initially constructed as a fortress during the Crusader Kingdom"s rule over Jaffa in the 12th century. The Setai Tel Aviv"s five-building complex, referred to locally as the Kishle, or jailhouse in Turkish, is amongst the key properties in Israel from a historical, cultural and architectural perspective. The building was part of a complex that was conquered and then inhabited by empires throughout its history, beginning with the Crusader period and through the Roman, Byzantine, Napoleonic, Turkish-Ottoman and British rule over Jaffa. Following the fall of the Ottoman empire and Israel"s War of Independence in 1947, the complex was used as a police station until 2005, at which point it underwent a monolithic restoration process that transformed the building into The Setai Tel Aviv.
The original buildings and stone corridors that wrap around an inner courtyard have been restored over the span of a 25-year preservation process, which was spearheaded by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Israel Preservation Society, Feigin Architects and preservation architect Eyal Ziv, who is responsible for the design and preservation of several iconic Tel Aviv structures, including the Saray buildings and the Alhambra Theater.
As part of the renovation effort, architects demolished several buildings, restored the original structure, added three floors and dug out a basement level. The latter spurred a series of extensive archaeological digs throughout the property, unearthing artefacts that date back as far as the 12th century, all of which will be on display in the The Setai Tel Aviv.
Within, the 120 guestrooms and suites offer views of the Mediterranean Sea, the historic Jaffa Clock Tower and Square, and the inner courtyard"s olive and citrus trees. Created exclusively by Ara Design Studio, The Setai Tel Aviv accommodations – from the hotels" guestrooms and suites to public spaces and outdoor courtyards – feature rich walnut furnishings, white sea-stone from the building"s original structure, custom brass fixtures and Middle Eastern fabrics. As a result, interiors evoke a blend of classic and contemporary design sensibilities bringing together hand-woven Turkish rugs with spear-tipped bars outside the windows of many suites.
