A former Turkish prison is an unlikely location for a Leading Hotel of the World. But after a meticulous, 25 year-long restoration, the newly opened Setai hotel in Jaffa has claimed this prestigious title — the first hotel in Tel Aviv to do so.
There are still prison bars on some windows; a nod to the building’s past as a 12th-Century “kishle” (in Turkish) or jailhouse. Yet instead of stone flooring and padlocked cells, the property is now a luxurious bolthole open to all, with beautiful Middle Eastern carpets decorating newly laid marble floors and exquisite chandeliers hanging from high ceilings.
It’s a carefully thought out, stylish mix. And that’s before I even mention the view from my fifth floor room, which gave me a jaw-dropping look at the entire Tel Aviv coastline, up to the old power station at Reading and beyond.
I can see why everyone from the Turks to the British keenly conquered and inhabited this building before it became an Israeli police station in 1948. Even without the infinity pool, who would give up easily on this view?
The rest of my room was impressive, too. The king-size bed by Ara Design was fitted with 100% cotton sheets; my bathroom had a granite bathtub and a rainfall shower with amazing acoustics. I even had my own Nespresso machine.
But sadly when it came to basics like service and food, The Setai didn’t quite match up to its promise.
Sitting by the pool on my first afternoon, watching a fashion shoot taking place, my friend and I tried to order a snack. A nervous waiter told us the hotel has only just opened, so has a limited menu. Fair enough.
We opted for french fries and a fruit platter. When the fries arrived 30 minutes later they were greasy — more like chip-shop chips than the kind you’d expect in a high-end hotel. The fruit platter featured some unimpressive watermelon yet wasn’t exactly cheap.
That night, after a so-so salmon dinner from a half-available menu in the Jaya restaurant, I asked a staff-member where the toilets were. She told me she was sure the hotel had some, but she had no idea where they were.
The next day I ate a delicious buffet breakfast in dappled sunlight in the hotel’s inner courtyard, surrounded by olive and citrus trees. It would have been idyllic, if I didn’t have to ask for cutlery three times, and wait a long time for a pot of breakfast tea.
Despite this, if The Setai can fix what are hopefully just teething problems, it could become a truly magnificent hotel. Its location opposite Jaffa’s clock tower and two minutes from Shuk Hapishpishim (the flea market) is wonderful; I popped out for some hummus at lunchtime and came back with a bedside table. That wouldn’t happen at the 70s high-rises on Hayarkon Street.
There are plenty of ultra-hip bars and street food spots in the local area that make it the perfect location for a city break. And there’s no doubt that the smart clientele who are already choosing The Setai over other Tel Aviv hotels want it to work. It’s just got a way to go until the visitor experience matches its awe-inspiring aesthetic.
If you’re going next week it might not deliver. But for an autumn or winter escape with cosy corners, rich furnishings and a location on the edge of an ancient world, The Setai could well be the one.
