Arriving at the Montefiore in the evening to be confronted by buzz and beautiful people, you could be forgiven for thinking your taxi had dropped you at a restaurant rather than a hotel. For this Tel Aviv boutique hostelry is, essentially, a restaurant with rooms. And those rooms display the most contemporary brand of chic that hotel-dwellers in Israel have ever been offered.

The Montefiore has set a new standard in Israel for what today’s traveller expects from a room — everything from free wi-fi, to beautiful toiletries, to extras in bedside home comforts. My aesthetic sense was deeply satisfied by the elegant water glasses and carafe, a trio of almost sculptural oranges and the best guide book to the city’s shopping, dining and culture I’ve read in the hip 24 heures in Tel Aviv.

The location, just behind Rothschild Boulevard near the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, is full of interesting Bauhaus buildings and trendy art galleries, and makes a refreshing change from the beach strip, especially in winter. The advantage of having on your own ground floor some of Tel Aviv’s best buzz and food — the antithesis of chain hotel dining albeit non-kosher — cannot be overestimated. The downside is that noise filters up to the rooms despite special doors, so this hotel is strictly for party animals.

Any other possible downside? The Montefiore is pretty expensive, and it’s also too hip to set out a typical Israeli buffet breakfast, though your plate of cooked-to-order eggs will come generously garnished with salad and cheese. Rates: Doubles from $280 (£180) per night

TEL: 00972 3 564 6100