Life

Luxury Setai Hotel Opening In Tel Aviv Jaffa Area — In A Crusader Fortress

Image by The Setai Tel Aviv

By Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt October 25, 2017

Image by The Setai Tel Aviv

The building was originally built by the Ottomans to serve as a prison; but now you can get a luxe massage there instead.

If you’re booking a trip to Israel in 2018 — and looking for a luxe experience — check out Tel Aviv’s Setai hotel, which will be opening in the historic old Jaffa port area of Tel Aviv. (It’s the second in Israel — the first one just opened on the Sea of Galilee in May 2017.)

Image by The Setai Tel Aviv

Located in central Jaffa, right near the Clock Square and alongside the coastline, the building was originally built by the Ottoman Empire to serve as a prison on the site of a Crusader fortress.

Image by The Setai Tel Aviv

The hotel developer, Nakash Holdings, had to properly preserve the historic structure, with extensive archeological digs carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which unearthed remains dating back to the Crusader Period through the Ottoman era. “The 13th century structure that is the foundation of the new hotel is unlike any other, and we took meticulous care in preserving and infusing important historic elements into the transformation of the building,” said Bruno H. de Schuyter, general manager. “Guests will be surrounded by a unique atmosphere of ‘old meets new,’ while experiencing first-class amenities and services in what will be the most superior five-star hotel in Tel Aviv.”

The Setai Tel Aviv will be joining The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd’s prestigious collection of independent luxury hotels.

Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt was the Life/Features editor at the Forward. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Salon, and Tablet, among others.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO