Israelis checking out hotels in Tel Aviv for visiting friends and relatives may have noticed a new phenomenon – 'boutique' hotels - which have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Just how popular the trend is can be judged by the fact that no fewer than 17 of the 74 Tel Aviv hotels listed on the Tripadvisor internet site are referred to as boutique and a number of others are being planned.  

But what is a boutique hotel?

It seems that the term was first used in the 1980s in major cities of the UK and US. Boutique hotels were meant to be a reaction to what some thought of as the bland, cookie cutter homogeneity of the giant chains. The usage caught on so that today, some of the large chains even have their own 'boutique' brands. Although the word is often used loosely, and boutique hotels can differ in many respects, they generally have certain characteristics in common:

• They tend to be on the smallish side with an emphasis on intimacy and personal service.
• They each have a unique character and personality. What that means, in effect, is that their owners have developed a concept that tries to tell an intriguing story. For example, the Art + Hotel on Hayarkon Street is dedicated to Israeli art, and features murals on each floor and art books in the library/breakfast room. And although the Diaghilev on Mazeh Street doesn't showcase dancers from the Ballets Russes pirouetting down the halls as the name implies, it claims to take the Russian choreographer as its inspiration,
• They aspire to being hip and trendy and are usually fairly luxurious.
• They aim to attract a young clientele with above average incomes.

Of course, the term 'boutique' is sometimes used rather loosely. Some are in converted old houses while others are in regular hotels that have changed their designation. The venerable Shalom Hotel, for example, opposite the Hilton, which used to have a Western theme, has been reincarnated as the Shalom and Relax boutique hotel in beach house style. According to Leslie Adler, a director of the Atlas chain which owns seven theme hotels, including the Shalom, and is planning seven more around the country, the important element in creating a boutique hotel is defining a motto or concept with which people can identify. The Atlas's Melody hotel, for example, has 'work and play' for a motto, the Cinema is, of course, based on a vintage cinema theme, while a new boutique hotel planned for the building that is now the Turkish embassy on Hayarkon St is to be themed around Israeli fashion.

There are good, solid business reasons for the rise in boutique hotels. According to The Marker, the hotel occupancy rate in Tel Aviv is 75% compared to a national average of 66%. That means Tel Aviv offers a good market for boutique hotels, which can be renovated or built much more quickly and with lower investment and bureaucracy than giant hotels.

Many are concentrated in or near Rothschild Blvd, in spite of the fact that properties in the area can't offer pools or beach access. Why Rothschild Blvd? One reason is that the area offers entrepreneurs in the hotel trade many period properties which are ripe for conversion. In addition, Rothschild Blvd is seen as the new hip area, akin to New York's SoHo. It is convenient for business visitors and, in any case, Tel Aviv is so small that you can walk, take a taxi or even bike to the beach if that is where you want to go.

Some hotels calling themselves boutique are merely small and overpriced. Others, though, are really memorable. Here are a few of Tel Aviv's trendiest (the list is not inclusive). To arrive at the cost, I checked each hotel's own internet site and requested the price of a standard double for the same arbitrary date, September 13, 2012. 

Diaghilev Live Art Boutique Hotel
56 Mazeh, off Rothschild Blvd. Tel: 03 545 4131
It's difficult to figure out why this hotel was named after a turn of the 20^th century Russian ballet impresario, but one assumes that the association with culture and bohemian creativity with an international flavor and with a mixture of a trendy and traditional look might have something to do with it. Diaghilev is located in a quiet street off Rothschild Blvd. in two renovated Bauhaus-style buildings which have been joined together by a central entry section. The spacious ground floor is tastefully furnished with classic modern furniture pieces as well as original artwork, and there are frequent gallery shows of work by contemporary Israeli artists.

The big advantage here is the space: the 6-floor hotel has 56 individually-furnished suites, many of which have balconies overlooking rooftops, each with a separate living room and bedroom. There is even a kitchenette, although the stovetops are just for show, not cooking. Though not really luxurious (I would say three star) the rooms are very comfortable and tasteful, and offer the usual services such as air conditioning, flat-screen TV, fax/photocopying, laundry, meeting/banquet, ironing service, tour desk, etc. Original artwork decorates the walls and is rotated every few months. Residents can buy a daily voucher to have breakfast in a café of their choice along Rothschild Blvd. There is a terrace and garden.
This hotel is rated number one on Tripadvisor for Tel Aviv hotels.
One-bedroom suite with city view - $189. 

The Rothschild
71 Rothschild Blvd, corner of Mazeh St. Tel: 03 629 0555
This gorgeous hotel, in a renovated International Style house originally built in 1934, has a real history. It was once Beit Krieger, the home and clinic of Dr Moshe Krieger, a noted physician whose patients included Bialik, Ben Gurion, Hanna Rovina and the Hazon Ish. His wife, Dr Fanny Chlenov-Krieger, was a pediatrician. Today, his grandson is one of the owners of the hotel which has been tastefully converted, and was opened this February. I thought this was the most attractive of the hotels I saw.

The lobby is decorated in coral and cream with the feel of a living room. Continental breakfast is served here in a dining section, and complimentary coffee and drinks are available. There are 25 suites, for both short and long-term accommodation, in four different styles. The executive suites are fully furnished with a large living area, bathroom, kitchenette and office, some opening up onto a balcony, and serviced by a concierge who will answer requests and provide information and services as needed. Services include large flat-screen TVs, cable, free internet access, espresso machines in the rooms, work station with printer, scanner and fax machine, rain-shower head, Egyptian cotton linens and in-room spa treatments upon request. The studio apartments offer open-space accommodation.
Studio apartments are $220. 

Brown TLV Hotel
25 Kalisher St, Tel: 03 717 0200
The location of the Brown TLV, not far from the Kolbo Shalom Tower, isn't in such an upmarket area as some of the other new boutique hotels, but it is convenient to Allenby Street and Neve Tzedek. The hotel, which opened in October 2010, defines its style as "urban warmth with a nod to the faded glamor of the 70s." With a dark color scheme of green and brown, this 30 room hotel forgoes the minimalist approach for a warmer, more luxurious style. The lobby features a ceiling-to-floor wall of books, a comfortable seating area, a coffee bar and, oddly, a huge reproduction of a 1970 vintage Playboy poster.

Off the lobby is a comfortable outdoor seating area (which would have been nicer if the designer hadn't opted for artificial grass) and there is also an attractive roof bar and sundeck. Art works by street artist Pilpeled and visual art by Nerubay Design are in evidence. The rooms, which are not large and are furnished in green and brown tones, offer amenities such as flat screen TV, cable, free internet and rainforest showerheads in the black marble bathrooms. Some have jacuzzis and balconies.

The hotel is a member of the Design Hotels chain of independent, unusual and individual hotels. "No request is too much," a manager told me. "We pride ourselves on our service." The hotel is run by Leopard Hospitality, which plans on opening other boutique hotels around Israel.
Double room with breakfast – $235. 

Hotel Montefiore
36 Montefiore St, Tel: 03 564 6100
This small 12-room boutique hotel is located in a heritage building dating from 1922 in Eclectic style and was one of the first boutique hotels to start the trend, opening in 2008. There is a busy restaurant on the ground floor, and the rooms are upstairs on the second and third floors, which means there is no real lobby, as such. The style is rather charming historic old Tel Aviv, with wooden floors, tall windows and period furniture, combining European architecture of the age with elements of Oriental architecture. Although I didn't see the rooms, they are said to have all the modern conveniences, including black marble baths, private libraries and contemporary Israeli art on the walls. Some have private balconies. Services include a chauffeur-driven limo and spa services on request.

According to the internet site, rooms are between $380 and $420 including breakfast.

Cinema Hotel, 1 Zamenhoff St, Tel: 03 520 7100
This 82-room hotel in the Atlas chain is housed in a Bauhaus building that was formerly the old Esther Cinema at Dizengoff Circle. In keeping with the theme, vintage movies are shown and popcorn served. Décor includes original movie projectors and posters, and even the rooms continue the theme, with director's chairs, bed headboards reminiscent of theater curtains and light fixtures similar to projectors.

There is free use of the sauna and jacuzzi, and refreshments are available free. A rooftop terrace offers a view over Dizengoff Center. Breakfast is included. Services include TV, internet, etc.
Double room - $225 including breakfast.

  Diaghilev Live Art Boutique Hotel
56 Mazeh, off Rothschild Blvd. Tel: 03 545 4131

The Rothschild
71 Rothschild Blvd, corner of Mazeh St. Tel: 03 629 0555

Brown TLV Hotel
25 Kalisher St, Tel: 03 717 0200

Hotel Montefiore
36 Montefiore St, Tel: 03 564 6100

Cinema Hotel
1 Zamenhoff St, Tel: 03 520 7100