The George Hotel in Tel Aviv: A scene from the Jetsons - review

• Published date: 06 April 2024
• Author: DAVID BRINN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Those seers might have been thinking about The George Tel Aviv, touted as Tel Aviv's first lifestyle destination

Opened at the beginning of February and still accelerating to full operation, the establishment (the management won't call it a hotel), boasting 130 rooms plus 40 suites and junior apartments designed for extended stays, in a spacious 14,000 sq. meters, has a lofty aim of satisfying what the management calls SevenEx – seven urban experiences that focus on the needs of both locals and temporary residents: Live, Work, Meet, Celebrate, Dine, Stay, and Relax.

The George is the first endeavor of Elco Hospitality, a subsidiary of Elco – one of Israel's leading public holding companies and owners of the Electra brand, as well as the ill-fated 7-11 chain. They brought in Michael Chai, with a wealth of experience in building and managing boutique hotels in Israel and around the world, to run Elco Hospitality and manage the establishment."We're a hotel, for sure, but we're much more than that," explained Elco Hospitality's VP of Brands, Partnerships, and Community, Eyal De Leeuw.

Embracing the growing global trend of members clubs within hotels, The George isn't only open to guests, but to local members, enabling them to partake of the SevenEx experience.For a monthly fee (approximately NIS 850), members can use one of the many work zones The George provides, complete with the fastest wi-fi, sparking kitchens, sleek workstations, and four spacious, fully equipped conference rooms and events rooms. They also have full access to the relaxation zones on The George's wellness floor – a spa and treatment rooms, pilates lessons, dry and wet saunas, a pool (opening soon), and a fully equipped gym with professional training sessions by Boost studio. "To become a member, it's not about what you do, you just need to have two recommendations from existing members. That way, it's very organic," said De Leeuw. "It becomes a community."Entertainment and culinary-wise, there's always something cooking at the hands of celeb chef Barak Aharoni (formerly of the Norman) – between the soon-to-be-opened Pardes restaurant (the only eatery of the establishment that will be open to the public at large), the already up-and-running Loft which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to club members as well as guests, a Deck Bar next to the pool, and a jazz hall featuring music most evenings. None of the restaurants have kashrut certification and they are all open on Shabbat. However...