Poli House, Tel Aviv
Where Bauhaus heritage collides with Karim Rashid’s technicolor futurism in the heart of the White City.
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A brilliantly restored 1930s Bauhaus landmark that reinterprets Tel Aviv’s architectural heritage through a bold contemporary lens.
● Karim Rashid’s playful, futuristic interiors create one of the most visually distinctive hotel experiences in the Mediterranean.
● Steps from Carmel Market and crowned by one of Tel Aviv’s most vibrant rooftop pools, it captures the city’s creative energy perfectly.
A Bauhaus Icon Reimagined
Few cities wear their architecture as proudly as Tel Aviv. The White City’s UNESCO-protected collection of Bauhaus buildings remains one of the most important concentrations of modernist architecture anywhere in the world. At the center of it all stands Poli House, a beautifully restored 1930s landmark overlooking bustling Magen David Square. The building itself is a piece of Tel Aviv history. Originally designed by architect Schlomo Liasowski and meticulously restored by preservation specialist Nitza Szmuk, the structure retains its elegant curved façade and classic Bauhaus proportions. Yet behind those pristine white walls lies something entirely unexpected. This is where history takes a sharp turn toward the future.
Karim Rashid’s Digital Bauhaus
If the architecture celebrates Tel Aviv’s past, the interiors are entirely focused on its future. International designer Karim Rashid approached Poli House as an experiment in duality. His vision combines Bauhaus simplicity with contemporary digital culture, creating spaces that feel playful, optimistic, and unmistakably Tel Avivian. Bright yellows, turquoise blues, vivid greens, and soft pinks punctuate the interiors. Curved furniture, illuminated surfaces, graphic patterns, and futuristic forms create an environment that feels somewhere between boutique hotel, contemporary art installation, and science-fiction fantasy. Rashid himself described the project as imagining “the Bauhaus in the 21st century”—a place where craftsmanship meets technology, and modernism evolves rather than remains frozen in time. The result is bold without becoming overwhelming, energetic without losing its sense of comfort.
Rooms Full of Color and Character
The 40 guestrooms continue the same visual language. Clean white surfaces provide the canvas for vibrant bursts of color, while curved headboards, custom lighting, glossy finishes, and playful geometric details create a distinctive atmosphere. The rooms feel futuristic but never cold, balancing minimalism with personality and warmth. Natural daylight floods the interiors, emphasizing the contrast between the historic architecture and Rashid’s contemporary vision. Smart technology, comfortable bedding, and carefully integrated amenities ensure the experience remains practical as well as visually engaging. Even smaller rooms feel surprisingly spacious thanks to the clarity of the layouts and the abundance of natural light.
A Rooftop Above the White City
The true social heart of Poli House sits high above the streets below. Guests arrive via elevators equipped with dynamic lighting and digital displays before emerging onto one of Tel Aviv’s most memorable rooftops. Here, an infinity pool, sun loungers, cocktail service, and panoramic city views create a vibrant urban retreat overlooking the White City. By day, the rooftop offers a welcome escape from Tel Aviv’s heat and energy. By evening, it transforms into one of the city’s most atmospheric gathering places, as the skyline glows and the Mediterranean breeze rolls in from the coast. It perfectly captures the spirit of the hotel itself: relaxed, stylish, social, and effortlessly cool.
At the Center of Everything
Location is one of Poli House’s greatest assets. Situated directly beside the legendary Carmel Market, guests are immersed in one of Tel Aviv’s most energetic neighborhoods. The surrounding streets are filled with cafés, restaurants, galleries, boutiques, bars, and creative studios that embody the city’s entrepreneurial spirit. A short stroll leads to Shenkin Street, Nachalat Binyamin, Rothschild Boulevard, and the Mediterranean promenade. Whether exploring markets, beaches, nightlife, or architecture, nearly everything that defines Tel Aviv sits within walking distance. The hotel feels less like a destination removed from the city and more like a front-row seat to its daily performance.
The White City, Reinvented
Poli House succeeds because it understands Tel Aviv itself. The city has always balanced opposites: heritage and innovation, structure and spontaneity, seriousness and playfulness. This hotel embraces those contradictions rather than trying to resolve them. Its Bauhaus bones honor the city’s architectural legacy. Karim Rashid’s interiors celebrate its future. Together they create something distinctly Tel Aviv—forward-looking, energetic, creative, and impossible to mistake for anywhere else. For travelers seeking design, personality, and a hotel that reflects the city around it, Poli House remains one of Tel Aviv’s most memorable stays.
