The DNA: A renovated 19th-century hospital combined with a substantial new-build, the The Jaffa is a cross-continental collaboration: the original structure, crumbling and deserted, was purchased by US-based RFR Holding’s Aby Rosen, who saw its potential and enlisted British designer John Pawson to help oversee its impressive transformation, with landscape design by Rees Roberts and Partners. Along with local architect Ramy Gill, Pawson devised a scheme that would juxtapose contemporary and classic elements, and also designed the adjoining new building. The result sees grand Roman columns with Corinthian cornices branch, tree-like, above a minimalist marble reception desk in the lobby; ornate stained-glass windows throw pillars of mottled colour across austere furnishings; while outside, the façade of the old hospital, with its arched windows and sturdy architectural detailing, sits neatly beside the contemporary wing, with its robust, angular lines. Here, window boxes bring to mind an inventive new take on the classic mashrabiya, an apt reference to the area’s intrinsically Arab personality. The hotel’s rooms, meanwhile, reflect the warm, neutral tones of Jaffa’s rampant stonework, and in the furniture there’s arguably a wink to the Bauhaus style for which wider Tel Aviv is renowned. And while the area is home to some of the city’s best eateries, guests will find a diverse collection of restaurants within The Jaffa, from a Jewish deli to a New York-style Italian.

Seen: dezeen, Wallpaper*

Accolades: Condé Nast Traveller Hot List 2019, Wallpaper* Best Urban Hotels 2019

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 120 rooms & suites (31-195m2) (334-2,100 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2018 • architecture: Ramy Gill • interior design: John Pawson • on-site parking (charged) • pets allowed on request • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible