Every evening as the sun sets, Tel Aviv offers a breathtaking view. As the day slowly draws to a close, the sky transforms into a stunning canvas of pink, magenta, and violet. The sun becomes a brilliant orb of fiery orange, as it slowly disappears below the horizon. For tourists and locals alike, there is no better place to experience the magic than the Carlton Tel Aviv Hotel, sharing a cocktail on the beach with friends at the Contento Bar, enjoying a 360-degree view of the city from its unique rooftop, or even at sea, sailing on one of Carlton’s exclusive yachts.
Carlton’s CEO Yossi Navi emphasizes that for the hotel, presenting its guests with the widest range of high-class services has always been a top priority, and the yachts represent one of the latest initiatives of the hotel to allow its guests to fully enjoy the vibrant Tel Aviv summer.
“Over the years, the city has been going through an incredible transformation,” Navi says.
“Our goal has always been to offer the best experience and the top service to our guests. We have the best location in Tel Aviv, only four or five steps up from the beach, and 75% of our rooms are sea-view rooms (with 25% of those with a full panoramic sea view – and our guests can enjoy several unique amenities.”
Those who choose to stay at, dine at, or enjoy any of Carlton Tel Aviv’s services are familiar with its distinctive atmosphere combining a young vibrancy, a business ambiance, and a luxury beach hotel aura.
“The first thing I want to mention is our rooftop,” Navi says. “Those who have never visited us should just close their eyes and imagine immersing in a swimming pool while enjoying the view of the city and the beach. Or coming back after a long day of meetings and work, and dipping into a jacuzzi that is operational until late in the evening – in order to provide them with the most relaxing experience even in the winter time, when it is rainy and cold.”
A few elevator stops further down, on the 14th floor, the hotel operates its business lounge, with executive rooms available for the guests to book and the necessary facilities for high-level meetings and long working hours.
Carlton Tel Aviv Hotel also makes sure that its guests have the opportunity to keep themselves in shape during their stay in Tel Aviv.
“On the fifth floor, we have our gym, which includes a relaxation area, with amenities such as a jacuzzi, wet and dry saunas, and special massage showers,” he says.
Over the past few months, the hotel has increased its focus on offering the best and most exclusive dining and cocktail experiences.
“Nowadays, we know that restaurants are considered an integral part of the hotel experience and once again, we have been working to provide our guests with the best service,” he says.
And in that spirit, Carlton’s new restaurant “FLAME Art of the Grill” has just been inaugurated on the first floor of the hotel.
Carlton partnered with the group Nice to Meat You LTD, which runs another restaurant in Israel.
“They also run a farm in the north,” Navi explains, “providing many of the products that we serve. The concept of the restaurant focuses on grilling. All our meats, fish, and even some of the vegetables are grilled employing techniques from all over the world, including South America and the United States, to perfectly match the identity of the ingredient.”
The restaurant also offers an open kitchen and a refrigerated display counter “so that the customers can choose their preferred cut of meat,” he adds. “We also have two private rooms where families or business groups can experience our chef’s exceptional dishes while enjoying the highest discretion and comfort.”
A stylish steakhouse, Flame features two terraces with wonderful sea views.
One of the great gifts Carlton has brought to Tel Avivians and tourists to celebrate the summer of 2023 is the Contento Beach Bar.
“The idea behind Contento, which means happy in Italian, is that after a long day, you loosen your tie, arrive at the beach, breathe in the salty air, and then relax while enjoying a drink and a special selection of dishes,” Navi says.
The bar offers a wide range of beverages, ensuring all preferences are covered, including cocktails, cold beers, and non-alcoholic options. The menu, curated by Master Chef celebrity Lior Ohayon, introduces a selection of cuisine designed to complement the beach experience with its culinary delights.
In addition to the luscious food and drinks, Contento hosts a variety of activities, including live music performances, parties, and special events, with the idea of providing a sense of community and opportunities for socializing and making new connections.
The bar is run in partnership with the iconic Bustan Club in Neve Zedek.
But the dining opportunities at Carlton do not end here.
“Breakfast is one of our signature experiences,” Navi explains. “We offer a full breakfast in an environment featuring the look and feel of a luxurious boat at sea. In addition, our buffet includes a rich menu with freshly squeezed fruit juices, a fish corner, a vegetable corner, and even a few creative treats, such as an American ice cream machine.”
In addition, the lobby deck also presents a new Aperol bar, with Aperol cocktails and spritzes as well as tapas.
“We are offering our guests a plenitude of options and ideas to satisfy every possible need,” Navi emphasizes. “And soon we will be inaugurating a new restaurant on our rooftop, following a new dining trend focusing on a great variety of courses to taste and share.”
Logistically, the Carlton Hotel makes sure its guests enjoy a smooth and seamless experience. They can book a luxury car to reach the hotel from the airport and are welcomed at the hotel by a guest relations manager.
“The guests are seated in a private area while they are checked in via tablet and can go directly to their rooms, while our staff takes care of their luggage,” he says.
Two Carlton luxury yachts are available for rent, offering Carlton guests an unforgettable experience at sea – sailing alongside the beautiful Israeli coastline.
“Our idea is to function as a resort where the guests can enjoy a complete summer experience without leaving the center of Tel Aviv,” Navi says.
True to its location at the heart of the startup nation, the hotel also employs the most cutting-edge technologies.“We employ two robots,” he smiles. “One robot is dedicated to room service. We call him Charlie. If a guest needs a towel or an extra key, or orders food from outside the hotel, the robot will deliver it to his or her room.” He says that the guests “really enjoy” Charlie. The second robot is used to help maintain the hotel corridors spotless.
In his now 14 years at the Carlton Tel Aviv Hotel, Navi has been a constant witness to how Tel Aviv is changing: “Tel Aviv has gone through an incredible transformation, the seafront, the skyline, everything looks very different, more developed and more sophisticated,” he says. “Our hotel has mirrored these changes.”
The ambiance, the stellar food and drink, the professional and caring staff, and the creative projects are what make a stay at Carlton an experience that is cherished by its clients, more than 60% of whom hail from the United States, with another 30% from Europe.
Over 65% of the Carlton’s guests are “returning guests” he explains. During the year, businesspeople represent the majority of clients, but in the summertime, there are many families, “and we work to give them the best vacation experience.”
Established in 1982, the Carlton Hotel’s approach of delivering only the top service is rooted in its history.Carlton Tel Aviv is a private hotel owned by three Jewish families originally from Frankfurt who were Holocaust survivors.
“They ran various businesses across the world, but they wanted to create a hotel in Tel Aviv, in the best location in the city, that would always shine like a diamond,” he says.
Therefore, “to this day, our motto, the idea that we continue to repeat to our employees, is to always be at our best. The best facilities, the best management, the best service. Because this is the only way our guests can feel at their best, too.”
The article was written in cooperation with the Carlton Tel Aviv Hotel.