If you’ve been watching the kosher hotel scene in Israel, you know that luxury options outside of Jerusalem have historically been limited. Tel Aviv has had its share of solid kosher properties, but truly world-class, aspirational hotel experiences in the city have largely remained out of reach for the fully observant traveler. That changes this week. The Jaffa, the storied five-star property in the heart of Old Jaffa (Yafo), has officially converted to fully kosher operation beginning today, May 1, 2026.
This is not a boutique property adding a kosher breakfast option. The Jaffa is one of the most architecturally significant and critically celebrated hotels in the entire Middle East, awarded by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the best hotels in the region. Its conversion to kosher marks a meaningful moment for the community and for luxury Jewish travel in Israel.
What Is The Jaffa?
The Jaffa sits in a 19th-century neo-Renaissance building in the winding alleys of Old Jaffa, just steps from the Mediterranean shoreline and minutes from Jaffa Port. The building has a remarkable history: it originally served as the French Hospital of St. Louis, built in 1879 to receive Christian pilgrims arriving by sea from across Europe and beyond. Before that, the site rested on Crusader-era foundations that are still visible in the courtyards below.
The hotel’s rehabilitation is credited to Aby Rosen, founder of RFR Holding, who reportedly invested close to half a billion dollars over a decade to bring the property back to life. The architectural work was entrusted to renowned British minimalist John Pawson, in collaboration with Israeli architect Rami Gil. The two preserved the building’s solemn limestone grandeur while threading through it a language of contemporary restraint: pale travertine floors, Shiro Kuramata chairs in the lobby, George Nelson light fixtures hanging against exposed ancient stone. The result is a property that earns every word of the phrase “timeless elegance.”
The hotel is now operated by Fattal Hotels under its Limited Edition banner, the chain’s designation for its most premium properties. Fattal took over management in 2025 and the transition has been widely praised for retaining the hotel’s distinctive atmosphere while smoothing out service.
The Rooms and Suites
The Jaffa has 120 rooms and suites spread across two distinct wings, each with a different feel. The historic wing features soaring ceilings, tall arched windows, and the kind of proportions that remind you you’re sleeping inside a 150-year-old building. The modern wing takes a more restrained, minimalist approach, with clean lines and bespoke designer furnishings. Both wings are worth considering depending on what you’re looking for.
Room categories range from Deluxe Rooms with pool or garden views to suites with private balconies looking out over the rooftops of Old Jaffa, the azure Mediterranean, or the hotel’s serene inner courtyard. Standard room amenities include smart TVs, mini bars, pillowtop beds, in-room fireplaces in select categories, and 24-hour room service. Higher-tier suites add separate living areas and private terraces.
The crown jewel is the Jaffa Penthouse, a sprawling 1,472 square meter space with a 720 square meter rooftop terrace. The penthouse takes in panoramic views of the sea, Tel Aviv’s skyline, and ancient Jaffa simultaneously, and includes multiple bedroom suites, expansive living areas, designer kitchens, a private gym, a bathtub, a home office studio, and a lush rooftop garden. It’s the kind of space that works equally well for an extravagant family trip or a private corporate event.
The Restaurants: Giardino and the Shesh Besh Bar
This is where the kosher community’s interest really focuses, and the dining situation at The Jaffa is genuinely impressive by any standard.
Giardino is the hotel’s flagship chef restaurant, set inside the beautifully restored historic wing beneath its original limestone arches. Under the kosher conversion, Giardino will continue operating as a full meat restaurant, maintaining its culinary character and standards. The concept draws inspiration from the Italian-American dining rooms of mid-century New York, filtered through a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern lens. Chef Bar Tsangar leads the kitchen with a menu that emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients and a zero-waste philosophy described as a “from port to plate” approach. Past dishes have included Savoy cabbage with mint vinaigrette, leek in brown butter with fennel cream and za’atar, expertly grilled sirloin with pepper sauce, and coconut vanilla gelato with seared and dried pineapple. Jerusalem Post called it “one of the classiest and tastiest bites in Tel Aviv.”
The kosher conversion covers the entire food and beverage operation at the hotel, including Giardino, events and catering, room service, and all on-site dining. This is not a partial arrangement where breakfast is kosher and dinner is not. Everything under the roof operates under kashrut supervision.
Breakfast at Giardino runs daily from 7:00 to 10:30, served either inside the restaurant under the historic arches or in the open courtyard among the fruit trees.
The Shesh Besh Bar rounds out the on-site options, with a curated selection of wines and cocktails. The name nods to the beloved Middle Eastern backgammon game, a fitting local touch for a property this rooted in the neighborhood’s culture.
The Chapel
One of the most extraordinary spaces in the building is The Chapel, a fully restored convent space that once belonged to the Sisters of St. Joseph. This is not a dining room or a conference space in any conventional sense. Its soaring vaulted ceilings, original stained-glass mosaic windows restored by specialists using crystal glass, a sculpted white dove above the former altar, and the pale blue star-studded ceiling of Bethlehem uncovered from beneath decades of acrylic paint make it one of the most visually arresting event venues in Israel. The hotel uses it for boutique weddings, intimate gatherings, and private receptions.
A de-sanctification ritual was performed before the space was put to secular use. For the right simcha, it is remarkable.
Spa, Pool, and Amenities
The L. Raphael Genève Spa brings a Swiss luxury beauty brand into the picture, offering a full range of treatments including deep-tissue massage, facials, manicures, and pedicures. The spa includes dry and wet saunas and is designed for genuine relaxation rather than a quick hotel spa experience. A 24-hour fitness center rounds out the wellness offerings.
The outdoor pool sits in the hotel’s inner courtyard and is seasonal, open through the summer months. It’s surrounded by elegant loungers and cabanas in a space that manages to feel private despite being at the center of the building. A poolside bar services guests during pool hours. The hotel also provides complimentary bicycles for guests who want to explore the surrounding neighborhood, which is easy to navigate on two wheels along the waterfront promenade.
Underground robotic valet parking is available for an additional fee, subject to availability. The hotel is smoke-free throughout.
The Location: Why Jaffa Works for Kosher Travelers
Old Jaffa is a neighborhood that rewards slow exploration. Its cobblestone alleys are lined with galleries, antique dealers, the famous Jaffa Flea Market, and some of the best hummus in the country just steps from the hotel at the legendary Abu Hassan. The ancient port is a five-minute walk. Kikar Kedumim, the Ilana Goor Museum, and the remnants of ancient Jaffa’s history are all within easy reach on foot. For Shabbat, the neighborhood’s character shifts into something quieter and more reflective than the surrounding city, which suits it perfectly.
Tel Aviv proper is easily accessible from Jaffa on foot or by bicycle along the waterfront, putting the dining and cultural offerings of the full city within range.
Ben Gurion Airport is approximately 22 kilometers away and within 30min by taxi without traffic.
The Bottom Line
The Jaffa is the kind of property the kosher travel community has been waiting for in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa market. It sits at the intersection of world-class design, serious food, Israeli character, and a neighborhood that rewards the traveler who wants to go deeper than the Tel Aviv tourist loop. Its conversion to kosher means that the fully observant traveler can now access one of the genuinely great hotel experiences in the country without compromise.
Whether you are planning a romantic escape, a family trip anchored in Jewish history and culture, a post-Yom Tov unwinding getaway, or a destination Shabbat experience in a setting unlike anything else in Israel, The Jaffa has just become a serious kosher option worth considering.
The Jaffa, Fattal Limited Edition is located at 2 Louis Pasteur Street, Jaffa, Tel Aviv-Yafo.
Kosher under the Shoham Rabbinate.
Full kosher operation began May 1, 2026.
Reservations available at thejaffahotel.com.
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