Roman and I have been living in Tel Aviv for few years now and the hotels that we love the most in Israel are in Jaffa – Tel Aviv. There is something really fun to just go to a hotel that it is a few minutes walking from your home and immediately feel like you’re on a vacation.
The boutique hotels that I chose to write about are the ones that we loved the most.
They both are in best locations, especially for us, foodies and markets lovers. Market House Hotel is located in the flea market in Jaffa, and Poli House is located in the Ha’Carmel Market in Tel Aviv.
They both have an amazing design, beautiful rooms and one of the greatest things about them is that their price is really reasonable compared to the prices in Israel. They both cost around 200 USD including breakfast.
The Market House Hotel – A combination of a culinary experience, urban vacation, and the history of Jaffa
When we entered The Market House Hotel, we were impressed by its design and the homey and peaceful atmosphere. The hotel was opened in 2014 and its design is urban with a touch of Jaffa’s history.
In the entrance there is a lobby with comfortable sofas, a reception, and a dining area with a European coffee shop atmosphere where they serve breakfast and have their happy hour.
The room
The room itself is a lovely boutique room with TV, a kettle to prepare coffee or tea, a nice hat (which I wore when we went out to the market), and a cool shopping bag (which we took also with us to the market to completely feel like tourists), and a bathroom with a shower.
The room is pretty basic, but I love small and functional rooms. The type that have all you need and their design gives you a good feeling. Oh, and the bed is really comfortable, too.
There are other rooms with higher standards, like a room with a big balcony that overviews the sea and has a pleasant breeze. We stayed in the basic room but we had the chance to see the other rooms there, so I can share pictures of them with you. this is the beautiful view from the room with the big balcony.
This is the superior room, which is bigger than the basic room and the best thing about it is that it has a gorgeous bath (I’m sure that this room is a great option for bath-lovers!).
Breakfast and happy hour
Aside from the beautiful design and lovely rooms, the Market House Hotel also offers a great culinary experience due to its location in the flea market and its excellent breakfast, (every day from 06:30-12:00) and its awesome Happy Hour (every day from 17:00-20:00).
The breakfast is a buffet with high-quality raw materials and products. They offer good cheeses, salmon, smoked fish, olives, fresh breads, pastries, dried fruits, bourekas, and more. You can also order an egg dish like omelets and shakshuka.
In addition, you can order whichever type of good coffee you can want.
This really good breakfast is also available to people we are not the hotel’s guests by scheduling an appointment and it costs 88 shekels per person
The Happy Hour is one of the greatest things there because, what can be better than a glass of wine with a snack in the afternoon for free? When we stayed there they served a small pizza, dried fruits, snacks, wine, and soft drinks. Yummy!
There is also a pretty lounge on the first floor if you’re looking for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
A little bit more about The Market House Hotel
The hotel also offers free bike rentals for its guests. We ate lunch in the flea market and in the evening we went to some bars in the market too. At those hours, the atmosphere is very lively and full of people and great music. So it’s also a great location for those who are looking for awesome nightlife.
The Market Hotel belongs to the Atlas chain. We’ve stayed before in another hotel that belongs to them in Jerusalem, called Arthur Hotel and it was amazing too. They have many other boutique hotels in Israel which all look great and have really good reviews.
So, if you are looking for a charming hotel with great service, a pleasant culinary experience, history, an amazing location close to Jaffa Port and the beach, Market House will deliver all of this and more 🙂
Before I tell you about the other hotel here some pictures of the flea market
Poli House Hotel- A combination of chic, modern design for a really good spoiling experience
Poli House Hotel is located on Nahalat Binyamin St. next to the Ha’Carmel market. The hotel was opened in 2016 and it has a cool chic design.
When we entered the hotel, we felt like we were in an awesome space ship. The style is super special and you can see that the designer thought about each and every detail.
The pool and the bar
The reception is located on the roof floor and not in the entrance, which is something different from the usual.
We arrived early to the hotel (there is an advantage of living close to it! 🙂 ), so we put our small bag in the storage space, we put on our swimsuits in the dressing room, and went up to the pool.
One of the main reasons that I booked Poli House Hotel was precisely because of the pool. It is located on the same floor as the reception and there is also a pool bar.
The hotel was fully booked but it didn’t feel crowded. Indeed, there weren’t good seats left, but we didn’t care because we came with just one target in mind: to be in the pool all day and to drink cocktails.
I ordered a Margarita and Roman ordered a cocktail based on Arak, because what can be better during a vacation than a pool, sun, and a good cocktail?
The pool is not that big, but it’s definitely great for feeling spoiled and having fun. There’s a view of the sea from it and there is a shadowed area with cabanas and lounge spaces.
In the noon we went to eat lunch in the Ha’Carmel market (click here to check out a post about a good restaurant in the Ha’Carmel market) and afterwards we got our room.
The room
Not only did the entrance look like a spaceship, but so did the halls and the room as well.
The room is a beautiful boutique room and we got a Cava bottle as a gift. Yay! 🙂 In the room there is a TV, a super comfortable bed, on the desk there is cocktail equipment and book of cocktails, which is pretty cool. There is a great shower, toilet, and many toiletries.
Also in this hotel the basic room is pretty small, but again, I think it’s part of the charm in boutique hotels. Beauty, quality, and comfort over size.
The pool and the bar in the evening
In the evening we went again to eat in the Ha’Carmel market and afterwards we came back to sit at the hotel’s bar. A roof bar is such a great thing. The breeze was pleasant and the music was good. We also invited a couple that are friends of ours there to drink some beers with us and to celebrate Roman’s birthday.
The breakfast
The breakfast is served in the LoveEat coffee shop which is located next to the hotel. There is a private transition from the hotel to the coffee shop, so the coffee shop feels like a part of the hotel.
The breakfast is a choice from the menu. There are some options like a conventional Israeli breakfast (eggs, salad, bread, spreads, and coffee), a Shakshuka dish (a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions), sandwiches, and more.
The service was good and the meal was tasty and light. Indeed, it’s not a unique breakfast, but we enjoyed sitting in the coffee shop.
A little bit more about Poli House Hotel
The hotel offers free bike rentals for its guests, and it also has a spa of its own.
The hotel belongs to the Dayan group and to the hotels company “Brown hotels”. We haven’t had the chance to stay in other hotels from the Brown chain, but if they have Poli House quality, I’m sure they are amazing.
So, if you are looking for a great hotel with a pool, bar, spa, super cool design, and an incredible location, Poli House will definitely be a great choice.
Before we say goodbye, here are some pictures from the Ha’Carmel market.
More posts I wrote on that
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Amazing restaurants in Hacarmel Market
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5 coffee shops you need to visit in South Tel Aviv
Recommended restaurants in Tel Aviv – Restaurants of different cuisines, vegan, vegetarian, gourmet and hamburger restaurants
Night life in Tel Aviv – Recommended hangout spots in town