The Metropolitan Hotel in Tel Aviv was prepared to adapt itself especially to the religious crowd. The CEO of the hotel, Sharon Gubrin, explains: “I noticed that among the Israelis who come to stay with us on weekends there are many religious families. We thought about how to make their stay with us pleasant, and we made some changes and additions to adapt ourselves especially to the needs of the religious guests.”
Among the innovations:
A synagogue in the hotel– In honor of Shabbat, one of the meeting rooms is turned into a synagogue, with an ark, a Torah book (Ashkenazi), a reading table, and a library of siddurim and pentacles. This makes the hotel very attractive for the needs of Shabbat Hatan and Bar Mitzvah celebrations. The synagogue in the hotel also has a corner for coffee and cookies before prayer.
On many Saturdays there are a number of worshipers among the hotel guests. When there is no minin, you can pray in other synagogues within walking distance, such as the Great Synagogue on Allenby Street, or the Ihud Shivet Zion Synagogue on Ben Yehuda Street, the Chabad House, and a magnificent Sephardi Synagogue on 11 Aharonson Street.
Saturday meals– Metropolitan is one of the only hotels that also serves dinner, and at the Shabbat reception they also serve wine for Kiddush and challah. In addition, it is possible to have lunch on Shabbat or even a third meal. This is especially significant for kosher keepers, because secular guests can leave the hotel on Shabbat evenings to restaurants in Tel Aviv, but the kosher restaurants are closed on Shabbat.
On weekdays we can also spend time in a selection of kosher restaurants and cafes within walking distance of the Metropolitan. Among them: West Side, Kinto, Regina at the station, Stepperside and more.
Shabbat lock– All the doors in the Metropolitan Hotel have a dual-use lock, mechanical and electric. In most hotels, the room doors are opened with a magnetic card that activates an electric lock, which involves desecration of the Sabbath. At the Metropolitan Hotel, invest in double locks that work on electricity or with a normal mechanical key. For Shabbat, we can receive at the front desk a normal mechanical key that does not desecrate Shabbat.
Saturday elevator– operates up to the 12th floor.
Late check-out on Saturdays– Usually the rooms must be vacated by 12 noon, so that the maids can clean and arrange them for the arrival of the guests who will come after us. So what do we, the Shabbat keepers, who do not travel by car until Shabbat leaves?
I was happy to prove that the Metropolitan Hotel also thinks about all the little details. They allow us to stay in the hotel and its facilities until Saturday night, in exchange for an additional NIS 450 only. As you know, in most hotels it is customary to charge guests who do not vacate the room on time, for an additional night, if they used the room only half an hour after the eviction time. At Metropolitan, they show consideration for us, and only require about 10%, and this by prior arrangement.
And for those who are also too much for them, there is also the option of depositing the luggage in the storage room and waiting in the hotel lobby until the evening.
As we know, some of us are forbidden to leave the Land of Israel, except for the purpose of earning a living or getting married. In the religious community, there are families who adhere to the mitzvot of settling the land, and therefore do not leave the Holy Land to vacation abroad. Those who are willing to go abroad independently, encounter problems with kosher and Shabbat observance in popular destinations such as Cyprus and Greece. This may cause them to give up a vacation abroad. A metropolitan hotel is suitable to be their annual vacation destination.
The hotel is located in an excellent location very close to the beach, 5 minutes walk to Allenby beach. There is also a swimming pool on a large balcony on the second floor, and a gym next to it.
By the pool there are deckchairs for resting and sunbathing. About half of them have shade umbrellas, and a pleasant breeze caresses the relaxed guests reading a book (or a daily page) or surfing on a smartphone.
For those who arrive in their own car, the location is not great because there is a great parking shortage in this area. But under the hotel there is a private parking lot for guests, and we have to coordinate in advance when booking that they let us enter the parking lot.
The rooms are spacious and pleasant, some with a window to the sea. In each room there is also a small fridge, and a hot drinking corner. There is a small electric kettle and coffee and tea bags, but I didn’t see a coffee machine in my room. In each room there is also a small fridge, and a hot drinking corner. There is a small electric kettle and coffee and tea bags, but I didn’t see a coffee machine in my room. The Cosmopolitan Hotel also has rooms adapted for families of a couple with 2 children. The hotel staff also showed me two-room suites, with a living room couch that turns into a bed for 2 more children. A total of 6 beds in such a suite.
The hotel staff provides excellent service for families. In my case, when I entered the room I was unable to change the temperature in the air conditioner. I called the front desk, and…surprise: within one minute a staff member arrived to fix the air conditioner and explain to me how to operate the remote control.
In the dining room, breakfast and dinner are served in a rich buffet with a very large selection of delicacies. The hotel’s kitchen and dining room are kosher with the Tel Aviv rabbinate, and chicken and fish products are kosher from Mehadrin and vegetables from Gush Katif.
At the edge of the dining room they also set up a corner for washing hands, with a standard counter. I was excited to see to what level of detail the management paid attention to the needs of the religious public. The dining room also has a beautiful balcony. When we ate there we also heard the chirping of birds which gave the vacation an atmosphere of a rural vacation.
The television in the room includes many movie and entertainment channels and news channels in English and Hebrew. I saw channels 11, 12, 13, CNN there. I was happy when I also discovered channel 14 there, but that evening it only made a long beep and did not broadcast my favorite programs.
The hotel also provides a free internet connection with fast and efficient WiFi.
It is a 4-star hotel that provides a luxurious 5-star service. The service is the same as in the nearby Dan and Kempinski hotels, but the prices are lower and more reasonable. A vacation at the Metropolitan Hotel can be a substitute for a vacation in Eilat, but cheaper.
Towards the summer and the ‘between times’ period, Metropolitan Hotel launches a new campaign for the traditional religious public with a variety of holiday packages for the whole family at affordable prices. In July – in the middle of the week from NIS 4,800 for a double room with two children on a half-board basis, and on weekends from NIS 5,400. At the peak of the season in August and after nine on Av, the prices for such a room in the middle of the week start from 5,100 shekels, and on the weekend 5,360 shekels.
Sharon Gobrin, CEO of the Metropolitan Hotel, concludes: “The religious public in Israel likes to vacation in Israel, to enjoy its spectacular scenery, without worrying about the hotel’s kosher status and still feel like they are abroad. Here at the Metropolitan, you feel the whole experience together. A hotel with all the attractions, at a distance of less than 5 minutes from Tel Aviv’s beach along with kosher and a variety of options that help many families to welcome Shabbat comfortably with us. The summer months for many families in Israel are a significant financial expense, so we decided to launch a special promotion of affordable prices for every pocket in a quality hotel in the heart of Israel Tel Aviv”.
If you also had the chance to stay at the Metropolitan Hotel in Tel Aviv, or if you arrived there following this article, please share your personal experiences with us in response to this article.
