Hotel Prima City Tel Aviv

Hotel Prima City opened in the early 1970s and has lived its entire life as a hotel. Even after 40 years, the small side street it resides on doesn’t have much action. However, once guests step off the street and into the hotel, the vibe immediately changes. That’s mostly thanks to the 2016 renovations that updated the entire lobby, the whole second floor, and began remodeling rooms on the seventh floor. In the lobby, colorful modern couches and chairs, large gray-tile floors, and a stylish wood-laminate reception desk greet guests. The far end of the reception desk doubles as a small coffee and bar area. Decor here is detailed and things like old typewriters and metal light fixtures add a bit of vintage character, while the Danish modern furniture, woodcut lights, and simple patterned furniture give it a clean, stylish feel. Affordable rates, a free breakfast buffet, and great location make this a popular choice for business and leisure travelers alike, though several guests have noted the tiny bathrooms and small beds. 

Hotel Prima City has a convenient side-street location between the hustle and bustle of Ben Yehuda Street and HaYarkon's hotel row. To reach the beach, guests must take care while crossing two busy, traffic-heavy streets. - One-minute walk to Ben Yehuda Street

• Five-minute walk to the beachfront boardwalk
• 12-minute walk to Dizengoff Street
• Seven-minute drive to Tel Aviv Port
• Eight-minute drive to Carmel Market
• Eight-minute drive to Rabin Square
• 10-minute drive to Old Jaffa 
• 12-minute drive to Rothschild Boulevard
• 16-minute drive to Sarona Market
• 26-minute drive to Ben Gurion Airport

Guest rooms have modern white furniture, wood floors, and sophisticated shades of aqua, slate, and lime in decor. Expect floating shelves and bedside tables, closet units with contemporary sliding doors, and minimal embellishments. All rooms come standard with conveniences like mini-fridges, electric kettles with coffee and tea, AC, free Wi-Fi, and small flat-screens with cable. Superior Rooms start off small with a debatable amount of space for two people with luggage. Bathrooms in these rooms are yet to be renovated, and the dated motel-style appearance is a stark contrast against the smooth, contemporary look of the bedroom. Old hose-style hairdryers, shower/tub combos, hotel-branded toiletries, and thin towels are the norm. Studio Rooms are slightly larger and have balconies with tables and chairs. There are also small sitting areas with pullout sofas, giving them a more spacious feel. These rooms also have bigger TVs and magnifying mirror in the bathrooms. Deluxe Rooms were built in 2014 and feature a slightly warmer color palette that gives the room a cheerful vibe. Additionally, there are warmer-toned wood laminate floors, “sweet dreams” stencil cutouts in the headboards, and TVs that have the option to connect to guest devices. Since these rooms are the newest, the bathrooms are modern and have wooden countertops, white bowl sinks, and concrete floors. Large walk-in showers sport both handheld and rainfall showerheads. 

Hotel Prima City’s Mapu restaurant and bar is located off the lobby, and feels hip thanks to black stone and wood tables with black-leather chairs. A free, well-reviewed Israeli dairy buffet is served, and guests get a discount on late-night cocktails from the bar and weekday dinners. The restaurant is kosher with bistro-style meat menus for lunch and dinner, and affordable lunch deals. A cool feature is the retractable roof over some of the tables that allows for a terrace feel when open in nice weather. Room service is available until late. The bar serves the Mapu menu, plus Tuborg on tap, cocktails, and coffee drinks to patrons seated on the leather stools. There’s a weekday evening happy hour with two-for-one draft beers. Business guests can take advantage of the meeting rooms and secretarial services like free printing for boarding passes or larger printing projects for a fee. Meeting rooms are carpeted and have a removable divider, screen with audiovisual capabilities, and catering. Just note that when divided, one of the rooms gets all the windows and natural light. There’s also a guest computer in the lobby with free internet. Freebies include property-wide Wi-Fi, bike rentals, beach towels, and a one-liter bottle of water on arrival. There’s no fitness center on-site, but guests get discounts at a nearby gym. Limited underground parking is available for a fee.  It’s good to note that while this hotel has a kosher restaurant, there are no Shabbat elevators. Also on the downside, though the hotel has two wheelchair accessible rooms, like several other hotels in the city, the elevators are too slim to fit a wheelchair. Baby cots are available for a fee, but highchairs and child bike seats are free and first-come, first-served.