The Lusky – Great Small Hotel

From the street, the Lusky looks like a small, unassuming beach hotel with a handful of floors sporting nice corner balconies. Family-owned since 1996, this is a simple and friendly property that is in various states of renovation and updating as of early 2018. The sunken lobby area looks stylish and contemporary with cowhide and leather chairs, black "wood" tile floors, a big brown leather couch, and a few indoor plants that function as decor. The reception desk has a modern look thanks to the addition of some red-paneled glass, but it does little to hide the dated desk or distract from the earthy, Mediterranean-style tile flooring. This is pretty much a good sampling of the hotel's overall style, stuck somewhere between being modern and dated, with attributes of both existing side-by-side. 

The last renovation was done in 2017 and as of our visit they were working on improving the AC; suites were completely overhauled in 2015. All in all, it's a great spot by the beach, particularly for those who prefer the intimacy of boutiques. 

The Lusky is located in the middle of Tel Aviv's hotel row across the street from the beach. On HaYarkon, guests will have to walk a block down and cross a busy thoroughfare to reach the sands of Bograshov Beach. It's also a two-minute walk from London Garden and the U.S. Embassy. The bounty of shops, bars, and restaurants off Ben Yehuda and HaYarkon streets are less than a five-minute walk away. 

• Three-minute walk to Ben Yehuda Street
• Five-minute walk to the beachfront boardwalk
• Six-minute drive to Tel Aviv Port
• Six-minute drive to Rabin Square
• Eight-minute drive to Old Jaffa 
• Nine-minute drive to Rothschild Boulevard
• 11-minute walk to Dizengoff Street
• 12-minute drive to Sarona Market
• 14-minute drive to Carmel Market

The hotel's 27 rooms and suites all come standard with free Wi-Fi and LCD flat-screen TVs with digital cable channels. Additional perks include phones with personal voicemail, sewing and shoe shine kits, and kitchenettes with microwaves, kettles, and medium-sized mini-fridges. In the bathrooms, the towels are thin and Sea of Spa Dead Sea toiletries are doled out in amounts per person, which is a thoughtful touch since some rooms can accommodate up to four people. They have shower/tub combos with rainfall showerheads.

Classic Rooms set the stage with black-and-tan striped bedding, soft-focused grayscale beach photo murals above the beds, and natural wood-finished furniture, floors, and headboards. Superior Rooms are similar, but adding balconies furnished with chairs looking out to the sea. Rooms don't grow in size until the Lusky Suite with Balcony, where occupancy jumps up from two to four, and guests get a separate living room area with pullout sofa. Bedrooms are carpeted, while living areas feel fresh with laminate hardwood floors and a more contemporary color scheme and furniture. These rooms were updated in 2015. Lusky Suite with One Bedrooms feel a little bigger due to a small nook created just off the kitchen and living room area. Furnished with a folding sleeper sofa and desk, this area can also function as a not-so-private sleeping space. These have sea-inspired color palettes and feel fresh, though, in comparison, some aspects like the bedroom furniture and sheets, feel dated. 

The top-level Executive Sea Suite with Terrace lived a former life as the hotel's Penthouse Suite and features a large room with a huge terrace housing a covered dining table for three, umbrellas, loungers, and a sitting area. The view is spectacular, reaching over the beach promenade out to the ocean, though it is partially obstructed by a nearby hotel. This room has polished white tile floors and a larger kitchenette area. The Family Suite has two bedrooms and essentially is the Executive Sea Suite with an extra bedroom in place of the terrace. Expect a slightly musty smell, a kitchenette with two electric hob burners, and because of the second bedroom, no outdoor space. 

The Lusky is compact, but it has some features, many of which are free. Although there's no full restaurant, a daily Israeli breakfast buffet is free and can be eaten in the somewhat dated breakfast space or outside in the garden courtyard. They'll also delivery groceries to rooms, provide free beach towels, and serve free pastries, fruit, tea, and coffee all day in the lobby breakfast room. If having its own parking garage isn't rare enough, the Lusky guarantees a space for each guest, for free. 

Other outdoor space includes the rooftop sundeck with unblocked sea views, turquoise tile floors, and wooden cushioned loungers. Discounts at a local gym are available on request and the 24-hour reception is able to book tours and recommend restaurants. 

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.