Lily & Bloom Hotel

Lily & Bloom Hotel, Tel Aviv: A Michelin Key Selected Boutique Experience

The Lily & Bloom Hotel in Tel Aviv, a Michelin Key Selected property, generally garners highly positive reviews, praised for its exceptional location, distinctive design, and outstanding staff. With an impressive average rating often around 8.8 to 9.0, it's considered a comfortable and well-managed hotel in the heart of the city.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The overall sentiment for Lily & Bloom Hotel is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as "great" and "wonderful." The hotel consistently receives high ratings for its staff and location, contributing to a strong guest satisfaction score.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently highlight several aspects that make Lily & Bloom stand out:

• Location: The hotel's prime central location is a major draw, placing guests within easy walking distance of Rothschild Boulevard, vibrant nightlife, numerous restaurants and bars, and attractions like the Carmel Market and the beach.
• Service & Staff: The staff receives continuous praise for being excellent, helpful, friendly, competent, and going "above and beyond" to ensure a comfortable stay. Specific mentions include staff members like Avi and Alyssa for their exceptional hospitality.
• Design & Ambiance: Housed in a renovated 1930s Bauhaus building, the hotel boasts a meticulous design with a retro architectural charm and mid-century furniture, creating an elegant, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere. The lobby is likened to a small design museum.
• Amenities: Guests appreciate amenities such as a 24-hour front desk, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and a sun terrace with city skyline and Mediterranean Sea views. A "happy hour" and a welcoming rooftop bar are also noted.

3. Room Quality

The 37 rooms and suites are described as stylish, clean, and comfortable, featuring parquet floors, built-in furniture, and crisp white linens. The design incorporates a retro touch and subtle Bauhaus themes with framed artwork and geometric patterns. Rooms come equipped with amenities like flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, kettles, and mini-fridges. Some rooms also include a spacious safe, a bathtub, and soundproof windows. However, some guests note that rooms are not "enormous" and can be considered small for two people with luggage, a trade-off for the central location. There are occasional comments about the upkeep of some furniture looking "a bit old and worn-out" or minor issues like crumbling window sealing.

4. Dining Experience

While some older reviews mention a "great quality breakfast buffet" with a variety of Israeli and continental options, recent feedback indicates a temporary change in the dining experience. Currently, the hotel doesn't serve breakfast directly on-site, and the bar is also closed. Instead, guests are provided with vouchers for a nearby bakery, which some have found to be an "OK idea but not a good replacement," offering limited choices like one type of sandwich and a drink, which can be disappointing given the room price. A continental breakfast is still mentioned as being served in the mornings, with a French restaurant offering breakfast dishes, and snacks and beverages available at the rooftop bar, although these operational details seem to vary or be temporary.

5. Service & Staff

The service at Lily & Bloom Hotel consistently receives exceptional praise. Staff members are frequently described as "excellent," "very helpful," "friendly," "competent," and "responsive to all requests". Guests appreciate the 24/7 front desk and the personal interaction with staff, contrasting it positively with hotels relying on "WhatsApp bots". The team, including individuals like Avi, is noted for making guests feel "welcome and appreciated".

6. Location & Accessibility

The hotel boasts a "phenomenal" and "perfect" location on Lilienblum Street, a lively downtown thoroughfare with cool cafés, bars, and shops. It's just steps away from Rothschild Street and the Independence Hall Museum. Guests find it easy to walk to major attractions, including the Carmel Market, Florentin, and the beach (approximately 1.5 km). Public transport, such as bus station for bus no 4 to various beaches, is also conveniently located nearby. The hotel also offers private parking, which is a rare and valued feature in Tel Aviv.

7. Value & Pricing

Lily & Bloom Hotel is generally considered to offer "exceptional value for money" and is "really well priced for a nice hotel in the city". With an average room price often around $186, it is seen as an affordable luxury option compared to the average hotel room price in Tel Aviv, which is around $241. However, prices can vary significantly depending on the booking platform and day of the week, with rates observed between ₪381 and ₪1190 (approximately $100-$315 USD at current exchange rates). Monday and Saturday are often the cheapest days to stay.

8. Common Complaints

While guest feedback is largely positive, some recurring issues and criticisms have been noted:

• Breakfast Arrangement: The temporary shift from an in-house buffet to vouchers for a nearby bakery has been a disappointment for some, who found the external offering limited and not a good replacement for the previously highly-rated breakfast.
• Room Upkeep & Size: A few guests have mentioned that some room furniture looks "a bit old and worn-out" and that windows might not close completely, leading to noise from the street. The room size can also be a concern for guests traveling with a lot of luggage.
• Noise: Noise from the street or the outdoor patio, particularly on Thursday nights, has been reported to disturb sleep for some guests.
• Hot Water Issues: In at least one instance, a guest reported a lack of hot water in their room, which was handled poorly by the management, leading to a stressful experience.
• Non-operative Facilities: Some guests have noted that "most of the facilities in the hotel weren't operative," specifically mentioning the bar being closed.

Sources

1. booking.com
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5. hotels.com
6. tablethotels.com
7. booking.com
8. telaviv-hotels.net
9. telaviv-israelhotels.com
10. kayak.com