Jaffa, a 3,000-year-old port city mentioned in the Old Testament and claimed by the Pharaohs, Alexander the Great and even Napoleon, is today attracting a far more benign kind of conqueror: luxury travellers.

The ancient port town, located about halfway down Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, was absorbed into greater Tel Aviv in 1950, but for decades it has been seen as the 24/7-party-city’s dowdy and down-at-heel cousin. While the Tel Aviv waterfront stretches north past skyscrapers, at Jaffa it gets lost in a maze of sandstone-shaded stone alleys and markets brimming with antiques and spices.

But it is exactly this historical personality that is its charm, and the same attractive traits Jaffa’s three new luxury hotels, and trendy restaurants, bars, cafes, art galleries and design boutiques are savvily showcasing.

10 wellness resorts in the Middle East offering spa staycations

Here are three hotels worth the visit.

The Jaffa

The Jaffa is partly housed in a 19th-century neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance building. Photo: Amit Geron
The Jaffa, partly housed in a 19th-century neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance building, which was originally a monastery and hospital for Christians visiting Jerusalem, opened last year. The 120-room hotel, which is managed by Marriott’s The Luxury Collection, was designed by renowned minimalist British designer John Pawson and local conservationist and architect Ramy Gill. It seamlessly blends old and new, uplifting hefty stone walls and cool, light-filled interiors with slick modern details.
The Jaffa’s expansive, travertine-tiled lobby features remnants of a 13th century Crusader’s bastion wall. Photo: Amit Geron

What kind of luxe desert hotel is Aman Resorts opening in Saudi Arabia?

The expansive, travertine-tiled lobby features remnants of a 13th century Crusader’s bastion wall, uncovered during excavations of the site, contrasted with striking artworks by Damien Hirst. There is a seshbesh (backgammon) lounge with bespoke backgammon tables designed by Pawson in homage to the traditional game played by merchants in Jaffa Market.

The Jaffa Residences flat. Photo: Amit Geron

Along with an outdoor pool, breezy courtyard, L. Raphael spa and two restaurants, The Jaffa also has a bar located inside the old chapel. A priest was brought in to “desanctify” the space to avoid offence. The original, prettily-painted ceiling and stained-glass windows have been preserved and matched with squat bronze and velvet-clad Cini Boeri Botolo chairs. An ideal spot to soak up Jaffa’s multifaceted history while enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine from the hotel’s 3,000-bottle strong wine cellar.

The Jaffa has an outdoor pool, breezy courtyard, L. Raphael spa and two restaurants. Photo: Amit Geron

Along with an outdoor pool, breezy courtyard, L. Raphael spa and two restaurants, The Jaffa also has a bar located inside the old chapel. A priest was brought in to “desanctify” the space to avoid offence. The original prettily painted ceiling and stained-glass windows have been preserved and matched with squat bronze and velvet-clad Cini Boeri Botolo chairs. An ideal spot to soak up Jaffa’s multifaceted history while enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine from the hotel’s 3,000-bottle strong wine cellar.

The 17 top hotels in the world – according to travellers

Next to the hotel is an attractive public garden complex overlooking the 16th-century al-Bahr Mosque, Jaffa’s oldest in existence, and the 500-year-old Greek Orthodox St Archangel Michael Monastery. There are also high-end boutiques and a new crop of contemporary art galleries, including Nalaga’at, a non-profit arts centre which hosts performances by deaf and blind actors, and has a restaurant in which you eat in darkness.

The Setai

The Setai is located between Jaffa’s market area, with its dense cluster of cocktail bars, concept stores and rowdy flea market and the inviting sands of Alma Beach. Photo: Assaf Pinchuk

Another hotel driving the luxury renaissance of the neighbourhood is The Setai, which opened last year. Located between Jaffa’s market area, with its dense cluster of cocktail bars, concept stores, rowdy flea market and the inviting sands of Alma Beach, The Setai transformed the historic site known as the Kishle, the Turkish word for jailhouse. Originally a Crusader fortress, it was rebuilt in the late 19th century by the Ottoman Turks as a prison. After Israel’s independence, it was then used by the Israeli Police until 2005.

Bangkok gets a 5-star facelift – thanks to these hotels

Now it is a 110-room and 10-suite hotel, with Turkish hamman and spa, which is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Much of the original Kishle, including wooden ceilings and ironwork, has been preserved. What were once prison yards now serve as the hotel’s front and rear courtyards shaded by newly-planted citrus trees. The outdoor pool, small but beautifully situated overlooking Jaffa’s iconic Ottoman Empire-era clock tower, is dream spot to watch the drama of sunset unfold over the azure waters of the Mediterranean.

Jaffa’s restaurants, cafes and bars are attracting an increasingly hip young clientele. Charming cafe-restaurant Puaa has long been a harbinger of that very relaxed style of Tel Aviv cool with its comfort-food menu of Circassian goat cheese sandwiches and mansaf (a Jordanian dish of lamb cooked in yogurt) and its arrack (an aniseed-flavoured Levantine spirit) cocktails.

Charming cafe-restaurant Puaa has long been a harbinger of that very relaxed style of Tel Aviv cool with its comfort-food menu. Photo: Matan Katz

Onza is another popular spot in the bustling Shuk HaPishpeshim (Jaffa flea market), manned by talented chef pair Arik Darhani and Muli Magriso. The menu features meze such as cacik (a Turkish yogurt dip) and pacanga boregi, a beef and cheese pastry, served alongside a spicy grape leaf rendition of zhug (a hot sauce) and aubergine yogurt dip.

The Drisco

The Drisco is housed in a meticulously restored building dating back to 1866 that was once the famed Jerusalem Hotel. Photo: Assaf Pinchuk

On historic Auerbach Street, just off Jaffa Road, which divides old-world Jaffa from the modern White City of Tel Aviv, is another hotel playing its part in transforming the area into a luxury hotspot. The Drisco is housed in a meticulously restored building dating back to 1866 that was once the famed Jerusalem Hotel – Jaffa’s first hotel. Dormant since the 1950s, the building took a decade of meticulous renovation to transform it into a luxury hotel.

Where does Hong Kong rank on the World’s 50 Best Street Food Cities?

Also a Leading Hotels of the World member, the hotel has 37 rooms and five suites, a swanky bar and the chef-led George & John restaurant serving up a taste of Israel with a Mediterranean twist. Prominent local architect and interior designer Ari Shaltiel meticulously restored historical features such as the hand-painted wall murals, and gave the guest rooms gorgeous marble bathrooms with imperial vintage sinks and vanities, and Oriental-pattern ceramic tiles. The hotel’s wood-floored rooftop offers dramatic views over the city and the sea.

The Drisco Garden Suite. Photo: Assaf Pinchuk

Jaffa’s new upscale and design-led properties make the neighbourhood one of Tel Aviv’s most lively. In a city that is experiencing a wave of hipster cool, Jaffa is balancing its impressive history with the demands of 21st-century travellers, and serving it up with some serious luxury.

Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .

South China Morning Post Publishers Limited ("SCMP") may partner with affiliates or other partners for advertising programs where SCMP will earn fees/commission when users make purchases by linking to such sites. Such links do not influence editorial content in any way.