A new boutique hotel called “The ABY” (named after its location: Allenby corner Ben Yehuda) will open next month in Tel Aviv with an investment of 40 million shekels (about 13,3 million dollars). The hotel was built on the ruins of the iconic “Zamir” Cinema, which operated on the site since the 1930s opposite the Mograbi Cinema. In its later years and until the end of the 1980s, the building served as an adult movie theater screening porn films continuously throughout the day.
At the time, only one other venue of this kind operated in Tel Aviv: Cinema Center, located at the old central bus station in Neve Sha'anan. In the early 2000s, the space became the “Zamir Club” nightclub, founded and managed by nightlife figure and restaurateur Yaki Kabir. After it closed, the property stood vacant.
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'Zamir' Cinema operated on the site since the 1930s opposite the Mograbi Cinema
(Photo: David Rubinger)
The new hotel, located at the seam between Carmel Market, Allenby Street and the sea, was developed by hotelier Danny Tamari in an equal 50 percent partnership with the Eilat-based Astral hotel chain, owned by Beni Zerah and Asher Gabay. Tamari is the founder and owner of the successful boutique hotel The Vera on Lilienblum Street in the city, which opened about seven years ago.
A new boutique hotel called 'The ABY'
(Photo: Dor Kedmi)
The ABY hotel was originally expected to open a year ago but its launch was delayed after the building sustained significant blast damage from a missile strike on nearby Pinsker Street and required an extended engineering restoration process. The restored hotel will include 40 rooms. Its opening coincides with a large-scale plan promoted by the Tel Aviv municipality to renew the Mugrabi Square area and the Allenby–Ben Yehuda intersection, including expanding public space, prioritizing pedestrians and turning large parts into an urban pedestrian zone.
A Tel Aviv-style balcony
(Photo: Dor Kedmi)
Tamari, who brings 11 years of experience working in London alongside Ian Schrager, considered the father of the global boutique hotel revolution, says the building is leased for 25 years from a foreign resident who has owned the property for many years. Similar to the model on Lilienblum, the new hotel will also feature an Israeli wine bar open to guests, a rooftop and collaborations with local artists, creators and suppliers only.
(Photo: Dor Kedmi)
“The decision to open a hotel precisely in a period of uncertainty reflects our confidence in Israeli tourism and in Tel Aviv’s status,” says Tamari. “We were surprised to see how quickly guests returned each time there was a pause in the fighting. We are relying on Israelis who want to experience Tel Aviv and on Jews who continued to arrive even during the war.”
(Photo: Dor Kedmi)