A visit out of time at Tel Aviv’s Drisco Hotel

DAVID BRINN

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It was originally built by two of the arrivals – George and John Drisco – who named it La Grande Hotel.

THE DRISCO HOTEL – a different level of luxury in Tel Aviv. / (photo credit: Courtesy)

A few years ago, walking back to my car from a visit to a hole-in-the wall music club in a seedy, dilapidated section of south Tel Aviv full of chop shops, one-floor shacks and broken windows, I came upon an apparition that stopped me in my tracks. Down a dark side street sat a pristine two-story wooden house that wouldn’t have looked out of place in my native state of Maine.

Rubbing my eyes and warily trudging over – lest I found myself in the middle of Stephen King alternative-universe fright fest – I read a sign outside the building that identified it as the Maine Friendship House, built in 1866, and restored in the early 2000s.

The next time I saw that house was last week, upon arrival at the Drisco Hotel, a luxury five-star hotel, promoted as being located in Tel Aviv’s American Colony.

Connecting the dots, I realized that the American Colony was founded by a group of some 150 Maine evangelists in 1866 as part of their mission to bring about the Messiah by returning to the Holy Land. They were led by a preacher named George Adams who told them he had bought land for them in Jaffa to put up their wooden houses they had shipped in prefab sections.
According to Avi Zak, the genial managing partner of the Drisco Hotel, Adams had deceived his followers and there was no land in their name.

“They camped out for a long time on what is now the Charles Clore Beach. Eventually, they arrived here, which although it was only a half-kilometer from the walls of Jaffa, was like a desert,” he said, with a wave of his hand addressing Auerbach Street, a quiet oasis with picturesque, wooden-sided buildings and the showcase Drisco Hotel.

It was originally built by two of the arrivals – George and John Drisco – who named it La Grande Hotel. However, between diseases, the non-Maine-like climate and the not-so-friendly Ottoman authorities, within a couple years, most of the Mainers – including the Drisco – returned home.

Templar Ernst Hardegg bought the hotel, renaming it the Jerusalem Hotel, and the newly christened German Colony on Auerbach Street blossomed into an inviting luxury location that hosted the likes of Mark Twain and Thomas Cook.

“The way the building looks now is exactly how it looked in 1940, when the hotel was shut down by the British who came and exiled the owners to Australia and turned it into a military zone and headquarters,” explained Zak.

“On this small street there were two hotels, two restaurants and a guest house until 1940. It was the Vegas of Jaffa, a very happy, touristy place.”
Today, Auerbach Street may not resemble Las Vegas, but it does feel like you’re walking into another era. And the Drisco Hotel is its beacon. Zak and his partners spent 10 years and some $35 million to renovate the structure that had remained abandoned and rundown since 1958.

It’s a handsome venue, enhanced by Ottoman design, marble columns, and detailed floral walls that bring visitors back to a bygone era. The out-of-time feeling is especially striking, since it’s such a short walk to the nearby Noga neighborhood, with its mix and match of hipster cafes and galleries and run-down buildings, and a close hop and jump to Neve Tzedek, Jaffa and the beach.

Its Ottoman design sees an abundance of arched doors and windows in communal areas, with elegant, intricate wall patterns that bring you back a century. The lobby features a plush bar, and a dining room that doubles as the breakfast location and, at night, as George and John, one of Tel Aviv’s most buzzed about restaurants.

THE DRISCO, with 42 rooms, including six rooms in the adjacent Drisco Villa, had its grand debut in 2018.

“The first year was the penetration year, but once tourists understood what we were trying to do, we had a packed 2019. It was extremely busy, with tourists from Britain, Germany, Switzerland and the US who loved the story behind the hotel. But it’s not just a great story, they also appreciated the quality and service of a five-star hotel,” said Zak.

The last year has seen openings and closings due to the pandemic. But since March, the hotel has reopened at full strength, catering to internal tourism for now, and readying for the return of foreign visitors.

You can notice the level of service and attention at the Drisco is different from most hotels. (Parking is available at a public lot around the corner on Eilat St. for NIS 90 for 24 hours). Upon arrival, following a totally efficient prior online check-in, a staff member takes your bags and leads you to a seat by the bar for a complimentary drink, as all the computer work is being handled. It immediately puts you in the right mood for relaxation.

The rooms are spacious, and many feature porches with brilliant views of the sea and of the diverse Tel Aviv skyline. Just as tastefully designed as the lobby, they’re equipped with all the accouterments one would expect at a five-star establishment, including a cappuccino machine, robes and slippers, a huge bathroom and shower. The beds are huge and made to melt into, which creates a major obstacle in actually ever leaving the room.
But on the day of our arrival, there was a very good reason to get up.

To entice the local clientele during the initial reentry period, the hotel has been hosting early evening rooftop concerts on their lovely outside terrace, featuring some of the top Israeli singer/songwriters like Corinne Alal, Dana Berger and Micah Shitrit. Sitting in the balmy Tel Aviv air, with a glass of Merlot and listening to an intimate performance by Peter Roth (of Monika Sex fame) with 25 other guests is a close proximity to heaven on earth as one is likely to get.

Another heavenly experience is dinner at George and John, at the hands of chef Tomer Tal. The dining room was filled to near capacity, mostly with diners from outside the hotel who consider the restaurant their special venue for dining out.

There’s a reason why. My wife’s roasted grouper filet in a fresh tomato glaze, with green pea and celery sauce, was fantastic. But it wasn’t as good as my potato gnocchi with homemade ricotta, black spinach, sun-dried tomatoes from the Drisco’s roof, and a Parmesan broth. Both dishes were sublime, as were the appetizers of Chinese and white cauliflower and Brussels sprouts roasted in marjoram butter, thistle cheese whipped cream and fried sunflower seeds and garlic powder, and the tart yellowtail sashimi with thinly sliced vegetables, grapefruit vinaigrette and lime.

The breakfast the next morning was just as special. Instead of the usual hotel buffet, each table gets its own stand, flowing with breads, cheeses, spreads and salad. An entrée, from a list including delicious French toast and eggs Benedict with salmon, is ordered from the wait staff, and it’s all very civilized, while sitting either in the George and John dining room or al fresco on the side terrace of the hotel.

Of course, all this luxury and pampering comes with a price, and it’s not a low one. However, for a special occasion or just a reward for having survived the last year and a reaffirmation of the good things in life, a stay at the Drisco would be more than justified.

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The next time I go back to visit Maine, I’ll try to find relatives of George and John Drisco and thank them.
The Drisco Hotel, Auerbach St 6, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 726-9309

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