The intriguing Botanica Hotel from Fatal's Limited Edition collection was recently opened. It is situated in the German Colony in front of the lower gate of the Bahai Gardens and communicates with the view of the gardens. The hotel was designed by architect Guy Arbel and interior architect Nestor Sandbank, inspired by botanical gardens from around the world. In addition to being a concept hotel, it is a pampering hotel with an infinity pool overlooking the view of the Bahai gardens, a spa, and a rich cocktail bar.
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| The Botanica Hotel - a luxurious stay at the slope of the Bahai Gardens |
When we arrived at Botanica hotel, we were welcomed with home-specialized aromatic Hibiscus tea and spicy Turkish delight, an introduction to the botanical atmosphere. The Hibiscus tea infusion is part of the hotel's signature; it is also offered at the entrance to the dining room, in the spa, and in the hotel’s cocktails. At the reception, we were introduced to the hotel's services, which include, among other things, a concierge who is trusted to assist in finding trips, restaurants, entertainment, etc. From here, we made our way via the beautiful lobby to the elegant rooms.
Botanica
Hotel is decorated in elegant colors inspired by the flora of the Bahai
Gardens. Everywhere, including the lobby, in the rooms, and even in the
bathroom(!) there are flower arrangements that are changed according to the
season, the holiday and the theme - such as shades of red, silver and gold
during the December holidays. Throughout the hotel, a variety of art works of
figurative-realistic style inspired by nature sprout from the walls.
Botanica Hotel
Each floor’s décor has its own color: yellow, light blue, blue and red. The carpets in the corridors, the room design and the furniture, etc. are inspired by that color. We resided on the blue floor. Along the corridor decorated in blue there is a carpet with a graceful orange tree pattern, and we entered our blue room through the blue door. No worry, the blue doesn't take over; it is merged into the room's design as a leading color. The room we stayed in is a Bahai room, it is a corner room that is closest to the Bahai gardens; its two French windows bring in the views of the gardens - a mesmerizing sight that changes throughout the day and night lighting. When in bed, instead of watching TV, we watched that view! One of the French windows turned out to be a small standing balcony. The Bahai room is also more spacious and has a seating area (blue of course,). The room is equipped with a Nespresso machine and all the amenities such as a mini bar, a safe and a bathroom with aromatic L'Occitan perfumes and a pampering rain shower.
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| Botanica Hotel - corridor |
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| Botanica Hotel - photo by Aya Ben Ezri |
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| Botanica Hotel - Bathroom |
The late
afternoon was a great time for me to relax in the spa. The spa is located on
the ground floor and is also inspired by the Bahai gardens. It has a dry and
wet sauna. The treatments combine special oils brewed from plants and flowers
that characterize the Bahai garden. Even
before the treatment, I was impressed by the professionalism, for example, the treatment
questionnaire included preferences for areas and intensity of the massage - a
great idea! The massage was excellent, Efi the massagist used Shea butter and
her touch was dreamy.
Botanica hotel - spa
The
catering services at the hotel currently include breakfast and light meals in
the lobby. However, Shabbat dinner is served under the direction of the hotel's
experienced chef Haim Dayan. The breakfast buffet is served in a special way so
that beyond the buffet along the wall, a central sweets table divides the space
and is attractively decorated with flower arrangements. When we were seated,
the waitress took an order for an omelet of our choice and coffee, so by the
time we went to the buffet and brought back salads and cheeses, it had already
arrived, in perfect timing. The breakfast buffet managed to surprise me and was
diversified. I found olives stuffed with pepper like in Spain and creamed
Portobello. The coffee, by the way, came with foam in the shape of a leaf!
Botanica - breakfast
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| Botanica - breakfast |
The menu in
the lobby mainly includes cold plates such as sandwiches, cheeses and fresh
salads, its highlight being the excellent French pâtisserie of the hotel pastry
chef. The showcase cakes are splendid and they look and taste fabulous. The black
forest cake was decorated with a white dotted red praline “mushroom” and this
raised a smile on everyone’s faces. The Paris Brest with pistachio cream is
light and the topped roasted pistachio upgrades it to the levels of delicacy.
In addition, the hotel has a mixologist who prepares spectacular cocktails with
botanical allusions in the flavor of the signature hibiscus tea, clementine,
pineapple, smoked rosemary, and more. During our stay we had at least two
different cocktails, which can be ordered without alcohol. Even if you are not
staying at the hotel, I recommend coming in and sitting in the lobby for a
cocktail and a cake.
Botanica hotel - cocktail
The hotel
is located in the heart of the German colony and along Ben Gurion Street there
are many restaurants and cafes. The hotel concierge will be able to recommend
you a restaurant according to your preferences and even make a reservation for
you. One of the excellent restaurants in the area is the Colony Grill, which
will soon open a branch right on the hotel grounds. The Colony Grill
specializes in meat - they age the meat here in a special refrigerator located
right at the entrance to the restaurant. This is an aging refrigerator with
salt walls that prevents moisture; it preserves and seals the meat for about a
month. The result is exceptional!
The Colony
Grill serves a selection of very good starters such as salads, bread with dips
and melt-in-your-mouth beef Carpaccio. But the main attraction here is the meat
on the grill. There offer a “Plancha” style selection of meats that is served
to the table in a ceremony where the smoking pan is revealed on the table to
the admiration of the diners. We chose whole cuts - fillet on the bone, sirloin
and entrecote. All cuts are served with wine sauce, garlic or chimichurri, a
vegetable in the oven and a side dish of your choice. The meat was accurately cooked
- tender and tasty, and we enjoyed every bite. The restaurant itself is not
kosher, but the meat itself comes from a kosher slaughterhouse. There are also
desserts.
Colony Grill
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| Colony Grill |
Botanica’s
location is especially suitable for exploring the German colony, the Bahai gardens,
Wadi Nisnas, the museums, Ben Gurion Street, the night life scene. The entrance
to the Bahai gardens is right across the street from the hotel. The gate is
usually open 8-17 and the access is all the way to the first observation balcony
and allows to take nice photos. You can enjoy the view of the German colony and
the port; it is best doing this in the afternoon, when
the light is soft.
For more
information, visit: https://www.fattal-hotels.com/
The writer
was a guest of the hotel and businesses mentioned in the article.
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