tel aviv

Waldorf=Astoria plans New Location in Tel Aviv

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

The Waldorf-Astoria is a veritable New York City landmark. But what was once a single establishment has since grown, under the direction of Hilton Hotels, into The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

In addition to the flagship location in Manhattan, four more opened in the United States (including the Arizona Biltmore, La Quinta in California, the Dakota Mountain Lodge in Utah and the Grand Wailea in Maui), but the expansion isn't limited to America alone. The Calalieri in Rome joined the collection in 2008, which was preceded by the Qasr Al Sharq in Jeddah. The roster has since expanded to include dozens of locations, but Saudi Arabia isn't even the only country to put The Waldorf on the map in the Middle East.

Visitors to Jerusalem will invariably notice the construction of the latest location in the Israeli capital, opposite the boutique Mamila Hotel and the modern David Citadel, and just down the street from the historic King David. But soon that development is set to be joined by an additional location in Tel Aviv.

The Mediterranean development is planned for the Tel Aviv beachfront on a plot next to the expansive Tel Aviv Hilton. Although details of the project have yet to be confirmed, the Jerusalem location is set to feature 220 guest suites along with 30 residential condos.

[Source: Yedioth Aharonoth]

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Tags: hilton, hotel, israel, jerusalem, tel aviv, waldorf, waldorf astoria, waldorfastoria

Trial over "The Trial": Kafka's Letters Headed to Israeli Court

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

Academics are desperate to get their hands on a collection of letters that once belonged to author Franz Kafka, the genius behind "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial." But, their efforts have been stymied by Have Hoffe and her sister, Ruth Wisler. The two ladies received the documents from their mother two years ago (when she died at the age of 101). Previously, the materials belonged to Max Brod, a German author who wrote a biography of Kafka. Brod died in 1968 and left the letters to Hoffe's and Wisler's mother, Esther.

The battle over the literary booty is on its way to Tel Aviv Family Court. The letters currently sit in two bank vaults, though scholars are worried that they aren't being stored properly. They see in the letters a potential treasure map: they may indicate the location of some notebooks confiscated from Kafka by the Gestapo. The issue became a legal matter when the sisters sought to ratify their mother's will, at which point the Israeli government became involved. Esther Hoffe only allowed a handful of researchers to view the letters and didn't make them available to the public -- a sore spot for interested scholars.

Had Kafka's wishes been respected, there would be no problem right now. The letters would have been burned.

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Tags: antique, antiques, franz kafka, FranzKafka, israel, kafka, tel aviv, TelAviv

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Tel Aviv's $34 Million Apartment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In Tel Aviv, Israel, the G Tower offers Tel Aviv's most expensive apartment, a flat priced at $34-million apartment. The Gindi Group, which developed the G Tower recently announced the selling price for the triplex flat which combines a former duplex and penthouse apartment on the 24th, 25th and 26th floors. The new apartment is located just under the triplex which was purchased by the holder of controlling interest for Bank Hapoalim, Shari Arison, for $13 million.

The tower has 31 floors with 40 apartments. Building amenities include a culture center with a library and bar, a fitness center, swimming pool, conference center, underground parking and tight security. The new apartment has 360 degree views of the city and measures 1,500 square meters (around 15,145 square feet) for a price of over $22,000 per square meter. According to an article on Haaretz.com some real estate agents in Tel Aviv think the price is way too high, especially since a $25 million penthouse in the Sea One Project on Hayarkon Street failed to sell.

Gallery: Tel Aviv's G Tower

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Tags: apartment, g tower, GTower, israel, luxury real estate, tel aviv

Trump Goes Luxe in Israel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Donald Trump has announced his first foray into build in Israel. He will be spending $300 million to create a 70-story luxury apartment tower in Ramat Gan in the Tel Aviv district. The new Trump Tower will be the tallest building in the country and it is expected that the apartments will sell for around $1 million each. According to the article on Ynetnews, it took Trump a year to negotiate the deal but Trump is bullish on the future of luxury buildings in the region.

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Tags: israel, tel aviv, trump