It’s hot, slightly humid, and there’s a salty breeze coming off the Mediterranean. A skyline of stone-colored buildings leads the eye to a seemingly endless stretch of beach, dotted with towels, bathing suits, and umbrellas. Off in the distance, the ancient port city of Jaffa glints in the afternoon sun. Music spills out of cafés, where tables of twos and threes crowd around espresso, cold beers, and plates of crisp cucumbers and tomatoes, green olives, and tart Labne cheese. Leafy vines frame the streets here, palm trees pop up out of nowhere, and together with the occasional piece of graffiti they make up the visual rhythm of the city. Once the sun sets, the rhythm of the beat grows louder, signaling the start of parties that last all night. This is Tel Aviv.

In the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, a steady stream of bicyclists in aviators, loose linens, and leather sandals make their way through streets of half-hidden cafés and wine bars. Here, restaurants double as art spaces and galleries host underground events. Behind the facade of a former bank is the intimate Brown TLV – a hotel defined by its rich chocolate-and-caramel colored walls, dark wood floors, and vintage-inspired furniture. It belongs to young hotel entrepreneurs, Leon Avigad and Nitzan Perry. In the lobby, tufted leather couches, low-slung chairs, and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase produce a more intimate urban experience than the bright, extroverted city outside its doors. Throughout, delicate details and provocative gestures meet: the diaphanous drapes of a canopied bed fall just next to black marble bathroom floors. Above its perfectly-tailored 30 rooms, a rooftop deck with lounge chairs, open-air showers, and white umbrellas invites guests back out into the Mediterranean sun and to reconnect with a bustling Tel Aviv below.