Commanding a privileged hillside plot between two parks, perpendicular to the beach at the north end of hotel row, this landmark highrise, even in its 40th year of operation, continues to be Tel Aviv's leader.
The sumptuous lobby pulses with business folk, groups and independent travelers, all efficiently processed and pampered in stylish contemporary surroundings. The efficient bell staff directs baggage transfer as well as the flow of traffic through the busy porte cochere. An arcade of shops and services lies opposite and below reception.
Renowned for its food festivals, buffets and gourmet shop,
the hotel serves some of the best meals in Israel in a bevy of constantly updated, fully Kosher restaurants. These include a formal Mediterranean room with Middle Eastern decor, a New York-style delicatessen, a sushi bar, and a stylish coffeeshop with a panoramic seascape backdrop. Set beneath a lovely coffered maple ceiling, the cocktail lounge is handsomely decorated with wicker, glass, mirrors and greenery. The popular and easily accessed beachfront is lined with restaurants and entertainment venues.
The hotel's resortlike amenities include an unusually well-equipped, but privately maintained health club and a sailboard club, as well as lighted tennis courts and a playground. Lounge chairs and cabanas ring the huge saltwater 
pool, which boasts a large whirlpool and sea views. The state-of-the-art convention center and function rooms host up to 1,500 people. Parking is available nearby, but at a cost.
Freshly carpeted hallways hung with prints by such artists as Marc Chagall lead to some of the most impressive guest rooms in the region. The well-designed contemporary quarters have marble foyers with patterned carpeting, finished cabinets disguising minibars and safes, polished furniture, faux-plaster wallpaper, colorful spreads, and glass and steel tables. Desks, full dressers, TVs, phones with data ports and voice mail, wireless Internet access, safes, good closets, scales, and furnished balconies with sea views are the customary accoutrements. Baths provide toiletries compounded from Dead Sea minerals.
Guests in premium rooms enjoy access to a business lounge. Suites are more impressive still, with the five lavish presidential suites appealing to visiting heads of state and celebrities. Room service is on call round the clock, and management and staff, including housekeeping, are excellent.
Only the David InterContinental at the inconvenient southern end of the beach provides any serious competition.