In this palatial, white neoclassical villa, dating to 1913, guests have the rare privilege of serenity and ample space just a stone’s throw from Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s posh artist and designer’s district (the hottest bars, restaurants and shopping in town are here). The Levee, named after its location on Yehuda Halevi Street, was originally known as the Gurevitch House. It was part of Ahuzat Beit, Tel Aviv’s first settled neighborhood, which was marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The hotel’s eight-year restoration added two floors and an uber contemporary, steel-floored penthouse overlooking the bustling neighborhood below. The Levee has eight spacious suites of one or two bedrooms apiece, which have such niceties as private gardens, state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, washing machine and dryer, Molten Brown toiletries, and smart, mostly European imported furnishings. There’s no spa, in-house gym or breakfast service, but the Levee turns those problems into perks: guests get passes to the nearby Icon Fitness center and breakfast at Herzl 16, a trendy local restaurant. Stays require a minimum of two nights’ reservation.