Leonardo City Tower Hotel

Leonardo City Tower Hotel is a business-centric property popular with travelers in the tech and jewel industries thanks to its Ramat Gan location near the Diamond Exchange District and corporate offices. While reviews have been mixed over the years (mostly with service-oriented pain points), the hotel fell under new management toward the end of 2017, and has largely garnered positive feedback since. Like several hotels in Israel, City Tower has a contemporary style with some visible wear and tear. As with all Leonardo properties, this hotel pays homage to its namesake with reprints of famous Da Vinci sketches throughout, though most noticeably behind beds in guest rooms. Though this property caters mostly to business travelers, it's an all-ages hotel and family-friendly.

Leonardo City Tower is located on the edge of Tel Aviv proper in Ramat Gan, close to the Diamond Exchange and tech company headquarters. There are several shopping malls in the immediate vicinity. The hotel's location among main roads makes for heavy traffic, and guests should remain cautious when on foot. 

• Four-minute walk to the Diamond Exchange
• Seven-minute drive to Rabin Square
• 10-minute drive to King George Street
• 10-minute drive to Sarona Market
• 11-minute drive to Rothschild Boulevard 
• 12-minute drive to Tel Aviv Port
• 12-minute drive to Dizengoff Street
• 15-minute drive to Jerusalem Beach
• 19-minute drive to Carmel Market
• 19-minute drive to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport
• 21-minute drive to Old Jaffa 

The 167 rooms here are contemporary, albeit largely generic and showing wear and tear. Expect carpeted rooms with a brown-and-olive-green color scheme, simple glass-topped furniture, and headboards featuring Leonardo da Vinci sketches. Lower-category Deluxe Rooms are decently sized and have big windows, desks with chairs, and wardrobes with safes. Same-sized Executive Rooms exchange mini-fridges for minibars and have higher-quality furniture. Business Lounge access starts as a perk with Club Rooms, which are located on higher floors and also have a VIP welcome gift. Junior Suites have separate living rooms with leather couches and dining tables, and coveted corner locations. Black and beige tiled bathrooms have shower/tub combos, hotel-brand toiletries, and hairdryers, plus robes in upgraded units. Free international calls are available from all rooms. 

Primarily functioning as a business hotel, Leonardo City Tower has a small but classy business lounge featuring a free snack buffet with tapas, sandwiches, and a self-serve drinks fridge. Guests can smoke on the large outdoor terrace, as well as snag free newspapers and magazines. There’s also a dedicated business floor with six meeting and conference rooms that can accommodate between 10 to 160 attendees. Catering, audiovisual equipment, phones, and LCD TVs are available to rent. 

The rooftop pool at Leonardo City Tower provides views over the city and is open year-round (a rarity for the area). A few loungers are set up around its perimeter, and there's an adjacent raised whirlpool. The extensive Israeli breakfast buffet is popular and served overlooking the pool from the Arugula dining room. The hotel is kosher, so guests can expect an extensive Israeli dairy breakfast buffet and meat dinner. Lunch in Arugula is served depending on demand, and seasonal lunch and dinner menus are available in the lobby Tapasta Restaurant, which also has a full bar and a lively atmosphere during after-work hours.  Food across the board receives positive reviews.

Leonardo City Tower prides itself on its “sweet surprises,” spontaneous treats like ice cream or popsicles handed out to guests. In addition to being certified kosher, the hotel also provides Shabbat elevators and a weekend synagogue in one of the banquet halls. Other hotel features include a recycled lending library with books available for purchase, ATMs, and a smoking area with patio furniture and fake grass. 

Wi-Fi is free throughout, though expect to pay extra for daily parking via a third party. As with all Fattal chain properties, free baby kits are available and include items like bottle warmers, cribs, washbasins, and food. Pets are not allowed.