Tel Aviv’s Iconic Zamir Cinema Site Transforms Into Boutique Hotel The Aby

A new boutique hotel named The Aby is set to open next month in Tel Aviv, located at the corner of Allenby and Ben Yehuda streets. The hotel, developed with an investment of 40 million shekels, is built on the historic site of the Zamir Cinema, which operated since the 1930s opposite the Mugrabi Cinema. In its later years until the late 1980s, the building was known for screening adult films continuously throughout the day, one of only two such cinemas in Tel Aviv at the time.

In the early 2000s, the site was transformed into the Zamir Club nightclub, operated by nightlife entrepreneur Yaki Kabir, before eventually closing and leaving the property vacant. The Aby hotel is a joint venture between hotelier Danny Tamari and the Eilat-based Astral hotel chain, owned by Beni Zarach and Asher Gabay. Tamari, who also owns the successful Vera boutique hotel in Tel Aviv, leased the building for 25 years from a long-term foreign owner.

Originally planned to open a year earlier, The Aby’s launch was delayed due to significant blast damage from a nearby missile strike on Pinsker Street, requiring extensive engineering repairs. The restored hotel will feature 40 rooms and aligns with Tel Aviv Municipality’s broader urban renewal plan for the Mugrabi Square and Allenby-Ben Yehuda intersection, which includes expanding public spaces and pedestrianizing large areas.

The Aby will include an Israeli wine bar open to guests, a rooftop venue, and collaborations with local artists and suppliers. Tamari emphasized their confidence in Israeli tourism despite uncertainty, noting the rapid return of guests after periods of conflict and the continued arrival of Jewish visitors during wartime. "We are building on Israelis who want to experience Tel Aviv and Jews who kept coming even during the war," he said.