Brown Hotels to Build Ben Gurion Airport’s First Hotel After 13-Year Delay

For the first time at Ben Gurion Airport, a hotel project is finally moving ahead. On Thursday, the National Licensing Authority approved the Israel Airports Authority’s request for a permit to build a hotel on airport land, clearing the way for Brown Hotels, part of Israel Canada, to develop the project.

The hotel is planned next to Terminal 3, above the baggage screening building on the terminal’s eastern side. It will have eight floors, one of them partially underground, and a total built area of about 31,532 square meters. According to estimates, construction is expected to begin in 2028. Brown said it will operate the property as a five-star hotel aimed at business travelers, tourists, transfer passengers, airline crews, and residents of Israel’s north and south who need a place to stay before or after a flight.

Man-Shinar Architects is designing the project. The planned hotel will include 260 rooms, retail and service areas, a rooftop with direct panoramic views of aircraft, leisure and business facilities, a swimming pool, a spa, and a conference center. Guests will also receive flight-related services, including the option to check in inside the hotel.

Brown Hotels CEO and partner Reuven Elax welcomed the permit, calling it a “world-scale and unique project” to be designed by “the best architects in Israel.” The National Licensing Authority said the approval followed a professional review that found the plan to be an efficient use of land while meeting airport operational and tourism needs. The permit is still subject to fire safety, Home Front Command protection, civil aviation, Defense Ministry, green building, infrastructure, and environmental conditions.

The idea of an airport hotel has been in development for more than 13 years. The Airports Authority first approved such a hotel in 2013, but the project has since gone through multiple rounds of planning changes, tenders, and regulatory delays. Officials at the Airports Authority now hope the project will gain momentum and be built in the coming years.