Ben Gurion Airport Moves Toward Its First On-Site Hotel

Ben Gurion Airport is moving ahead with its first hotel inside the airport grounds after years in which travelers had to stay elsewhere. Brown Hotels, part of Israel Canada, said it received approval for a building permit for a five-star hotel project next to Terminal 3.

The National Licensing Authority granted the official approval for the plan, which is being advanced by the Israel Airports Authority as part of Ben Gurion’s overall development program. The hotel is planned to rise seven stories and include about 260 rooms, a swimming pool, a spa, a conference center, retail and service areas, restaurants, shared workspaces, and a rooftop with panoramic views of the runways. It will also include traveler services such as check-in desks and pre-flight facilities inside the hotel.

The project was designed by Mann-Shinar Architects and will be integrated above the terminal’s operational buildings, using existing airport land and offering easy access for passengers. Its target audience includes business travelers, tourists, connecting passengers, and airline crew members, as well as residents from Israel’s north and south who want convenient access to late-night flights and nearby parking.

Work is expected to begin in the second half of 2027, with opening planned about four years later. Reuven Alex, Brown Hotels’ CEO and partner, said the approval marked “a project on a global and unique scale” that would set a new standard of comfort, quality and luxury at Israel’s main gateway. Liran Ben Ami, a partner at Mann-Shinar Architects and head of the project team, said the design has been developed for three years with Brown Hotels and the Yehuda Levi Construction Group, in coordination with the Israel Airports Authority, to create a distinctive hotel experience beside Terminal 3.