Once known for its warren of dusty, languid backstreets, today Jaffa is a hotbed of development, as time-worn buildings increasingly find new life as design-led hotels. With just 10 rooms, and occupying an Ottoman-era former private residence, Elmina is the latest.
Taking its name from the Arabic word for port, the hotel is a study in the changing face of the neighbourhood – with room interiors by Michael Azoulay that fuse Art Deco, British Mandate-period references with tidy, timely notes; its history of travel and trade manifest in African textiles and dazzlingly printed rugs.
Equally layered in aesthetic is the Ron Arad-designed rooftop bar and lounge, that features woven furniture handmade by Senegalese artisans – a collaboration between Arad and Italian label, Moroso.
Elmina’s distinctive, story-driven branding and identity was devised by Ark Visual and Dov Kroll - the sharp curves seen throughout inspired by the property’s historic window arches and Jaffa’s fierce, orange hued sunsets informing the colour palette. §
