DW and I stayed here for 2 nights in late December and aside from seeing family the Jaffa was the highlight of our trip. Before we even entered, we felt like we were in a James Bond movie. The cast of characters coming and going look like they'd just come in from Monaco. The staff is impeccably dressed and provide outstanding service. Walking into the lobby you can tell this is like no other hotel in Israel in terms of clientele. You hear almost no Hebrew spoken by customers or staff. At check-in, we were told less than half the staff can even converse in Hebrew. I was also surprised the hotel was treyf but when I got there and saw who their market is, it makes perfect sense. The other guests we spoke with were people coming to visit Israel for business or as part of a jaunt through the area. Multiple well-heeled groups shared that they were visiting Jordan, Israel and Egypt as part of one trip.
I did not see one person wearing a kippah which given its location in a predominantly Arab neighborhood is not surprising. Staying here was also a rare opportunity to redeem Marriott at nearly 1.5 cpp. The Temple Bar on the 2nd Floor is one of a kind and the pool felt like an oasis. It's right near the Jaffa port which is a beautiful place to watch sunset. If Shabbat/Kashrut is not an issue then you can't go wrong at the Jaffa.
