The David Kempinski (Architectural Digest)
We are delighted to share some exciting news: the pages of Architectural Digest have showcased our most recent project at the David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Projects
- 2026
Perched along Eilat’s northern coastline, where the desert meets the crystalline expanse of the Red Sea, Astral Palma offers an intimate retreat. Studio ara approached the renovation not as a typical hotel makeover, but as a collaboration with the landscape itself, allowing the stark desert mountains, shimmering waters, and endless skies to guide the interiors. The result is a space that feels simultaneously quiet and luxurious, a sanctuary where design is attuned to the rhythm of the sea and the desert.
From the moment guests’ step into the lobby, the relationship between the interior and its surroundings becomes apparent. Oceanic blues blend with earthy ochres, while soft textures underfoot and underhand invite touch and pause. Surfaces made from warm marble, terrazzo, dark oak, and bronze form layers that reflect the shifting light of Eilat’s sun, creating subtle movement across the space. Lighting, carefully positioned to highlight ceramics, sculptural elements, and geometric patterns, adds rhythm without dominating the senses.
The central lounge embodies the project’s philosophy. A sculptural shelving wall stands as both functional installation and visual anchor, illuminated by geometric fixtures that cast intricate shadows across ceramics and upholstery. Here, the Red Sea’s hues meet desert warmth, and the space quietly asserts its identity, curated yet approachable, refined yet restful. Guests drift from one seating area to another, discovering nooks for conversation, reading, or quiet reflection, each defined by materiality rather than walls.
Soft layers of textiles, sculptural furniture, and carefully considered lighting extend throughout the hotel. Pool-view lounges frame the horizon, inviting contemplation, while subdued metallic accents catch light and draw attention to human scale. Studio Ara’s design allows for moments of pause, enabling guests to feel grounded in the desert while immersed in coastal serenity.
In the suites, subtle detailing continues the dialogue with place. Patterns drawn from local heritage are reinterpreted in modern, functional ways. Fluted glass diffuses sunlight, plush fabrics layer against polished stone, and bronze accents add warmth and weight. Each element invites touch and interaction, making the rooms feel personal and considered rather than purely decorative.
Astral Palma demonstrates that luxury need not shout, but can whisper, through textures, materials, and human-scale interventions. Here, the desert’s stark geometry and the Red Sea’s fluid calm are experienced not just visually, but sensorially: in the coolness of stone under fingertips, the softness of textiles, the warmth of light across a wall, and the rhythm of shadows cast by carefully chosen fixtures.
“Our goal was to let the landscape speak through the interiors and furnishings, guiding a sense of discovery and comfort through the use of soft textures, warm tones, and chic detailing,” Studio Ara notes. In doing so, the hotel becomes a reflective space, one where the environment is felt, presence is encouraged, and the journey between desert and sea is ever-present in the interiors themselves.
Astral Palma demonstrates how design can enhance a sense of place while creating comfort and calm for guests. The hotel balances craftsmanship, interiors, and natural inspiration, resulting in a retreat where guests can truly unwind and feel at home. A triumph on Eilat’s northern shore: a sanctuary where design, craft, and place converge, offering guests a restorative experience rooted in context and refined through human touch. It is a space that listens, responds, and endures, a coastal refuge that speaks of the Red Sea, the desert, and the nuances of contemporary luxury.
