Approval granted for luxury hotel in Israel co-owned by Leonardo DiCaprio
A new luxury hotel in Tel Aviv, co-owned by Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has received approval to proceed with its plans.
The hotel, which will boast 365 rooms, is set to be built in the Herzliya Marina area of Tel Aviv after receiving approval from the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee.
DiCaprio owns a ten per cent stake in the project, with the rest of the equity split between The Harag Group and brothers Ahikam and Lior Cohen.
The partnership was first announced in 2018. Six years later, in 2024, it gained approval for deposit, and according to The Jerusalem Post, it has now been given final approval.
Reportedly, the reason for the delay is due to their plans to increase the building rights from 10,000 square meters to 51,000 square meters. It is set to have 14 floors, which will hold 365 rooms.
Last year, Chairman of the Tel Aviv District Committee, Eran Nitzan, stated of the plans, “The plan mirrors the committee’s support for and promotion of hotel initiatives along the coastline and within marinas. It aims to develop a promenade, a public square, and restaurant facades along the hotel’s stretch, enhancing public spaces.”
Meanwhile, the Harag Group said in an official statement in 2024: “We welcome the decision of the Tel Aviv District Committee. The Herzliya Marina project is another instance of the group’s strategic planning, spanning various real estate ventures including urban renewal, profitable real estate, and hotels. The meticulous planning reflects our commitment to international standards, evident also in Herzliya Marina.”
DiCaprio, a United Nations Messenger for Peace, has not publicly acknowledged the ongoing situation in Gaza, which the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres described on July 29th as a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions”.
This week, ministers from around the world gathered in New York at a United Nations meeting to call for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Guterres’ said in his opening remarks at the meeting on July 28th: “My central question to those who stand in the way is this: What is the alternative? A one-State reality where Palestinians are denied equal rights, and forced to live under perpetual occupation and inequality? A one-State reality where Palestinians are expelled from their land?”
Guterres added: “That is not peace. That is not justice. That is not in accordance with international law. And that is not acceptable. That will only increase the growing isolation of Israel on the global stage. Let’s be clear: Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward.”
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