In recent months, I have had the opportunity to photograph several brand new hotels, including the Ayala Resort Hotel, a privately-owned property in Kibbutz Ayelet Hashachar; Canaan Hotel, a new addition to the Fattal chain located in Safed; Jewel TLV Hotel, a boutique hotel on Yarkon Street in Tel Aviv; and Master Altona Hamburg Serviced Apartments in Germany.
Through my experience, I’ve gained valuable insights that I’d like to share, along with some of the images from these projects.
When a new hotel is about to open, there’s often pressure to publicize it before everything is fully ready, so reservations can begin even before the official opening. This typically requires the photographer to shoot the showrooms first.
In the second phase, the photographer returns when the public areas are ready: the lobby, reception, breakfast restaurant, and if applicable, various types of rooms. Sometimes all public areas and rooms are ready at this stage, eliminating the need for further visits. However, more often than not, the hotel is completed in stages, requiring a third or even fourth visit.
For Ayala Resort Hotel, my first visit was to photograph the showrooms and the beautifully landscaped open spaces. About a month later, I returned to capture the remaining hotel rooms, lobby, and reception. An additional day was dedicated to shooting content specifically for social media, as the hotel needed to be presented across all possible platforms. I will be returning soon to photograph the pool and spa once they are ready.
At the Canaan Hotel in Safed, which is part of the Fattal chain, the property was almost entirely ready when I arrived. Canaan Hotel is a “Slow Stay Hotel” situated atop Mount Canaan, overlooking Mount Meron, the Sea of Galilee, and the Golan Heights. Arriving at a nearly completed hotel before its opening simplifies the photographer’s work. With the staff in place and a functioning food and beverage department, the hotel was nearly ready to welcome its first guests. The only remaining task was to photograph the suites, which I completed recently.
For the Jewel TLV Boutique Hotel, most of the hotel was ready for guests, with the exception of the suites, the soon-to-open restaurant at the hotel’s front, and the rooftop. After discussions with the client about the hotel’s unique concept, we decided on a comprehensive photo shoot that included both website images and social media content. We chose to capture atmospheric shots without models, drawing inspiration from the hotel’s unique name and its prime location near the sea.
I arrived at Master Altona Hamburg Serviced Apartments just before the grand opening. The hotel was in the final stages of preparation, and during this phase, flexibility is key. The photo shoot plan often needed to be adjusted throughout the day to accommodate the arrival of last-minute suppliers. However, this dynamism is one of the aspects I love about photographing new hotels. The air is filled with excitement as everyone prepares for the grand opening. Will the automatic check-in work properly? Will the booking system function without glitches? The anticipation is palpable. Then, when the first guest arrives and everything goes smoothly, the relief and satisfaction are shared by all.
