WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SLEEP? – ACCOMMODATION IN ISRAEL
WHERE TO SLEEP IN TEL-AVIV?
Momo’s hostel is a budget-friendly place for backpackers. It is cheap and well-located, but hasn’t been renovated in ages. We booked a double room with a private bathroom for two nights and it costed us 145 USD (I booked the room via Booking.com). However, the room was a bit dirty, the ceiling was falling apart, the fan above our heads was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the bed mattress was crushed. Nevertheless, the staff in the hostel was friendly and helpful. We were five-minute walk from the beach, few steps from 24-h shop (be aware that alcohol is being sold only until 11 p.m.) and the bus stop. The hostel offers free breakfast (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.) containing of a small omelet or salad sandwich and a cup of tasty coffee, and an option to buy bigger breakfast for an extra 20 NIS. There is free wi-fi available in the lobby on the ground floor (we didn’t have signal in our room on the first floor), a bar (beer costs 18 NIS, a bottle of water costs 5 NIS), few dining tables and an outside smoking area.
Find out more information about Momo’s hostel on their FACEBOOK PAGE.
WHERE TO SLEEP IN EILAT?
Arava hostel is one of the cheapest places in Eilat, situated on the outskirts of the city, but not very far from the bus station and the market. We booked a double room with an en-suite bathroom and we got a spacious room with large balcony. The stay for three nights costed us 220 dollars. It was clean and definitely more comfortable to the one in Tel-Aviv. The room had more facilities: a fridge, a kettle (coffee, tea and sugar were provided) and even air-conditioning, but during our stay it was cold at night, so we didn’t have to use it. The breakfast was included in the price (served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and consisted of toasted bread, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, green olives and some kind of cottage cheese, pink jam and peanut butter. The well-equipped kitchen was opened for all guests until 11 p.m. every day.
TIP: you can rent a hairdryer at the reception desk.
NOTE: you will have to pay 3 NIS for a towel.
In general, the hostel was all right and the staff was very friendly and helpful at the reception. They printed our documents when we needed them, helped us to book a trip to Jerusalem and got in touch with the travel agency when we had some concerns about the payments.
The main drawback of Arava is the location: far away from the beach, so I wouldn’t recommend it (as well as Eilat city itself) to people who plan to spend their time mostly on the beach.
Find out more about Arava hostel HERE.