The conclusion… go for it!

Location

It’s close to Bezalel market, you’d see it as you come from carmel market heading to Dizengoff square.

The shop is tiny, but seating is still available. I guess the little shop can handle 12-16 dine-in customers!

Well, it’s always busy!

Menu

The menu is on the wall. 6NIS for a falafel!!  Additionally you can buy grape juice for 4NIS.

So, the concern is… why is it so cheap?

Well, with this price, it pretty much guarantees good business. And I actually find their falafel very good in taste and quality. You’d find 6-8 falafel balls, and you actually taste falafel till the very last bite!  It’s pretty solid!! And only for 6NIS!

Taim! (Delicious in Hebrew)

Location

It’s 4 minutes walk from Yafo Center Light Rail Station. It’s in the prime location of Jerusalem with easy access to both the Old City and to Mehane Yehuda Market. Lots of restaurants around. So, it’s ideal!

I took this picture in 2018 when I stayed at Shammai Suites (Read my experience!). I noticed this abandoned theatre, little did I know… it became a hostel in a year!

Isn’t it beautiful after reconstruction?

The entrance is on the left. Now, let’s go to the “Cinema”!

Check-In

The staff at the counter was local. I asked him why this hostel has an age restriction (18-45)?  He said…  “it’s not a strict rule, just a recommendation.”  

Well, such “flexibility” is so common in Israel. But I don’t think age defines a person, someone who is 60 but still young at heart, might still share the value of staying in a hostel!

So I asked him if I could take a picture…. and he gave me this pose, haha!

The check-in went well, but what happened next upset me. The room key failed 3 times!! I had to come down for 2 times, all the way down!! I wasted at least 10 minutes just for “trying” to get into the room. When it failed the third time… I gave up and left.

What I didn’t like about Cinema Hostel

Unfortunately, I immediately found what I didn’t like about Cinema Hostel. Well, you are supposed to make your own bed.  First, pick your pillowcase, bed sheet and quilt cover behind the reception…

Why I don’t like this? Well, I’m lazy and there’s no guarantee that someone else isn’t as lazy as me! While this reduces the workload, it gives doubts to guests. Is this place clean?

I wouldn’t risk this. (If I was a hostel owner…)

And the second thing I didn’t like about cinema hostel …. there’s no elevator.

When I saw there wasn’t an elevator, the first thing that came into my mind was… I miss the Post Hostel!

The Facility

There’s plenty of space to socialize in this hostel. There’s a huge balcony, and it certainly looks cozy!

Cinema hostel has its own pub! It’s on the second floor! I didn’t go of course, but maybe some people will find this pretty convenient!

Don’t worry about the noise factor because all the rooms are on the third floor. I didn’t hear any noise!

There’s a complete and spacious kitchen! It looks great!

And finally… the common room! It’s spacious, comfortable, fun, hippy, just everything you want in a dream hostel!

Okay, let’s be honest, I wanted to stay here because of the design It’s visually appealing!

So that small area is the kitchen. All rooms are behind the kitchen!

The Rooms

All rooms are located in this area.

I was in a 12-person dorm. When I got there (I came back after dinner and finally I got a new key that worked!), I was too shy to take a picture… I took this picture in the morning….

So let’s see their official pictures!

There’s a basket below every bed. (2 baskets below bunkbeds). Your quilt and pillow are placed inside the basket. I didn’t know this because the staff didn’t tell me (was I supposed to know?)

There’s a personal cupboard for socket and light near where your head lies. I like this design because you don’t have to worry about electronics being stolen. BUT! The previous guest left trash here and it wasn’t removed… This isn’t hard to miss if the dorm room was cleaned… And that is the reason why I doubt everyone would properly make their own bed…  (but good thing that while I am observant and opinionated, I don’t have a high standard for cleanliness. I slept well! Haha!)

I like how spacious the room was!

The shower-room looked like this. The sink is in the middle. Shower and toilet are separated.  I didn’t have trouble waiting, even though I stayed in a 12-bed dorm!

Maybe I was lucky to have polite roommates? I’m not sure!

Breakfast

This is the “very good breakfast”. Included in the room price. Available from 7am to 9 am.

The breakfast station looks like this. Cereal, eggs, cheese, tuna, milk, vegetables.  Well, if you are eating breakfast at home, I guess you don’t eat with this many options. So I guess this is fine for a few days before it gets boring.

Let’s meet them! Your friends at breakfast!

It wasn’t a bad breakfast. But if the price is the same, I’d choose The Post Hostel over Cinema Hostel. Breakfast is more luxurious there with hot shakshuka and freshly squeezed juice…  there’s no comparison!

Oh! This reminds me of the super slow coffee machine in Cinema Hostel… I was frowning the whole time :/ And I didn’t like their coffee.

Activities

Cinema Hostel is trying to stand out in the market segmentation with the social aspect, but it feels like they are trying too hard. I didn’t like the 18-45 rule. Anyways, so the night I arrived was movie night…. it was okay.

And the Pub Crawl, I think most hostels have this activity anyways. I asked the staff about activities, he wasn’t ready with information… that was confusing…

“I should have it somewhere, give me one minute.”  ….

Information about music and movie activities. But it’s in a cafe called Tmol Shilshom, not in this hostel.

Help Exchange Option

I accidentally found this information online- the hostel is looking for help. For 5 hours work, 6 days a week, you get free board and breakfast in exchange.

Link：https://www.worldpackers.com/locations/cinema-hostel-jerusalem

Requirement：3 weeks minimum

Hey, this is Jerusalem! It’s worth considering!

Final Verdict

For $22, I had a bed and breakfast. There’s nothing to complain! The vibe was good. But I personally prefer the Post Hostel because of the breakfast and elevator. When the price difference is not more than $5, I’ll choose the Post Hostel over this one.

Cinema Hostel — 2019

Comment：Ignore its market positioning, it’s pretty perfect  (12-bed dorm $22-26)

Aaris must be well loved by the locals in Jerusalem. I brought Aaris back to my hostel. And the Israeli teacher from the hummus workshop saw Aaris, and said with so much love,  “Aaris ”.

That’s the moment I found out Aaris was special. And Aaris is not a person, Aaris is a new store that sells creative Middle Eastern pocket size burger.

Location

It’s near Mehane Yehuda Market. Across Morduch.

The storefront of Aaris. There are some outdoor seats. I guess it’d be quite lovely to sit here and do some people watching This is a prime location of Jerusalem, by the way!

The kitchen and counter have taken most of the space in the shop. But there are still 3 seats inside. I like the open space design, and it does remind me of Taiwan. We like to eat outdoors too. (Not on noisy streets though)

Menu and Dishes

There’s no menu! Haha! So from what I remember, there are only 3 options. Beef, lamb, and Entrecote.

The price is around 35-42NIS. And you’ll receive a beeper.

After 10-15 minutes wait… voila! I came back and received a beautiful paper bag! Aaris! Inside, there was a box.

I opened it, guess what? 3 pieces of mini Middle-Eastern tacos! I don’t know what to call them. And you get 3 sauces too. The green one is made from Avocado (with mayonnaise?)

I was deeply amused by the odd number, 3. So who is eating the 4th piece?

Regarding the taste… well, let’s just say, I don’t like beef in Israel. It’s too strong for me. (And I don’t eat lamb…. )

But I’m sure the locals love it, otherwise, why would Aaris be popular?  I don’t blame Aaris. And you can see Aaris is generous with the quantity of meat! Isn’t that great?

About the price. Well, if this is 35NIS, it is definitely more expensive than eating shawarma in pita bread (normally 25NIS).

I did find the avocado sauce here special though, and I like the outdoor seating too.

So do I recommend this? Hmm. Well, if you like beef, then come here to eat! It is not that expensive

Remember to Give Thanks!

The Jewish tradition is to pray before and after meals. There’s a fixed prayer to read. And guess what…? I found it here! hehehe!

So take the hint, be grateful! God has been taking good care of you! Don’t complain!

About Beteavone

I found this shop through Beteavone (the coupon website).

I spent 65NIS for buying this 100NIS coupon, but I only ordered 2 servings. Eventually, I received 20% off instead of 35%. But even without any discount, Aaris isn’t expensive, to begin with.

Final Verdict

A cute little shop that sells Middle-Eastern like tacos. I like the avocado sauce. Not expensive, and maybe I’ll come back to try again.

Location

Only 3 minutes walk to the light rail station (Yafo center). You can find lots of restaurants in this area. It’s funny that “Shammai” suites is actually on Ben Hillel street and not on the adjacent Shammai street!

That’s King George street from the balcony.

Shammai Suites is above Pizzahut. And by the way, the building in the back with glass used to be a cinema, and a new hostel just opened there!

The reception desk on the ground floor felt squeezed. Well, this building was probably just an apartment. So no common area. You get a key to your apartment. There are 7-8 floors here and I think there are 2 apartments on each floor.

I had no idea why I was upgraded again? I was given a family suite and there was only 2 of us…  I booked this place using Hotels.com, and the reception lady saw my order and upgraded us to this room, worth $200! 50 square meters! When you enter it’s the living room, a toilet, a 2-single beds room, plus an en-suite!! Woo-hoo!

A modern and spacious bathroom.

2 single-beds sort of fit here. But the other room….

Wow! A double bed! Comfortable mattress, everything you need is here. A closet, tv, mirrors and another bathroom is here! It’s pretty luxurious! I was just sharing 2 bathrooms with 20 people in a hostel in Tel aviv…

But remember, I was “upgraded” to this room and let’s be more objective here, haha! A good thing about staying in an apartment like this is that you get a real kitchen! (but remember you are paying a similar price, and in other places, though there’s no kitchen, breakfast is included!) Having a kitchen will certainly make you feel more like home, even if you are just boiling hot water.

Yes, I can confirm it is a real kitchen!

Two windows behind curtains lead to the balconies. Shammai Suites is located on Ben Hillel street.

This street on the left is Shammai street.

Final Verdict

Nothing not to like about this place! Comfortable, clean, great location, and the most important part… it comes with a kitchen! Great for privacy. But if you don’t like making breakfast yourself, consider other options.

Shammai Suites in Jerusalem — 2018

Location

King Solomon Hotel is 13-20 minutes downhill and uphill walk to Jaffa Gate. So staying here isn’t as convenient as staying in the downtown triangle area. (Restaurants options also limited)

However, it’s just one bus ride away from Central Bus Station.

I actually booked this hotel using hotwire, and in general, I don’t think the business model can apply to this part of the world. it wasn’t so pleasant. But what I felt about this hotel? I found the staff courteous and friendly here!

Different hotels fit different types of people. Foreigners who stay here aren’t backpackers or tourists, most of them look like they are here for business. Should you get a dorm bed in a fun hostel for $30, or spend $110 for a quiet room here? Some might find it boring here. But we liked it.

Things look ancient here, even though not as ancient as Jerusalem, but it needs renovation here. I guess this would have been what this place looked like 15 years ago?

9th floor…. even the new poster here looked old. 9th floor~ Let’s take a look of our room!

Going to our room…  There’s a Mezuzah on every door frame by the way! And then I realized I was upgraded (again!)! I got a room with a VIEW of the walls of Jerusalem!

The Room

As the door opened… Ooo! This is cozy!

I ran to the window, well, the window leads to a tiny balcony with limited safety bars. So be careful not to run too fast.

The view I had! That’s the old city of Jerusalem! How fabulous is it to see this from your hotel room?

I used a different lens and captured Jaffa Gate.

And Mt.Zion.

The Old City looks pretty at night too! You can never get enough of this view and city! (except for the food part… I guess that’s because I’m Chinese, I prefer warm food)

Bathroom… yes it looks old. But this is the first and only hotel room I stayed that offered me a bathtub! It’s not common to see a bathtub in Israel because of water scarcity and drought here. And the hairdryer was the vacuum machine type, like what I saw in BY14TLV.

The swimming pool was under renovation during my stay (Feb 2018), so I didn’t get to use it! (Well it was winter anyway)

My mom likes this hotel the most among all the other places we stayed in Israel. I know it’s old, but the great view compensates all shortcomings. Consider it’s two times more expensive than 2 hostel dorm beds, I think it is good value.

Final Verdict

Old in general, but functional and comfortable. A working elevator that comes quickly, a bathtub that’s rarely seen in Jerusalem. And a very good view. Worth considering if around $120-$150.

King Solomon Hotel in Jerusalem — 2018

Location

It’s right in the Jewish quarter, in the Old City. The closest bus station is at Dung Gate.

And then you walk uphill…. (yeah the not so romantic part if you are traveling with luggage… )

Why is this place called “Sephardic House”?  The Sephardic Jews spent a great fortune to buy this land from Ottoman Turks more than 100 years ago. The place was set up by Sephardic Jews and there’s a Sephardic synagogue adjacent to this hotel.

This place was turned to a refuge house after the six-day war in 1967 because of its unique location. It’s more like a mansion of a big family than a boutique hotel. This is the same courtyard as the picture above, well, if we came in warmer months, we would have breakfast served here!

95% of guests here are Jewish, and they travel as families. But oddly, as a Chinese, I didn’t feel uncomfortable walking around here. And I like mini lounge area in corners.

I think some rooms are classrooms!

And this is a Sephardic synagogue. I took this picture from the hall where we had breakfast. I think the building is connected, and maybe the idea is like other pilgrim houses in Israel,  some portion of it is for religious study and the other part for hospitality.

I didn’t take any picture in the lobby because it was full of people … and noise. It’s just a small room with a reception and some sofas. And walking through the aisle there’s an elevator.

Check-in was on the 5th floor, so we are now going “down” to our room! There’s no 1st or 2nd floor. D is for Dining room…

The room I stayed was on the right! You can see the Sephardic synagogue through this big window on the left! That’s why I think the building is connected!

The Room

Voila! Well, I booked the basic double room for $120, but the manager was so kind that he upgraded me to this room. It probably is a $175 room. You can see from the arches that this was an old building! It was spacious!

Water kettle is available. And I think it’s hard to clean this carpet…

The toilet is small but cozy. Hot water was amazingly HOT. And the floor was heated! Yay!

Breakfast

They normally serve breakfast in the courtyard, but we were here because it’s winter. Well, I didn’t mind it, and I liked the Hebrew sound heard in my years, some even with some French accent in it. It feels so familiar because we have guesthouses like these for ‘teachers’ in Taiwan.

So many options! But guess what? There’s no meat! This is a kosher place!

Grilled veggies! But it’s cold Hmmm

Cheese~ I didn’t take any because, well, I don’t know. Maybe I am 50/50 towards cheese? (Please give me meat!)

Lots of options for more veggies, tomato, olives, and spreads.

And the best part is….. squeeze your own orange juice! Unlimited! It costs 7 NIS a cup when you walk outside this door!

There’s a station for bread too.

Coffee and other hot drinks. And some pastries!

And finally… an egg station! Wow! I ordered an omelet. There were 2 waiters standing there all the time so I didn’t take any picture… I think it is pretty amazing!

The kosher certificate on the wall!

Final Verdict

Great Location. Super close to Kotel. Generous breakfast. Nice staff. Great atmosphere. Spacious room. Prices are good too! But don’t come here if you have 23kg luggage, haha!

Sephardic House in Jerusalem — 2018

The Location of BY14 TLV

It’s close to the beach and the previous American Embassy. There are many restaurants and supermarkets around.

The new look from outside. BY14 TLV! I like how they rebranded this property.

The style fits Tel Aviv better. It’s modern and has an industrial feel.

This is the lobby? This is the conference room? Very informal, but I like it.

The coffee table area from the other side. You get natural sunlight from here. You will feel like you are sitting in someone’s sunroom. It’s so comfortable!

There’s a TV here. And free snacks (cookies), all kinds of tea bags, coffee machine and 2 other types of drinks. Everything is elegantly presented, and it’s so relaxing to be here.

Check-in

This is the reception! I like it! It feels like I was interviewing for a job! I love this hotel! The lady at reception was so kind that she let me check in early. And she gave me an upgrade! Why? I don’t know! But I am happy!

My upgraded room is on the 9th floor. This place used to be Hotel Mercure, so you can still see they haven’t rebranded everything.

The Room

Ooops, sorry about the setting. But let’s just look at the size. It’s about 16m2. I asked for 2 single beds… I guess this is 2 single beds, you just need to pull them apart by yourself. Haha!

Yay, back to correct setting. The beds are so comfortable. You get 2 pillows too! What a luxury!

Hey I can see the Mediterranean Sea from my window!

You get a TV, fridge, kettle… and a capsule type coffee machine. I don’t know how to use it though :/

The reception was supposed to send someone to help me when I called. But no one came. I didn’t care, but I didn’t want to wait and I went for lunch (Kukiza is a great lunch option, by the way, just 1-minute walk). And when I came back…. wait, what’s on my table?????  Complimentary Wine? Cookies? Why??? So my new tase was try to open this bottle of wine. Haha!

The washroom. You will usually see a shower instead of a bathtub in Israel because water is in shortage in this area. It is crazy how Israeli has fixed this problem by inventing ways to recycle water.

An I have no idea why the hair dryer is like a vacuum machine.  It’s funny when you dry your hair with this… it is even a bit scary! (Please don’t eat my hair)

A complete set of toiletries. The brand is Sea of Spa. It seems like all the hotels in Israel uses this brand.

Hello Mezuzah!  The mitzvah from the Bible that Israeli still keep till today.

The Facilities

A gym! Of course, I won’t work out (I refuse!) I like the chairs outside. That’s more me!

The sunset. Well, it would look nicer if it wasn’t a cloudy day!

And a room for Dry Sauna. You need to make a reservation 1 hour earlier. But I don’t understand dry sauna…

Breakfast

The place where we have breakfast is kind of hidden. You need to walk through a hallway and go down some stairs.

The style is totally different. Maybe this has changed. (I stayed here in February 2018)

Let’s see what I had here! There are many choices. Kosher. So it means no meat…. but you get all kinds of bread, juice (artificial), and tea bags.

Fruits, olives, veggies, dairy products. If you are having dairy products then you cannot have meat. That’s the rule.

Cheeses~ They look the same to me, but they actually had very different tastes. So it is time to practice enjoying cheese! (It’s hard for Asian to like cheese, FYI)

Cereals. Eat with yogurt. Eat with yogurt made by Yotvata Kibbutz!

I ate so much!

Final Verdict

I like this place a lot! 24 hours snack! Good breakfast! Excellent service! But I will double check the price. If it’s less than $150, then it is a good choice!

BY14 TLV in Tel Aviv — 2018

Comment：Very friendly. Good breakfast. 24 hours snack in lobby. The room is not big.

What is Malabi? I overheard this from a Chinese guide in Jaffa. All tour members rushed to this little shop. The pronunciation of it in Chinese sounded like Mala-Ice Cream. It got my attention! What is it?

I thought I was going after ice-cream…

Malabi, as advertised on the signboard. 10NIS per serving ($3)

The blue one is Malabi. And the red one is Sahleb (a drink with spices).

See this friendly seller… this was in February! He was wearing a t-shirt! Let me tell you the best season to visit Israel is in winter! It’s nice and warm! (in Jaffa*)

So what is Malabi? It’s like pannacotta with jam and crushed nuts on it. And coconut powder. It’s not too sweet. And I genuinely like dairy products in Israel.

Malabi is a dessert of Turkish origin. It is called sutlach in Turkish and sut is milk. Sephardic Jews eat this on weddings as a symbol of the sweetness of marriage. And some families eat this after 25 hours fasting on Yom Kippur.

I don’t like coconut, but I liked the rest of Malabi! Try it!

Old Jaffa is a seaport, so why not have some seafood here? I tried the Israeli version of Fish and Chips here. Fried squid and shrimp for only 39NIS! I guess it is cheap in Israeli standard!

Location

The store is in Old Jaffa. Close to Old Man and the Sea. (where you get unlimited salads for 50NIS).

Probably Old Man and the Sea will be the best for value. But I wasn’t hungry and I saw so many people checking out this Fish and Chips store, and I got curious!

Is this place popular? It’s chaotic and it certainly got my attention. Let’s see what’s going on!

Okay, so people were mostly waiting for their orders to be served. I found a cashier behind the guy in a black t-shirt and a hat. It requires determination and curiosity to put down your order at this place!

Prices

The menu is hung on a wall~  Prices are okay!

• Red Fish (300g) for 42NIS.
• Small Fish  (300g) for 32NIS.
• Fried Fish Fillet (300g) for 35NIS.
• Fried Shrimps (250g) for 39NIS.
• Fried Calamari (300g) for 39NIS
• Fried Shrimps with Calamari (300g) for 39NIS.
• Chips for 13NIS

Of course, I chose “Fried Shrimps with Calamari (300g) for 39NIS.”

The cashier understood English. But he didn’t speak English to me.

After paying, you’d get a piece of paper with your name and your order on it.

Give this paper to the kitchen staff. He’d stick it to the range hood.

And then you find yourself a place somewhere and wait for your name to be called! It took 10 minutes for my order to be ready.

I was looking at “the catch of the day”. I thought you could buy fish from here and let the kitchen staff cook it for you. But I guess no. They don’t have time for this. You can buy fresh fish from here and that’s all.

Napkins.

And finally! The serving size was more than what I expected. My wide angle lens makes it look smaller than its actual size. It’s fresh and nicely cooked. I like the batter and how lemon was generously given.   I think 2 people can share 1, if not enough, order chips for 13NIS.

However, it is quite chaotic and messy. And there’s no place to sit. So I guess the better option would still be Old Man and Sea if you are looking for a proper meal. But if you pass by this shop and found a shorter queue, then it won’t be a bad idea to give it a try!

Location

It’s 5 minutes walk from Haifa Hashmona. The road is mostly flat.

It’s 3 minutes walk to Metronit station (below) or to a bus stop that goes to Nazareth. A 24-hour grocery store is nearby. The hostel gave me a printed map! It was easy to navigate around!

Port Inn looks like a normal house from outside. Looks cozy even from outside. You enter with code. Or ring the bell for the reception.

This building next to Port Inn (blue gate) is a part of Port Inn too (only the second floor I think). The room with a red curtain was where I stayed.

There’s a hallway when you enter, and on the left is this common area with 3 desktop computers/ luggage room.

And on the right is the reception (I didn’t take any photo), and then 2 lounges. One is this one with lots of Bahai paintings

The other is like a living room and dining room. A mini kitchen is here (anyone can use it)

Oh! And there’s a nice garden! From here you can walk to parking… and that is why there’s a coded door before you enter the computer room.

The reception I met was informative. She looked tired, but she was friendly and helpful. She even asked if I needed help with my luggage. That’s such a polite gesture!

I paid $51.47 for a double room, with shared bath, and no breakfast. A dorm bed comes with breakfast and is for $25, but I figured I need better sleep more than free breakfast.

These rooms without sensors are probably dorms.

And our tiny double room! Small but comfortable! Plugs are easily found. Two towels per head! I was surprised! We stayed for 2 nights, and I was surprised that housekeeping came and changed new towels for us!

The receptionist showed us everything before she left. The shower is here. You can take really hot showers here (unlike…… forget it, haha!)

Toilet next to it. There’s another bathroom with shower and bath together. I didn’t see anyone else using the bathroom or toilet here, even though all rooms were sold out during my stay. Weird huh!

Tiny kitchen. Crockery. Oven. Microwave. Fridge.

I forgot how much was breakfast for. I would guess $10/head. Options seem limited.

The very informative receptionist gave my maps! I met 2 other receptionists later. They were all good friends and gave good vibes.  She suggested us to check out Wadi Nisnas.

The map of Haifa～

The surrounding area. You don’t even need google when you have this map. Haha!

The grocery store nearby. I couldn’t communicate with the shopkeeper here. He’s a Catholic Arab, 35 years old. His dad is 60 and his mom 50. I somehow know this because I wanted to know if his family had been in this land for generations, and we had a gap in communication.

So, it is a good choice! From other options that I see, this is the best you can get!

By the way, one of the receptionists was a Christian Arab. She said most people don’t know 20% of the population are Arab!

I recommend Port Inn

Port Inn in Haifa — 2018

Comment：Very friendly. Good breakfast. 24 hours snack in lobby. The room is not big.