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)

Well, your dream can easily come true! Citadel Hostel, an 800-year-old youth hostel, wait, I mean an 800-year old Jerusalem stone-house that runs a youth hostel is an excellent option! You can book a dorm bed or a shared room. The view on the balcony is incredible. If you want the experience of waking up in Jerusalem, this is the place!



Location

From Jaffa Gate. First, go down a flight of stairs, then turn right and go up the stairs. After that, there’s a flat road. It’s 4 minutes walk to the Church of Holy Sepulchre!

It’s sort of in parallel to the main road, so it doesn’t belong to any quarter!

The entrance to the Citadel Hostel! This building is 800 years old!

My impression of the Old City of Jerusalem is dark and cold… I have no idea if this hostel would turn out to be a bad experience….

Check-In

When I came in, I was amazed by the architecture! It’s more than what pictures can deliver! You feel immediately connected to Jerusalem, really, you have to be there. With a relatively “okay” review, I was surprised that the staff was so friendly. Our triple room was $85, with a shared bathroom and no breakfast. A dorm bed would cost $25, so a triple room was a good deal. By the way, cash only. The staff let us store our luggage before our room was ready. When I asked if I could leave my luggage here the next day after check-out? The staff immediately agreed and said I could leave it there as long as I want. I was really impressed By the way, even though bus 231 from Damascus Gate to Bethlehem was easy, I would rather not to carry my luggage all the way from Jerusalem to there!

Facility

Unexpectedly, the lounge was cozy and pretty! It was much cleaner than expected too! The area could consider spacious as this is how big a floor is in this 800-year-old building! So this probably counts as the basement? Look at these sofas (floor cushions)! So Middle Eastern!

From here, there’s a doorway for leaving luggage. And that door at the end leads to a dorm room.

 

If the lounge is considered B1, the reception as 1st floor, then from the intriguing stairs it leads to 3 more floors.

This is the second floor. There are two rooms and 3 shared bathrooms. 

On the third floor, there’s a kitchen. But I found the electric stove inefficient. It takes forever to cook something. And the switch for the light is impossible to find… well, there’s a box above “Exit” with a yellow keychain right? That’s the switch! 

And let’s go to the 4th floor. There are two rooms. 

And finally, on the 5th floor, there’s this amazing balcony! You can see the Mt.Olives from here! Wow! The location is superb, and I leave the good views for your surprises! It is simply amazing!

The Room

I stayed in the cheapest triple room with shared bathroom. I didn’t take pictures for the shared bathroom, there are 3 of them, small but enough. It might not be ideal if you are larger in size…

So here’s our room! I like staying in a stone room, the experience made me happy! It’s more atmospheric there than on pictures. But the room was small. It wasn’t cold, and there were blankets on the bed. In Asia, we don’t use blankets. So when a blanket is used, it is always in a cover. It isn’t expected to put a blanket on top of a bed cover. So, anyways, this is a cultural difference. My mom and my aunt didn’t like these blankets.

And… Wifi was terrible in the room. Probably because of the stones? And the socket (near the door) was too high that made it hard to charge the power bank.

These are the rooms from 4th floor. It looks brighter because of the windows, but it is less atmospheric in my opinion.  

For $85, with no private bathroom or breakfast, I think it is not so good for value. But hey, this is in the Old City! Prioritize what is important to you, the location? View? Atmosphere? Or Value? In terms of value, at least for me, there are better choices in the New City.  The Post Hostel or Stay Inn Hostel. Or Zion Hotel. If you have more budget, and that you really want to have a good experience in the Old City of Jerusalem, then consider Sephardic House ! ($120 for a double room)！

Citadel Hostel — 2019

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

Paamonim Jerusalem Hotel is located in the new city. Yafo center light rail is 1-minute walk away. And about 10 minutes walk to Mahane Yehuda market. 17 minutes walk to Damascus gate! The location is ideal!

The look of Paamonim Jerusalem Hotel from outside doesn’t stand out. The signage was small. Google Maps street view still has old data. But I don’t think it is hard to find if you know you are looking for this place.

At the entrance on 1st floor, it doesn’t quite show is a hotel. But take the elevator to 2nd floor where reception is . 

There are two lounges on the 2nd floor. One is a lobby for rest, some tea bags and cookies are provided (but not as generous as BY14TLV in Tel Aviv) And then the other lounge is for dining, and where we had our breakfast in the morning.

From the lounge- The Bell building! (Paamonim means bell)

There are only 4-6 rooms per floor, oh, and I think there’s a clinic on the 4th floor. It’s weird that this elevator is shared. But let’s just say it is hard to acquire an entire property in Jerusalem! And this place is branded as Aparthotel. (I think)

Let’s see our quadruple room. A small kitchenette is at the entrance but it means just a microwave and a sink. Anyways… I don’t know if with a microwave the counter can be called a kitchenette, but I guess everyone’s opinion is different.

And the room was small. About 20m2.   I took this picture standing between two single beds. You can’t open a suitcase at the same time. (unless you drag is to dining table)

The second room is with a door and looks like a proper room. The double bed here is 2 single beds.

The view from the balcony!

I was super happy with the shower room. Hot water was really “hot” water, and finally, I saw a normal hairdryer that doesn’t look like a vacuum machine.

Toiletry set. Again, Sea of Spa.

Facilities

I don’t remember seeing any facility except Shabbat dinner service?

Breakfast

I am so fond of my breakfast memory here. They serve from 7 am till 10 am, but they wrap up at around 10:30. The ambiance, the options, and just everything are wonderful. A friend of mine compared with 5-star hotel she stayed in Jerusalem, and she said she felt more relaxed here! This is THE place to chat!

Let’s see the options…. make your own orange juice! Yay! My happiest memory! (But it’s not available on Shabbat as you aren’t allowed to work)！

Cute signages

Salad zone. No meat. Israel is too kosher for us.

Spreads. You can use jam and honey from the shelf!

Cereals, milk and a super slow coffee machine. Not available on shabbat by the way!

You don’t see backpackers here. People who stay here aren’t pilgrims or tourists either (except us? haha). I think most people are on business trips here. So maybe that explains why a microwave is enough.

Final Verdict

Location is right next to Yafo station! Lots of restaurants nearby. Generous breakfast option. Some tea bags and available in the lobby. Reasonable price ($200 for 4) but kitchenette wasn’t of much use and room size was small.

Paamonim Jerusalem Hotel  — 2018

The dorm bed is $27 a bed, including breakfast!!

The Location

The Post Hostel is only 2 minutes walk to the nearest light-rail station, anyone can easily walk to the Old City of Jerusalem from here. Jaffa road is probably the most important road in Jerusalem, and this hostel is right here! Lots of restaurants are in this area. I cannot recommend more!

Some Tips on Hostel

Well, In Israel (and many countries in the world), hostel isn’t for young people only. Anyone with a young spirit can stay in a hostel! But dormitory is not ideal for light sleepers. Alternately, opt for double room is $80, including breakfast. You are paying only $10 more per head, but you get much more privacy and better sleep!

The Post Hostel Experience

The building is where the Post is (hence the name). The entrance is at the back alley, parallel to Jaffa Street.  It’s hard to miss.

It’s completely accessible, which is important for those with special needs. Use the elevator to go to 3rd floor.

And here we are, The Post Hostel! Okay, turn left.

The Facility

I like this common area a lot. It’s open, artistic, and relaxing. There’s a tiny kitchen where you can boil water or cook something.

The ambiance is perfect! The place is super popular, and I know that because I booked my room here way ahead of time, and some dates are already booked out! while it looks empty in this picture, the next morning this room was packed with loads of people! I wasn’t surprise!

I can see how people can easily connect to one another and have a good time together here. By the way, there’s a book exchange here, and you can leave your unwanted clothes here.

Let’s go to my basic economy room!

The Room

Tadaa! Yeah this is how big the room was. It was for $80/night only though. It’s clean and comfortable. Though there isn’t much view out there.

Let’s take a look around. Toilet, basin, and shower are separated. I guess this is the standard design for all rooms. Ideally, when you have many people in a dormitory, you won’t occupy shower or toilet for too long. But anything can happen. So it’s a nice gesture to have these 3 functions separated to cut waiting time. My guess is that this room used to be a 4-bed dorm for girls.

Toilet and wash basin. Very clean. Unfortunately there wasn’t a hair dryer.

Shower room. Looked a bit lonely. There wasn’t a complete set of toiletry, but you can use the 2-in-1 shampoo-shower soap thing. But hey this is Jerusalem, and the price for this room is only $80, it’s reasonable.

Breakfast

And…  I really liked the reception guy I met. First of all, he is an Israeli, but he speaks perfect Chinese, with a Taiwanese accent! How cool is that! (Very cool!)

And he offered us free dinner (he was eating it himself). Free? Well, there was a larger group and they booked dinner here. So the food they didn’t finish was offered for free to guests. It actually looks delicious!! I should have taken a bite!

Schinitzel, meat mall and rice! Wow!

The breakfast of The Post Hostel is a highlight. It’s a hostel, but they offer freshly cooked shakshuka! It’s delicious! I ate 2 servings of it!

Besides that, you will find typical Israeli breakfast here. Tomato, boiled egg, tuna, cheese, canned fruits. No meat of course, because it is kosher.

About drinks, you get options such as coffee and tea. But here is another highlight, you can squeeze orange juice here! A glass of orange juice would cost 12NIS….. Yes, if you have time, have some juice here!

Activities

Hostels usually offer activities and tours for free or a small cost. In the Post Hostel’s case, they offer a Mea Shearim Tour for FREE! Fridays at 11AM.

Or, Yoga at noon, Saturdays only.

Final Verdict

I liked everything I saw! I highly recommend this place for people with all kinds of budget, whether you go for $27 dorm-bed or $80 double-bed. It’s perfect for backpackers, especially if you are looking for travel buddies or people to talk to.

The Post Hostel — 2018

Comment：Perfect location, relaxing ambiance, outstanding breakfast (say “shakshuka”!!!)  Bring your own toiletries.  (Double room $80, 8-bed dorm $27)