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Citadel Youth Hostel Details
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Citadel Youth Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Favela accommodations at Ritz Carlton prices I have over 25 years of international travel under my belt and I've stayed in all sorts of accommodations, from the Riffelalp in Zermatt to a room above a cathouse in Mexico. Having spent many weeks in India, I can assure you that there is not much that surprises or disturbs me. Yet, nothing makes me more upset than being taken for a ride. The Citadel youth hostel in Jerusalem is a complete scam. A dirty, cold, rundown, and poorly furnished double room with a shoe box bathroom which should cost 10 USD, will run you 120 USD at the Citadel. The hostel gets a lot of visitors due to a misleading review in a guidebook. Hence the owners feel entitled to charge a lot and deliver nothing in return. Save your money and your nerves, book a room somewhere else. — SS , USA (2010-12-30) Pervy Old Men Seriously ... the title says it all. in fairness, it was a good hostel in a good location, but omg, 3am I was woken by these dudes walking into my bedroom (where I was the only one there), smiling at me as I lay in my bed and not talking OR LEAVING. I screamed at them and they finally left, only to find they were the owners. NEVER AGAIN. — Cliona , Ireland (2010-11-05) Rooftop experience i was there for two days in september. amazing experience to sleep on the roof in amazing location in the middle of the old city. to hear the muezzins at 4 am in the morning was also amazing for me.
disadvantages: you have to leave all your luggage unattended in the day (there is a very small safe available i think), very small showers (not hot when i was there), better to arrive not too late to find an empty mattress in preferred location. but the hostel is definitely worth it. and its also a cheap stay. — Anonymous , germany (2010-09-27) Just do it, and if it's just for the rooftop view! The rooftop view! The overall experience was just excellent. I don't know what people expect from hostels, but we had no bigger issues with hygiene or anything with bed bugs though staying for about 5 nights on and off. There's two kitchens and the one upstairs is definitely the better choice. Same thing with hot water showers -- you'll find your preferred one. The people we've met there were nearly all cool and interesting. If you plan on staying in one of the separate rooms on the roof, bring your earplugs since the fantastic roof is definitely made for people meeting up and talking half night long. If you're trying to avoid youth in a youth hostel, you better consider a hotel or another hostel with less flair. I wouldn't really recommend the hostel for people above 1.9 mtrs because the ceilings are pretty low. Did I mention the great rooftop view? In fact, if anything goes wrong, the owner doesn't seem to handle criticism well, so check everything twice and insist on a solution. There's always at least one. Besides, they have a small discount for returners. — jockie , German (2009-12-22) Shame about the bedbugs I really wish this hostel was cleaner because it is in a great location, has a lovely roof, and I made loads of friends. But I got severely bitten by bedbugs (and a number of others did as well) even though the owner denied there was a bedbug problem. Needless to say, the bug bites really affected my trip and took a full week to get over (and three months later I still have the scars). I actually saw the creepy crawlies on my bed in the middle of the night. The other yucky thing was that some sheets had bloodstains on them. — Anne , Canada (2009-10-24) Not Recommended. Rubbish! I would never stay in this hostel again. We stayed for two unfortunate nights, and decided to spend our third at another hostel down the street. It was dirty, and smelled like fish the entire time. The sheets were dirty, so luckily I had my sleep sack with me and only touched that. I didn't want to touch anything in this hostel -- the showers and bathroom were so dirty. I spent as much time away from it as possible, and passed out there only when necessary. i got poisons released into my body from the over friendly bedbugs that infested the mattresses. So I wouldn't recommend to anybody this hostel. — Sebastian , usa (2009-08-24) Disgusting This was the most godawful place I've ever, after traveling to twenty-three countries, stayed at. The only thing going for it was the location, in the atmospheric old city of Jerusalem. But the location is also what got us, because after carrying our bags up and down stairs in from outside the old city wall (as we arrived on a holiday and taxis weren't allowed to drive into the old city), my friend and I were so exhausted that, although taken aback by the proprietor's rude demand to be paid upfront for our five-night stay, we obliged before seeing the room. We were told we'd have a lovely rooftop view of Jerusalem. Well, we had a view alright -- of the flophouse right outside our window. There were over twenty people sleeping on mattresses on the roof. Our room was hot as an oven, but with the window open, how could anyone sleep with people literally right outside our window talking all night long? The next morning I searched the city and found four better hotels around the same price (by the way $40 USD for two a night to stay in a cell-like room, with hair on the sheets and dirty shared bathroom downstairs and no hot water -- I found out the roof-dwellers were paying $15 USD each for their experience), but the arrogant owner simply pointed to their list of ridiculous rules, which of course said in bold letters, no refunds, and refused to refund any of our money. He was offended when I mentioned the hair on the sheets and told us they were clean. He did provide a fan, which drowned out the roof dwellers, but barely moved the stifling air in the sweatbox of a room. Oh, and I forgot to mention the disgusting shared kitchen. And lack of service. They couldn't even call a taxi for me to the airport. I could have forgiven a few of the deplorable conditions had the service been good, but no such luck. Avoid the Citadel Hostel if you want to have an enjoyable time in Jerusalem. — Susan , Canada (2009-08-08) Poor Avoid this hostel. The location is admittedly good, but it seems as if the staff are so proud of it they feel they don't need to provide that many good amenities. The people who work here (especially the older guy) are quite rude, and seem only interested in the money. Half the time, I saw people asking for refunds, and I even saw one of the owners trying to make someone pay for another person's booking! The showers are basic and fairly low standard, and the organisation is absolutely appalling. People who have booked dorm rooms often find themselves sleeping on the roof, and often one finds ones belongings moved by the staff because they've given your space and mattress to somebody else. Despite the fact that you've booked it. The free tea and interior decor, as well as the location and price, are all positive bonuses, but would you really risk an uncomfortable night on a windy roof where your belongings aren't safe for that? — Moshe Goltz , Britain (2009-07-18) Great and authentic! i spent a few days on the roof of this beautifully located hostel underneath the jerusalem sky. It's great! you'll meet loads of other travelers and enjoy their company on the roof while enjoying beer and conversations. sure, it's definitely not the cleanliest place in israel but still it's nice, the showers are hot and decent, the kitchen is equipped quite well, and the staff are very friendly and cooperative. only bad thing to my mind is that you couldn't really store your luggage securely -- just in some kind of hallway. which was fine, as it was for free. — K.C. , Germany (2009-05-24) Warning -- Avoid This Hostel! I made the mistake of staying here in April. The floors are filthy and the entire building smells of a sewer. There is no secure storage for luggage and the hygiene of this establishment in every room I was in was very bad. I understand and appreciate experiencing "the real Jerusalem" -- but Citadel hostel is not real, it is a health hazard. They also do not offer refunds, even if asked politely (I was also not the only one asking for a refund). Please, there are many other great hostels in the Old city, and cheaper too! The only positive thing is its location. — Alfred J., , France (2008-12-05) Wonderful Experience! The Citadel Hostel is an experience that I would not have missed. It is not your standard building with a standard experience. It feels like you have walked back in time, in a positive way. The curved rock ceiling and walls gives the feeling of entering a cave. The decorations give one the feeling of entering an Israeli culture. Hospitality was warm but not intrusive. Rooms were clean and bedding was changed daily. The bathrooms were newly remodeled and although small, were functional. The only drawback was that there was no place to put your clothing while showering. A shelf in each shower would be useful. The view from the roof was unbeatable! However it looks like there is a building under construction that may eventually block the Dome of the Rock. But hopefully the Dome of the Rock will be replaced soon by the Temple of the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, and I am sure the view from the Citadel will be even more beautiful! — Stephanie East , United States (2008-11-24) August 2008 We stayed with four people in the hostel. It is a very nice hostel. The location is very great, in the middle of the old city. The people who work there are also very nice. Especially Mohaned. We really enjoyed our time in the Citadel, and that's also because of him! He was always there to have a nice talk. He helped us if there was a problem! Thanks for the help and hospitality! For everyone who is looking for a nice hostel, go to the Citadel! — Carolien , Holland (2008-11-07) Centrally Located, great people, great time I had stayed at the hostel across the street and upon my return to the Old City they had no vacancies. Oh my luck couldnt have been better. The Citadel is a great place. I had a room that appeared to be carved into a cave -- just awesome accommodation. The guy at the desk, Chris, asked me where I planned to go during my stay and he offered bus routes and names of guides. Oh, and the Citadel rates are about half the rates of the other place I stayed. — Hambone , Canada (2008-10-09) Nice stayed four nights at citadel hostel in november. very nice and helpful staff, clean room (dorm), kitchen is nice, peaceful at nights (i am already forty). coming back next year. — roly , finland (2007-11-26) Home away from Home. The Citadel Youth Hostel was my teams of seven's home for a month back in January of 2006! Chris and Tony are sweet and hospitable! They became like family to us! I loved sitting out on the roof at night or early in the morning -- simply gorgeous! The mixed dorm on the bottom floor is so cool, like a cave! We loved meeting so many different kinds of people from all over the world. On rainy days, we didn't even leave because we had so much fun inside! Chris even made us a "family dinner" when we left for home. I honestly miss this home away from home! I will definitely be going there again soon. — Jenna , United States (2007-10-19)