Jaffa Gate Hostel

Average Hostel
I wish I could give this place a better review because the people that work here are really nice and helpful. I came in late at night with a book reservation that I found out got canceled. The dorms were booked but the manager just gave me for the night a private single which was really sweet. However, sleep with your jacket on at night if you are there in December. It was freezing! The showers were always cold though and not very clean. The toilets were also pretty foul. The dorms were basic and crowded. Decent common area though. The location is great but is next too some sort of home where the people seemed a bit creepy. I probably would come back only if staying for a night so I could avoid the shower otherwise, I would just try to get the cheapest hotel room possible.

Excellent value for money!
Great place! Really close to the old city center (about one or two minutes on foot). The staff is genuinely friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean, You can come back to the hostel whenever you want, even very late, because your room key also opens the front door. I am really satisfied!

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 Jaffa gate 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.

Location, Location, Location
Excellent place at Jerusalem. I'm familiar with this Youth Hostel since last decade. This place is well communicated in Jerusalem. The accommodation and reception are too familiar. Right choice of Visitor/Students. The Manager though went out of his way to help me. Also there is a huge market around the corner and some higher end restaurants. great hospitality, I really enjoyed staying there.

Dont stay here
dirty, beds smelled, no hot water, no showers, terrible service. However location is good. Overall recommendation is find somewhere else to stay.

100%
Great views from the roof terrace, good location, great for meeting other travelers. It's the hostel to stay at when you are in Jerusalem. I have wonderful memories. No doubt I will be back.

The best location for Jerusalem and great people!
The two managers are always helpful and friendly! All the rooms are safe, you can leave your stuff without any concern. I really enjoyed that! The best part are the people you will meet there!

Awesome!
Jaffa gate hostel is a great place to stay. everyone very helpful, There is nothing wrong with security, it is clean, and the staff are great! better than most other places I've stayed at in the old city, I have already booked my stay for next year at J.G.H. I recommend it to all!

An absolute pleasure!
This was a really excellent hostel. It is centrally located and has really good views of jerusalem. staff were very helpful, rooms were clean and comfy. it was awesome.

Travellers beware -- this is the worst hostel ever.
Jaffa Gate Hostel is one of the worst hostels I have stayed in. there is no twenty-four-hour reception. Reception is only from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you check in late, you'll find your dorm key pinned to a noticeboard outside the hostel. That's real good security. Toilets stink, floors are disgustingly filthy. The hostel smells like it's built over a sewerage. You need to hold the hose in your hand to shower. No luggage storage. If they say they have it, it means putting it in the corner of the common room. You can actually see room in their photos. Kitchen is disgusting. Rotten wood for cupboards. There are several thugs standing just inside Jaffa Gate waiting for backpacking victims and will "encourage" them into Jaffa Gate Hostel, and the managers will pay them a commission for that. However you are the one who end up paying a higher rate for your room/dorm. And if you don't like it, you don't get a refund. Even if you give them plenty of notice. The locals have a term for this hostel -- The Asylum. Don't believe me? Ask any local on the streets in the New City.

Loved it, loved it
The nicest thing about that hostel is that its centrally located. The building full of character, The staff was very nice and friendly. Gave us suggestions of what to see. I would not hesitate to come back here again.

Friendly and comfortable
Friendly staff that is always helpful. Everybody speaks English. The room is quite clean, also the toilet. Free Wi-Fi (with cable) in the dormitory if you bring your own computer. Outside there are places to sit and eat in a nice surrounding. Directly located in great location and about fifteen minutes by foot to the new city. Shops are in the neighborhood. I really enjoyed my stay. The atmosphere was fantastic. It is a place where you can take your tours around.

Gross
Dirty, damp, smelly, no real shower. the location is good but not really worth it. I wouldnt stay here again.

Awful!
I have stayed in many many hostels and this is by far the worst. The shower is a small tiled section in the bathroom with nowhere to attach the shower head over your head. The water is cold. the bathroom has a terrible smell, not like a normal bathroomy smell, but of raw sewage. it is difficult to brush your teeth in there without gagging. The rooms are cold (you can pay extra for heat), the sheets are dirty, and the blankets smell strongly of mildew. The manager did not tell me I was rooming with a very sick (not a normal cold) and contagious woman who coughed all night. I am not the only one who felt this way. Luckily i was only there for one night but others in my dorm tried to get refunds. I would rather pay more and stay farther from the old city. I would rather sleep in the bus station.

You should stay here!
I stayed at the Jaffa Gate Hostel for three nights in May of 2007, and it was a great place. The staff were wonderful, very helpful, and friendly. I highly recommend this hostel if you are interested in staying in the Old City. It's a close walk to al-Aqsa, the Kotel, the Churches, and the Mosque of Omar, and right near the market. Ending a day of sightseeing with good conversation while sharing a nargila on the roof was a highlight of my trip. Forget expensive hotels, this is the real Jerusalem!