Recommended Hostels in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv’s hostels are your best option for decent and cheap accommodation in the center of Israel.

If you imagine hostels to be loud and neglected places, think again. In recent years there has been a significant improvement in standards and Tel Aviv (and Jerusalem) have some great hostels, all with clean rooms, free internet, equipped kitchens and a great atmosphere.

All hostels also offer private rooms, which are up to 50% cheaper than 3-star hotel rooms. Choosing to sleep in a hostel is also part of a growing movement of ‘responsible tourism,’ which aims to enhance the wellbeing of local people. Big hotels do whatever they can to keep you within the hotel premises. They are also separated from their surroundings by walls and security. Many of the hotels belong to chains, and as such present travelers with a less personalized experience.

Hostels, on the other hand, are at one with their environment and tend to help the small businesses around them. In a hostel there is a good chance that the guy sitting next to you, who looks like a traveler, is the owner.
As a tour guide I spend most of my time with tourists, but I also work with agents, drivers, and hoteliers. It has become clear to me that of all the people providing services to travelers, hostel owners resemble them their guests the most, maybe because that’s what they really are too.

Here are my recommendations for hostels in Tel Aviv: