Jerusalem’s newest hostel is located in the central post office building.
By UDI SHAHAMUpdated: JANUARY 20, 2016 17:39The public area at the Post Hostel, Jerusalem(photo credit: PR)
The moment I entered the giant lobby of the hostel, I felt like I was in Berlin or Amsterdam. In the heart of Jerusalem, next to City Hall, stands The Post Hostel, which combines old and new, simple and sophisticated and targets a wide range of visitors.In the legendary building of Jerusalem’s central post office, 50 meters from the Old City walls, 200 meters from the nightclub hub and right on the light rail route, four young entrepreneurs opened a place that would be a center for tourists from all over the world and serve as an introduction to Jerusalem.The building that looks simple from the outside represents Jerusalem’s old architectural style. The same goes for the interior. The elevator took me from the main floor (which contains a government ministry) to a whole new world on the third floor.“We tried to preserve the building as it was 80 years ago when it was part of the post office,” says Raphael, one of the owners.He adds that they wanted to create a place for tourists that would feel simple and homelike, with a Jerusalem atmosphere. “All the furniture was made in Israel,” he stresses.The entire place is decorated in a color palette of red, white and blue, like Israel’s postal system.The hostel provides a wide range of accommodation options, from double rooms to dorms for four, six, eight and 12 guests. All rooms are equipped with all the items necessary for travelers, such as individual storage compartments, a personal power socket, a night light and a USB charging plug next to each bed. All the beds in the dormitories are bunk beds.The dorms also have a special lighting system to help guests who want to return to the room late at night after an outing at one of the nearby bars. The entire complex is equipped with free Wi-Fi access.The family rooms and the double rooms are also equipped with all the necessities, as well as a TV set and a private bathroom.All the public spaces in the hostel are accessible to people with physical disabilities, and there are two family rooms that are accessible as well.
I got the impression that sleeping in a room facing the street gives one the full Jerusalem experience, mainly due to the early wake-up call elicited from the gentle clanging of the light rail. The prices of the rooms range from $25 per person in the 12-bed dorms to $130 for a double room.There is a shared kitchen for all the guests, which has everything required for cooking, such as a stove, an oven and a refrigerator.The fact that the hostel is so centrally located enables guests to go to a nearby grocery store or the large Mahaneh Yehuda market to buy fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. A standard but varied breakfast is served every morning, which includes dishes such as eggs, cheese, salad, cereal and hot beverages.The large and impressive public area, which serves as the central hub of the hostel, has large tables for eating and for meeting fellow travelers. There is also a bar that functions in the evening and is open to the general public. There is also a lounge and a reading area. Occasionally, usually on the weekend, concerts are held in this large hall, which makes the hostel another contributor to Jerusalem’s night scene.Every hostel has that special place, and at the Post Hostel it is the open rooftop.Its uniqueness is in its simplicity. With the view that it provides, you don’t need more than a chair and a cup of Turkish coffee. From the Post Hostel’s rooftop, you can see the old seam line that once separated west and east Jerusalem.In addition to the accommodation, the hostel provides assistance in planning tours within Israel. But above all, I was impressed by the service provided by the staff, which was outstanding and always with a smile.As one of the owners says, “We all came from the social activity field.We opened this place first of all for travelers from around the world. We want them to get connected to our beloved beautiful city.” The writer was a guest of the hostel.The Post Hostel23 Jaffa Road, JerusalemTel: (02) 581-3222Facebook: theposthostel