Stay: The Post

On my recent trip to Israel, the two days I was in Jerusalem happened to overlap with an annual festival called Open House Jerusalem. Museums, cultural centers, artist studios and private homes open their doors to locals (and excited tourists like me!) for a series of special events. The weekend is packed with activities and one of this year's offerings was a guided tour of the new youth hostel in Jerusalem, The Post. 

The hostel gets its name, The Post, from the fact that the building used to be the central post office for the whole city. My aunt shared memories of going there when she was young to use the pay phones to call home to the States. 

Knowing many of their visitors are first-timers in the city (and the country) The Post has signage starting two blocks away. 

It's very well marked when you reach the building. 

You take a small elevator up to the third floor and then voila! You've arrived.

The check-in desk may be my favorite part of the whole place. I love the mural, especially the camels! 

The desk itself is made of a stack of letters and packages. They take the mail theme very seriously. 

The postman watches over the seating area in the lobby, a popular spot for dropping your bags and scrolling through everything you missed on Instagram while out exploring.  

The lobby area has several different common spaces, including a music area complete with a piano and guitars on the wall (guests are encouraged to take them down and strum). 

Next to the piano are rows and rows of tables, perfect for communal dining or hanging with new traveler friends. 

You can also grab a drink at the bar, which offers happy hour every day from 5pm - 8pm.

How cute is this chalkboard sign? 

They also have a board to the right of the bar, encouraging guests to introduce themselves to the locals. 

With drink in hand, you can perch at one of the two-top tables or at this fun group table in the center of these nautical ropes.

After walking through all the common spaces, we were taken down the hall to see a private room and a dorm-style room. All the rooms at The Post have ensuite bathrooms, a major perk! You never have to go out into the hallway in your towel! 

We also learned about all the unique experiences The Post offers guests, including free tours of the old city and a hummus making class. 

The best part of staying at The Post, no question, is the roof deck. It's enormous and the view is spectacular! 

From the street level, you would never even know this was up here! 

If you're planning a trip to Israel and are looking for affordable accommodations (to balance out the cost of your plane ticket), The Post is an amazing, central location and the private rooms are definitely the way to go. Take the hummus class and report back, please!