HI - Massada Hostel

HI - Massada Hostel descritpion

Featuring an outdoor pool and air conditioning, Massada Guest House & Youth Hostel is at the foot of the Massada plateau on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert. It features rooms with private bathrooms and dormitories with free Wi-Fi.
Accommodation at the Massada Guest House is air conditioned and is equipped with a teakettle, cable TV and fridge. Rooms have functional furniture and tile floors and the bathroom is complete with toiletries and a shower.
On the shores of the Dead Sea, the Ein Gedi Spa and the beach are about a 15 minute drive from the property. Guests can go for a walk along marked routes close to the desert streams. Alternatively, guests can go for a panoramic moonlit tour around the Massada and Sdom marlstones.

Recommand

Low rates——Best price for 2 guests: $110+ • No booking fees • Save money!Best price guarantee — enter dates to see these prices!
12 properties in Ein Bokek——Including hotels, apartments, villas and more.
Manage your bookings online——Sign up for a FREE account·View a single booking.
1070 independent reviews——We verify all reviews from guests who've stayed at HI - Massada Hostel. Find out more about Booking.com Reviews.
Booking is safe——When you book with us your details are protected by a secure connection.

Facilities of HI - Massada Hostel

Outdoors ：Outdoor Pool (seasonal)

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Food & Drink ：Snack Bar

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Free!Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

Services ：Packed Lunches | Vending Machine (drinks) | 24-Hour Front Desk | Baggage Storage | Fax/Photocopying

Reviews for HI - Massada Hostel

Review 1：Fantastic location. Perfect if you're planning to wake up early to hike Masada. Facilities are comfortable. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have a late checkout option.

Review 2：Beds were comfortable, rooms were clean and large, dining room staff was welcoming, and the location is unbeatable -- an unusually pleasant hostel experience.

Review 3：No advance notice that the pool was closed for the season nor that a group of 300 roudy school children are staying in the place. If you want to have a drink you have to leave the premises in which case you need a car.

Review 4：location is right at the foot of Massada

Review 5：If the HI is full with school classes it can be VERY noisy. Do not expect to get a good sleep. We had a double room. Kids banged all the evening at our door or even windows.

Review 6：Very good breakfast

Review 7：Lots of students very noisy. So many student groups. This site should not host private people. It is a hostel for youth groups primarily. Which includes large groups of young teenagers. We had a group of 300 12 year olds that kept us up all night. Staff were rude and unhelpful.

Review 8：Value for money below-average: school kids making noise until late (bring earplugs), cleanliness insufficient, narrow beds

Review 9：HI Massada is a nice stone building in a beautiful landscape with amazing view over the Death Sea. The location is perfect for a hike or ride up to Massada. The rooms (double) are functionally furnished. Food is fresh and quite good (buffet).

Review 10：everything was good

Review 11：Unique location, just what you need if you want to see sunrise from Masada. However to get to the Dead sea you need to take a bus/ drive. The guest house is huge and nice, very clean and tidy. My shared room had free towels, shampoo, fridge, kettle, free tea& coffee. Free breakfast was included, and it was great, lots of tasty food. The staff was also nice. They have late check-in and early check-out, but you can leave bags for free before&after, so it was convenient.

Review 12：Check out at 10am and breakfast ending at 9:30. If you are getting up to do the sunrise of Masada this is not enough time to enjoy and return. I missed breakfast (but a young man went into the kitchen and made me an egg after the kitchen closed - bless him) and had to rush to checkout.

Review 13：Location was amazing! Hostel was clean and beautiful and the kitchen staff in particular was great.

Review 14：The breakfast was not that good and the toilets were not that clean Breakfast should be till 10:30 at least to be able to enjoy Mesada in a relaxed way

Review 15：The location was great if you plan to do the sneak trail Perfect to go up in the sunrise and to come back to the breakfast although it is a bit stressful that the breakfast ends at 9:30 while we wanted to see Mesada in our own pace

Review 16：No dislikes.

Review 17：The food was good... the selection, the times offered. The staff was very helpful with questions. The location could not have been any better to see Massada. Very clean and spacious room.

Review 18：The location was excellent - close to the Dead Sea resorts as well as Masada. We really enjoyed the buffet-style breakfasts too. So much to choose from! Thank you for making our stay enjoyable. We hope to come back again.

Review 19：The facilities are very, very basic. A hairdryer would have been nice. There were many school groups there during our stay which we did not mind in general, but they made a lot of noise for about an hour when they left at 4 AM. At the end it's a Youth Hostel, but a very expensive one...

Review 20：Location is perfect. Yulia from the reception is very friendly and helpful. Food at breakfast and dinner was simple, but very good.

Review 21：A hostel accommodating groups of kids with all the noise commotion that goes with them.

Review 22：Relatively new facility with onsite cafeteria style food service for breakfast (included) and dinner (not included in rate). Great access to Masada site entrance.

Review 23：It was still really hot outside (mid November) and the swimming pool was closed because of winter which I couldn't really understand. There is not much to do during evenings so it could be perfect to swim

Review 24：I booked bed in dormitory and got a single room instead! It was very nice surprise ;) Good breakfast and excellent location!

Review 25：Although not their fault, there were 5 busloads of young students there who were not the quietest. We were told they would eat breakfast at 8am so we got there early, to our dismay, ALL the students were there. Bad timing I guess.

Review 26：Very close to the tram for Masada

Review 27：The room wasn't clean at all; sheets and towels were clean, so I survived, but let's just say that there was no way that I would have removed my slippers in the shower... Also the floor in the room was visibly dirty. It was also extremely noisy when I was there as there was a school trip and the kids were completely unruly with teachers just looking on.

Review 28：Julia on reception is the nicest person ever!! She was so incredibly helpful and accomodating. The location is absolutely to die for, right at the bottom of Masada, so if you want to climb independently in the morning, you have to stay here. Food is okay, nothing special, but it's fine. The pool was nice.

Review 29：The parking place was quite crowded when arriving in the evening (7pm), we were lucky to be the last car able to park. I have no idea how would the others make it.

Review 30：Best place to stay when interested in sunrise at Masada and the dead sea swimming without paying nasty money for accomodation in Ein Bokek. Bus stop around, so you might be able to make also when using the public transportation. Tasty breakfast. Swimming pool early in the morning (after coming from Masada morning hike) is amazing.

Review 31：Extremely noisy as there were many groups of schoolchildren. Dinner is expensive, but luckily we knew this in advance and brought our own food.

Review 32：Great location, perfect for hiking up to Massada for the morning sunrise. Very clean and good showers. Good breakfast with plenty of choice.

Review 33：Well located right close to Massada. Fast driving to Ein Borek beaches. Swimming pool in the desert. Beautiful views from our window to the dead sea and Jordan mountains.

Review 34：Make sure your gps find right place of masada. Because you can get from different side of the mountains and you will need to drive 100km around the mountains.

Review 35：Great pleace, nice clean rooms, good breakfast.

Review 36：You will likely need to travel from the hotel for food and water etc and restaurant only open on certain evenings. About a 10/15min drive. Not an issue if you have your own car..

Review 37：Best spot for the Massada dawn walk. Suitable rooms with all needed facilities. Nice swimming pool. Quiet in the evenings, aircon, and reasonable breakfast. Would recommend to anyone doing the walk early in the day.. Can return easily before checkout.

Review 38：Breakfast should start earlier. Massada is best visited early before the sun gets strong. We waited outside until the breakfast area was supposed to open. When we opened the door and came in, a nasty cafeteria worker screamed at us that they are closed and she didn't care what time it was supposed to open. We went to the front desk, who told us to ignore her and to go right into the cafeteria. We did and she didn't say anything more. The front desk handled it very well, but for us and the huge church group of kids waiting outside, it was awkward. We had quiet neighbors who went to sleep early, but if they hadn't, we would have been kept awake.

Review 39：Welcoming reception. Easy access parking. Great location near Massada so you can get an early start. Suprisingly nice view of the desert out the window. Very firm bed with individual duvets.

Review 40：Can't regulate the air conditioner...it's either on or off.

Review 41：Modern facility. Very close to entrance of Masada. Excellent food. Very clean. Safe: patrolled by police.

Review 42：Very big and interesting architecture (can be lost at first), nice big pool for swimminga, good breakfast included and affordable tasty dinner is also available.

Review 43：Actually we liked everything there!..The building of the hotel itself looks impressively and fits completely into the environment. Also there is a beautiful well-groomed territory with flowers, bushes and trees... We liked the beautiful location of the hotel and that terrific and unforgettable feeling of staying in desert, listening its silence sometimes broken by the sounds of birds, watching the sunrise on the terrace early in the morning and bespangled sky at night...It was fantastic experience for us!..I can also add we liked just the nice and friendly atmosphere in the hotel in the whole, very delicious food served in a large assortment for breakfast in the hotel restaurant and a very good pool looking just perfectly surrounded by the desert!..

Review 44：The staff could be a bit more friendly.

Review 45：We really liked the possibility to have dinner at the hostel. The dinner was really good, lots of vegetables and salads at a buffet. It's great to be so close to Masada, so you can go there at 5.30 am. The breakfast was really good. Lots of choice. The room was very clean. Nice beds and a comfy bed. You can park for free.

Review 46：The pool only works in the day, until 17:00. The 'hostel' is a bit weird, huge and has a spirit of a former military camp.

Review 47：If you got a car and are willing to save some shekelim and avoid paying extra to stay in fancy hotels by the Dead sea shore, this place fits you most. One minute drive from astonishing Massada fortress. One of the cheapest places to stay around the Dead sea (still pricey though). Rich buffet breakfast. Cozy modern rooms.

Review 48：If you are going on roshashana eve to do the climb at dawn, beware that there is now a huge reunion of bikers honoring a friend who died in a biker accident 7 years earlier. every new year's they congregate at the foot of Massada path. At 4am there were over 1000 bikers driving in and revving their engines, partying. We were lucky that we were at the hostel and could walk to the entrance of the park. If you are driving in from elsewhere, you will have to park about 1-2 miles back and walk. It was wild! also, as we walked up the snake path and got to the top, the echos of the biker engines filled the air, so it was not "silent". but it was still amazing!

Review 49：Right at the foot of Massada. cool, comfortable and great food at the buffet/breakfast! Great views of Massada.

Review 50：Double room was VERY small and felt like a single room that had two beds put in it. Pool hours make it mostly unusable unless you don't do anything during the day but stay at the hostel and use the pool. Breakfast was included but because that wasn't stated anywhere and there was a fee listed for breakfast we assumed we had to pay so we ate in our room.

Review 51：VERY clean facility - immaculate actually! Location is fabulous for visiting Masada. A safe and easy stay. Adequate parking and very cold water at entrance to fill your bottles for your trip to Masada. Overall good place.

Review 52：Nothing bad to say. This was a positive experience.

Review 53：I liked everything about my stay here. If your goal is to hike to Masada, this hostel can't be beat; you roll out of bed and start the climb. Beyond that, the rooms were clean and comfortable and the staff were great – friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Review 54：I asked to change rooms because the original room stank of cigarettes and a heavy layer of Febreeze. It took a while but eventually I was given a key to another room, and it was lovely. Stay away from 106, 110, 206, 210! No windows, tiny, dark, and no views.

Review 55：Great location, pool is lovely, desk staff very friendly, cappuccino machine at breakfast!

Review 56：The name of the hotel is a bit misleading. The actual name is "Masada Guest House". Thankfully, there is nothing around but this hotel. This is literally the only building within 15 km.

Review 57：1. There's no alcohol in the little shop in the hostel (and no other shop in the neighbourhood) 2. The price is very high as for a hostel 3. The dinner is very meaty, there's no vegetarian or vegan options 4. The pool is open only till 5 p.m.

Review 58：1. Great location 2. Nice, clean room with bathroom 3. Clean pool

Review 59：Some youth groups didn't behave well at the pool when no supervision was there.

Review 60：Modern facilities in the double room: Private bathroom, air conditioning, fridge. Location was superb, great breakfast, friendly stuff, great pool with fantastic view. The buildings are up to date, beautifully designed, equipped with an elevator etc.

Review 61：If have to pick fault - a 'removable /adjustable' shower head in room would help. T.v. did not work properly - old black and white and noisy with no remote control. Lots of flying insects round pool. The good outweighed this though and we would definitely return

Review 62：friendly, helpful staff. nice large quiet room. clean sheets, towels, walls and floors in room. Separate shower and toilet. fridge and kettle in room. view of masada from room. location and nice pool. good selection of foods for Friday night meal and good breakfast..

Review 63：breakfast was not special.

Review 64：very beautiful location, very close to Masada national park. swimming pool was good for us, clean and wideful, beautiful place.

Review 65：Kitchen and wait staff were not well prepared for a very large group which was there at the same time as us. Long, long lines for food and they almost did not have a table for us. No kiddush wine available for Shabbat. No fresh fruit for breakfast.

Review 66：Receptionist was super friendly and very helpful. The maintanence man was great too. Our refridgerator was broken and he fixed it immediately! Nice views of the Dead Sea and mountains and the pool was nicely situated.

Review 67：1.Overpriced 2. Breakfast was awful 3. One of the staff members seemed a bit intimidating to me. 4. No alcohol in the shop, there used to be the last time I stayed there, which as it is in the middle of nowhere, leaves not much for an adult without a car to do at night.

Review 68：It was clean and in a good location for what we wanted to do. Internet in the room was good.

Review 69：Best location if you want to do a dawn walk up Masada. Great food, really friendly staff. Great pool. A hard to beat view of Masada and the Dead Sea. It's not 5 star luxury but that's not why people come here. Given the amazing location we wouldn't have been surprised if it had been a bit of a rip off. The opposite is true. Clearly the committed staff and the fact that it's run by the state tourist authority make a real difference. Highly recommended

Review 70：the photos didnt match reality there wasnt a balcony only when i read carfully after i allredy were there i saw that it's not part of the deal

Review 71：simple and clean

Review 72：The staff,at the front desk, wasn't helpful at all, really hard to remain civil having to deal with them.

Review 73：Dinner was extra but really worth it. The hostel is right next to the Masada visitor center.

Review 74：Swimming pool closing time is too early, 17h45, when outside in full summertime there are 48 degrees. It should stay open at least till 20h. Dinner very poor in quality and choice. Much noise from schoolkids.

Review 75：Amazing location at the feet of Masada, wonderful views on the mountains and the Dead Sea, a lot of comfortable common spaces inside and also outside (nice garden and terraces). Very nice swimming pool. Huge and good breakfast. Excellent wifi and air conditioning, very large rooms very well equipped. More an hotel than an hostel, definitely worth staying.

Review 76：Nothing

Review 77：Not just an hotel but an amazing place, at the foot of Massada (500m from the site entrance), even if it's not a first class confort hotel, visitors will find there an end-of-world atmosphere with a wonderful view on the dead sea. The restaurant ($12 for diner) recalls images of kibboutz. A large swimming pool completes this beautiful picture

Review 78：The dinner was ok but nothing special. Price is higher than *** star hotels in Jerusalem.

Review 79：Location, swimming pool, excellent swimming pool and flexible reception.

Review 80：It was more hostel than hotel which is fine, and guests should be aware of that. Dinner was mediocre; breakfast was good

Review 81：The location is ideal for hiking up Masada at dawn as it is only 50 yds from the trailhead. The pool is wonderful but unfortunately closes early at 1800 or 2000.

Review 82：Beds are a little hard for old backs.

Review 83：Very convenient. Not luxurious but certainly safe and comfortable. Breakfast is a cafeteria. There are many young people from all over the world staying here. If you will hike the snake trail to see sunrise on Masada, this is the place to stay. Do not miss the museum either. The swimming pool is nice.

Review 84：Staff were not very friendly, especially in the dining room. Wifi doesn't work in the downstairs rooms.

Review 85：Very basic but clean environment with excellent location. Bunk beds, etc. You should only stay here if it's about proximity to Masada.

Review 86：There were large groups of young people who made noise. But they didn't bother me and after all the place IS a youth hostel!

Review 87：I loved the location under Masada. I loved that they had it all arranged for people to hike up the snake path to watch the sun come up on top. I loved the amazing pool in the desert. I loved that the rooms (this is hardly a "youth hostel"!) had a balcony over looking the Dead Sea, and a small refrigerator, with a coffee and tea corner. I thought the bathroom with two sinks and a separate show was really comfortable. Breakfast was plain fair, it wasn't the best Israeli breakfast, but there was plenty of food, and it was all good. We paid extra for dinner there also, and it was also just decent cafeteria food.

Review 88：Couldn't have asked for a better location to stay at before the morning hike up Masada! Truly wonderful. The breakfast was ok and the room was clean. The bed was pretty lousy but that is fairly standard form what I have experienced from Israel hostels.

Review 89：Wifi didn't work and no one cared to resolve this issue.

Review 90：The location was great. A pool in the middle of desert fantastic. It was clean. Dinner was eatible, breakfast was divers. Our room was spacious with separate bedroom (unfortunately without doors) and open kitchen.

Review 91：Perfectly located, extremely clean, very helpful staff, great breakfast, awesome pool, just one of the best hostels I know and I have stayed in a lot of hostels.

Review 92：The location itself is amazing, right next to Massada. It's about 15 minutes by bus to the beach at Ein Bokek. The hostel itself is very clean, spacious and even the dorms have a very comfortable feel to them. For breakfast you have an amazing choice and the breakfast room has a great view on the desert and the Dead Sea. And don't forget - they have a pool! Amazing! It's a bit pricey for a backpacker, but Israel is not cheap and you won't find anything more affordable in that region.

Review 93：Experience of Place. The charming scenery. The place is very clean and large rooms. Breakfast is really delicious and fresh. Instead of employed people with disabilities, youths Jews and Arabs. Amhroohim sessions of the place appointed youth love of country and tolerance.

Review 94：Best location at foot of Masada, delicious food, spotless room - everything clean and well maintained. We enjoyed some of our best food in Israel here!

Review 95：The info about arrival on the net was incorrect as it said arrival on Saturday is after Shabbat. We arrived after Shabbat and the gate was locked and we were told we could have checked in earlier. The food was below average

Review 96：Location was great! It was a basic room and clean. Pool was awesome!

Review 97：- limited food choice - no beer or wine available

Review 98：- great location for launching an early morning hike to the top of masama ruin - has a pool - buffet dinner was good

Review 99：Although there were over 30 degrees celsius, the swimming pool was closed

Review 100：Located 200 meters from the visitors center of Massada, helpful staff, great view, comfortable rooms, great breakfast for a youth hostel, parking right in front of the guesthouse

Review 101：We didn't mind the groups of kids, but they do make a bit of noise.

Review 102：Not a 5 star hotel, but it is clean and comfortable and the food in the cafeteria is healthy and surprisingly good. Perfect location for starting 5:30am hike up Masada and having breakfast at 9:00 after coming back down.

Review 103：Extortionate price for a so called youth hostel. I've the feeling , thats not the first time you've heard that complaint. Bed too small. Only one pillow in the room. For a 4 star hotel price, would have expected a better breakfast with warm eggs.

Review 104：Brilliant location. Staff friendliness.

Review 105：Downside was the works fencing which was a blot on the view. More parking required.

Review 106：Excellent receptionist who helped with onward travel plans. Great shower and bathroom area. Evening buffet was plentiful and tasty.

Review 107：Only a few power outlets and one bathroom is not enough for 10 people in the room, fortunately I was alone :)

Review 108：Great location to climb Masada for sunrise and be back for the breakfast (served till 9:30). Dorm room was very spacey and immaculate clean. Great variety of food in buffet breakfast.

Review 109：The breakfast is poor. It is easiest to reach if you have your own car.

Review 110：Nice new clean Hostal just below the Masada. We stayed a familie in a nice big room. It only takes maybe 15-20 minutes to drive to Ein BoQeq where there is a wonderfull public beach.

Review 111：This is a youth hostel, not a standard guest house or hotel. The hostel doesn't ask the youth groups to be quiet until after 11pm, and they were yelling and playing a very loud basketball game just outside our room. The hotel didn't mention anything about their policy when we made our reservation, and there wasn't anything we could do once they told us about the youth groups at check-in. They didn't really care when I complained about the loud basketball game at 10:30pm. Bad experience.

Review 112：The location is great; it's right at the base of Masada. If you're traveling with family you want to stay somewhere else; it stays loud until 11pm.

Review 113：Unfortunately, there is nothing to do in the evening. Masada closes at around 4pm and it becomes a rather dull area. Annoying is that there is absolutely no place to eat in the evening. Bring your own dinner if you are not coming by car.

Review 114：If you want to go to Masada early in the morning (for the sunrise), this is the place to be. The breakfast is excellent. Facilities are on a good average.

Review 115：Location fantastic and balcony looking over .to Dead Sea. Jumped out of bed & walked to Masada top before sunrise. Bus service to & from also excellent.

Review 116：Nothin

Review 117：If you want to visit Masada the guesthouse is the place to stay: you can leave at 5:30 to see the sunset on top by simple walking from the guesthouse. The staff is super nice and the dinner was excellent (we went on Friday night). We booked a place in a dorm separately but the hostel put us in a private two bed room.

Review 118：If you travel in winter not even think to host you here . We arrived one evening at 18pm . The receptionist , Russian , had difficulty speaking English . At first they told us that the heating did not work , or half the electrical installation ( the temperature outside was 8 degrees) . The head of maintenance that put all their good will not speak English , only Russian and could not operate the electrical system . The stay was not economical , and we ask for a price reduction does not provide for minimum conditions . The receptionist Russian only knew that she could not do any discount. He was not going to forward us the nearest youth hostel (20 km) where there if you worked all services, we were out the next morning ... It seems incredible that an accommodation depends on a government nets , keep these shortcomings ...

Review 119：The location

Review 120：Even though we had a booking the hostel did not bother to notify us that access was not possible. When we contacted them on the day of arrival they advised specifically that we should make the 3.5 hour drive to the hostel-only to arrive and not be able to get in, leaving us without accommodation.

Review 121：There was no electricity because of the windy weather, meaning no heating in the cold room, no telephone, no internet, we were totally cut off from the world. Breakfast was dry loaves of bread with cold vegetables because there was no electricity. But the hostel has a generator, which means that this is not the first time it happened. Buying food heaters is such a small investment that would make a huge change. And at least the receptionist could have been nice, but he just shrugged whatever we asked. The kitchen guy was the only helpful staff member.

Review 122：The location is great if the weather is good. Breakfast was also good on the first day.

Review 123：If you're looking to climb Masada early in the morning - this place is your best option. The views are great, the dinner and breakfast buffet was very very good - best value for the money that you can find between Jerusalem and Eilat. A great base for Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea.

Review 124：The hostel staff didn't speak English well, so it was difficult to communicate. Also, there was no heat or electricity because of a recent storm. Also, a little bit pricey, but is really the only hostel in the area.

Review 125：The location next to Masada was very convenient, and the breakfast was expansive and delicious.

Review 126：when the national park and the roads were closed due to bad weather we remain without proposal strategy. More information about the electricity, lighting, heating, food and options escapes. And polisy reduce costs for displaced residents would be good.

Review 127：everything were great, but

Review 128：Nothing.

Review 129：Best hostel I've ever stayed at. It's more of a hotel than a hostel. Large room with windows on two sides and with a large balcony facing the dead sea. The location is perfect for Masada, however not as good for anything else.

Review 130：We didn't know what to expect from a youth hostel in Israel. The place was immaculate. It was clean and beautiful. The food was abundant and delicious. The price is great.

Review 131：We ordered a room for 2 and there were 5 beds. It is not critical however still gives strange feeling.

Review 132：Great location, breakfast, staff and value for money. Will be back there.

The Fine Print

Based on local tax laws, Israeli citizens must pay VAT (Value-Added Tax). This tax is not automatically calculated in the total cost of the reservation.When booking more than 5 rooms, different policies and additional fees may apply.