Hostel Roks: A Clean and Quiet Stay in Downtown Haifa

Detailed review of Hostel Roks

Location

Hostel Roks is located in a perfect location in Haifa, about 10 minutes by foot from Wadi Nisnas, the ultimate place for authentic Arab food. It’s also about a 15 minutes’ walk from the German Colony, where you can find more modern and international cuisine. If you’re into science, the Madatech Museum is only 10 minutes away. To reach farther away places, you can use the buses that leave nearby or the Carmelit funicular railway. The Carmelit’s “City Hall” station is only 2 minutes away from the hostel.

The hostel’s address is Hassan Shukri 8.

The common areas

The common areas in Hostel Roks Haifa are the lounge, the kitchen, and the dining area. All are more or less in the same place because it’s a small hostel. They were all very clean and tidy.

In the lounge, there are some sofas, a TV, and a dartboard. Looks like the reception is also in the lounge, but there was no one there throughout my entire stay. The lounge is right next to the rooms, so if someone is talking there, you can hear them from the room. You can also hear every time someone opens or closes a door.

The kitchen is a very narrow place. If I had to cook there with someone else, I think that would be impossible. But it’s well equipped with a refrigerator, electric stovetop, cooking and eating utensils, and even a water bar. There is also free tea and coffee. Though, there’s no cooking oven, so think of stovetop recipes.

The dining area is right next to the kitchen. There’s a huge table there and placemats.  

The room

There’s no dormitory in this hostel, so I booked a private twin bedroom. The room was spacious, clean, and tidy. There was plenty of room for storage, two large mirrors, an A/C that worked very well, and a small table with two chairs. I tried working with my desktop on the table, but it wasn’t very comfortable. There’s also an electricity socket next to one of the beds. Too bad there’s no socket next to the other bed, too.

The bathroom

When I was assigned a room, I was also assigned a bathroom with a shower. I wonder if it was only my bathroom throughout my stay, or if other people were assigned that bathroom, too. Anyway, it was spotlessly clean.

From the lounge, there’s a door leading to a corridor. On one side of the corridor there are toilet rooms and on the other side, shower rooms. Each shower room has a number on it. It feels super private because there’s an actual door that you can lock. The shower is spacious, there’s a place to hang clothes, there’s a sink, and the shower itself has a sliding glass door so water isn’t spilling out. When I showered there, the water was hot.

If you need liquid soap or shampoo, you can use the ones outside the shower, on the small cabinet in the corridor. I also saw a hairdryer and ironing machine.  

Extras

The hostel provides free Wi-Fi to its guests. They also provide free towels.

Staff

When I arrived, there was no one at the reception. I phoned the number at the entrance to the hostel and the owner answered. He gave me the code to the main door and told me my room number. He waited on the line until I found the room, opened it with the key in the keyhole, and then said: “If you need anything, I’m available.” Later, he sent me a set of rules and instructions on Whatsapp. The payment was done automatically. So… I didn’t really meet the staff, but the check-in was smooth and everything worked well.

When I was leaving my room, I saw someone cleaning up the room next door. That was the only staff member I saw throughout my stay.  

Security

Overall, I felt safe in the hostel. There’s a security code to the front door and a regular key to the private room.

Bottom line

Hostel Roks Haifa is a great place to stay if you’re looking for a quiet place to lay your head. The hostel is super clean, close to top attractions, and well organized. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to climb three floors each time you want to get to the hostel.