Safed is a magical town in the Upper Galilee, about 40 minutes by car from the Sea of Galilee. It has beautiful alleyways, old synagogues, and stunning views of Mount Meron. At the end of August, I went on a vacation to Safed with my boyfriend. We were looking for an affordable place to stay, so that’s how we found Off the Square. It’s a complex made of three guest apartments in the Old City of Safed. We took the smallest one, located on the ground floor. The owner was very friendly and helpful, and the place was adorable. It had everything we needed.
Here’s my full authentic review of Off the Square in Safed, where we stayed two nights.
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What can you do in Safed? Read my post – Top Free Things to do in Safed.
Table of Contents
Short summary about Off the Square
Location: 5 stars – The guest apartment is located in the Old City of Safed, two minutes on foot from the galleries and restaurants. It’s 5 minutes on foot from the Beit HaMeiri Museum and about 10 minutes on foot from the Safed Citadel. Safed is built on a hill, so no matter where you go, you will probably need to climb up or down a large number of stairs.
Cleanliness: 5 stars – Everything was clean when we stayed there.
Staff: 5 stars – The owner lives right next to the apartments. She was very friendly and helpful, greeted us with a smile, and explained everything about the apartment and the surroundings.
Security: 5 stars – Although our apartment faced the street, we felt very safe. We had a key and could lock the door anytime we wanted.
Facilities: 4 stars – As I said, we had everything we needed. There’s a small table and two chairs, a closet, dressers on both sides of the bed, and a well-equipped bathroom with soap, shampoo, and clean towels. There was even a TV, but it was positioned in the corner of the room, so it was hard to look at. Also, the bed was a bit narrow, and the pillows weren’t comfy enough. But it’s not too bad.
Atmosphere: 4 stars – The apartment is beautifully designed and feels like an authentic house in the Old City of Safed. There’s a tall ceiling which makes the room feel much larger than it really is. The only minus is that the street outside could get a bit noisy during the day or when groups pass by. At night, it’s quiet.
Value for money: 4 stars – Overall, we enjoyed our stay and felt the price was worth it. Because there’s no breakfast, I lowered one star from the rating.
Good to know: We booked the small room, called Maayan Square, directly from Off the Square. On Booking.com, the room doesn’t exist. It seems like this room is not always available, so you might have to settle for one of the two other rooms. From what I understand, they don’t have a double bed and there’s no TV, but there is a kitchenette, so you can cook your own food there. Also, they are on the second floor, so they have a porch and a view.
Detailed review of Off the Square
Location
The location of Off the Square is excellent if you want to be in the heart of Safed’s Old City. The place is located on a quiet street a short walk away from the galleries, synagogues, and restaurants of the Old City. It’s 5 minutes on foot from the Beit HaMeiri Museum, which tells the story of the Jewish settlement in Safed. It’s also 10 minutes on foot from the Safed Citadel, but you will need to climb many stairs to reach it, so be prepared.
Most of the restaurants are located on Jerusalem Street, about 5 minutes on foot from the apartment. You will need to climb a lot of stairs to this point, too.
If you’re coming in a car, you can park it on Keren ha-Yesod Street, right below the apartment. From there, there’s a short flight of stairs that leads to the guesthouse.
If you’re coming by public transportation, it’s about 10 minutes on foot from the Central Bus Station. Just keep in mind that you will need to go down quite a lot of stairs, as the guesthouse is located near the bottom of the Old City.
The address is Tet Vav 20, Safed.
The room
We booked a private room, which is actually a sort of mini apartment. There’s a bedroom and a bathroom. The room is adoring, with colorful paintings and decorations. It wasn’t huge, but we had enough space for our luggage and to move around. The tall ceiling also made it feel much larger.
In the bedroom, we had a small table with two chairs, a huge closet, an A/C, a tea and coffee corner, a small fridge, a TV, and a double bed. The TV was in the corner of the room, so it was hard to watch it from the bed, but we managed. Also, the host asked us to plug it out every time we didn’t use it because it used the internet network and could affect the WiFi. The double bed was alright, but a bit narrow. Also, the pillows were a bit too flat for us and weren’t so comfortable, especially when we wanted to watch TV. But overall it wasn’t too bad.
The bathroom had a bathtub and everything we needed. There was soap and shampoo and two sets of towels, one for the body and one for the face. The water was hot.
There was also free WiFi, but we didn’t use it.
Staff
The owner of the place lives next door. She was very friendly and helpful. When we arrived earlier than the check-in time, she arrived as soon as possible. She showed us the room and a map of Safed and recommended a nearby bakery for breakfast or lunch.
At some point, we realized there was no Turkish coffee in the tea and coffee corner. We asked about it, and she immediately went to bring us some Turkish coffee. So, I was really impressed by the service. If we needed anything, she was available on her phone.
Security
We felt secure. The apartment is right next door to the host’s apartment. There was even a connecting door to her place (which can’t be opened from our side).
Our room faced the street, but it’s a very peaceful street. Here and there we heard the sounds of cars coming in and out of the street. There was also a time we heard a group passing by, but other than that, it was very quiet. We had a key for the door.
Bottom line
Staying at Off the Square in Safed was a great experience. We liked the apartment, the location, and the host. If you’re looking for a private room at a reasonable price in Safed, this could be a great place for you.
Save it for later!
I stayed at Off the Square in August 2022 at my own expense and the review is 100% authentic.
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Yours,
Lior