HI - Poriya Hostel

This is our 4th stay at an Israeli 'youth hostel' in recent years and it is becoming our annual budget vacation. This one at Poriya was similar to the rest in friendly service, tasty large breakfast, and modern basic interior design (at least the wing we were lodged in) and clean rooms. We love that you can have more people in the room than a standard hotel, and also the sinks, toilet and shower are all separate so all can be used at once by different people at the same time. We only needed a place to sleep and use as a base, and higher up on the mountain side and without a pool, this hostel is not a destination in itself. We had cars so could easily drive to or stop at the 'Big' shopping centre ten minutes away to stock up at the grocery store and charge an EV too. The location is not on a main road so it does not seem convenient if someone is dependent on public transportation.

I just got to the long awaited stay at the hostel and was greeted with unfriendliness from servers at the meal and a disgusting meal. My first price of rice had a live ant on it, then after I tried eating the rice I almost spit it out, it wasn’t rice. The table I was eating at was smothered in dead and alive insects. The salt shaker had dirt in it. The pepper had hair in it. My schnitzel was hard as a rock and I found a bone in it. I haven’t had a chance to see my rooms but my stay is not going to be redeemed easily.