Gordon Beach Apartment

The apartment is spacious and good value, with excellent Wi-Fi that connected straight away and fast internet. The gas stove and oven meant we could cook local food at home, which I found healthier and tastier than eating out, even though Tel Aviv has plenty of restaurants. The downside is the noise from busy Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Boulevard, made worse by very drafty windows. Dizengoff Street, the embankment, and Ben Yehuda Street are quite picturesque. Jaffa, the Old City, is a 30-40-minute walk away. Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea wasn't an option because everything was closed off for surfing, so we were left with sightseeing around the city and its surroundings. Jaffa turned out to be surprisingly ancient. The Egyptians first left their mark here in the 14th century BC, maintaining a fortress with many warriors. Perhaps wars with the powerful Hittites brought them so far north. So many others came to this hill afterwards, including Napoleon Bonaparte and the Crusaders. Then came pilgrims and rulers from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Ottoman, and British communities, followed by more Jews, and it continues to this day. There are mosques, minarets, springs for drinking water, and benches. I was amused by an Ethiopian Jewish wedding, which felt very African and European at the same time. Exploring the Mediterranean Middle Ages through Jaffa is both educational and useful. Modern Tel Aviv is a fairly typical Mediterranean city with a few notable sights, but its Promenade is the most valuable thing for a vacationer. Jaffa is definitely worth a visit.

It was a terrible experience. The room was dirty, dust covered the floor, and chewing gum was stuck to the sink. The sink was clogged and the water wouldn't drain.

Avoid these apartments. There's no reception, and the keys weren't labeled with the tenants' names. We tried several apartments and settled on the least awful one, but it was still in terrible shape. Nobody answers the phone. The windows had no soundproofing, so street noise went on all night, and there was no hot water in the morning. The dishwasher had dirty dishes inside. The mirror was chipped, the cutlery was dirty, and there wasn't even a colander for pasta. The bathroom was very mediocre, with a loose faucet. Just awful.