Jacob Shenkin Hotel

You can easily walk around Tel Aviv from this centrally located property. The apartments are bright, spacious, and modern, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Avoid this place. It was the worst accommodation I've ever stayed in. They seemed to care about the money more than our needs. As an American traveling abroad, I was charged what they called an exchange rate that was inflated. They credited me when I caught it, but it started to seem like their usual practice, and the customer service employee smirked while crediting my card. It felt unethical, to say the least, and I believe the practice is illegal. Our apartment wasn't ready on arrival, so they put us in the penthouse as an “upgrade.” The TV screen had a hole in it. They said they'd replace it the next day, but never did. Promises kept being made and then not followed through. The small penthouse shower had no shelves for soap or a razor, and didn't seem designed with the customer in mind. On day three, they needed the penthouse for someone else and moved us to the unit we'd originally booked. Its AC was still leaking. Every night we needed several towels and a bucket to catch the water, but a roughly 5-by-5-foot area still ended up flooded. Mopping was not what I wanted to do on vacation. The second shower had no raised edge, so the whole bathroom flooded and four adults had to share one shower. When the AC technician didn't show as scheduled, nobody told us or brought extra towels. A technician finally came on the last day of our seven-night stay. They said we'd get a 20% discount for the trouble, then later said that wasn't possible because we booked through Expedia. We got 5% off instead. Six days later, after four requests, my security deposit still hadn't been returned to my card. They may not control TV deliveries or AC repairs, but the customer service was poor, and the exchange rate situation felt sleazy. We left feeling that customer service wasn't a priority.

Great location and comfy beds, but the apartment was among the dirtiest I've ever stayed in. Maintenance was extremely poor, and the bathrooms looked like public restrooms.

A basic place to crash, right in the center and close to HaCarmel shuk.