El Arav Hostel

I stayed at Al Arab for a few days. The location: amazing. Situated close to the Damascus Gate and major sites. It has a shared kitchen for guests to use; around the hotel there are a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread and meat for sale. There is also a fridge, in case need to store anything that needs refrigeration. The room: beautiful, simple but nice decor. The bed was good. Staff is very courteous and offered me tea and coffee. I accepted the tea which the girl made for me. Fresh mint, quite delicious. Other people have mentioned that Al Arab is not the cleanest. They just got a new member to assist with management (the same who offered tea; very nice girl, speaks English really well), who is pointing out the issues and ensuring that the cleaning staff does the job well, then goes to supervise. My room wasn't quite ready when I arrived, she came in for a check of the room while we checked in, and personally cleaned the bathroom for us (we were coming and she was leaving). So the hostel is putting the effort. I'll definitely come back.