We took two rooms at the Masada Guest house, although four people can fit if one is willing to take a top bunk. They are designed to accommodate groups, with the bathroom arranged so that the shower, toilet, and sinks are separate from one another. Towels were provided, as well as plastic packets of shampoo, but this was the one place we stayed where I was very glad to have packed my own towel and toiletries.

We had dinner in the dining hall (about $12 pp), which was a buffet reminiscent of a college cafeteria. Not bad. (It was winter and dark very early, so we didn't feel like looking elsewhere, and this was a nice option to have.) The breakfast was also a fairly nice spread, included in the room rate ($105/night/room).

We were able to store our luggage in the office while touring Masada. This isn't necessary for those who get up early to climb before dawn and come back down before check-in time, but it was nice to have that option.

One unfortunate issue was that the elevator was out of order when we visited. This probably wouldn't be an issue for backpackers, but it was quite a schlep for a family of rour touring the country for two weeks with luggage we didn't want to leave in the car.

This is a hostel charging hotel prices. You are better off to pay to have a tour of the Dead Sea/Masada and stay in Jerusalem - than to stay in this "hostel". The staff was extremely cold every time we had to deal with them. It is a rather new facility and was clean and the free breakfast was very ample.

I was a little skeptical at first to book a room at The Masada Hostel but after staying there I am glad that I did. For the money it's a great deal. All the other hotels in the dead sea region are very expensive. As we requested our reservation was waiting for us at the front desk and we had a room to ourselves. The front desk was nice and helpful and spoke English perfectly. It's about a 10-15 minute drive to Ein Bokek to restaurants and the public beach which we took advantage of during the day. It's also a 5-10 minute drive to the Ein Gedi area where you can hike the nature reserve as well. There is only one main road so it's almost impossible to get lost driving around the dead sea region.
We woke up and hiked up Masada at 5 a.m. It was perfect because we walked from our room about 50 yards away to the entrance/guard booth of Masada. It's very easy to find. The hike was amazing and difficult and well worth it. When we came back down at 8 a.m. breakfast in the main dining hall was going on. It was really good food with a large selection.

I would definitely stay here again if we come back and hike Masada. The place was relatively clean and nice enough considering it is a hostel (although it doesn't feel like one). The shower was really nice too.

Make sure to request your own room and you'll be set.

I found the Masada Hostel to be a very nice surprise. We stayed there to climb the Masada at 4:30 in the morning. For this purpose, it was great. The Hostel itself reminded me more of a hotel than a hostel. It was a brand new facility. The staff was great and the free breakfast was generous. Just remember that when you stay there, you are out in the middle of nowhere. The nearest towns are Ein Bokek or Ein Gedi which are both 20 minutes away by bus. It was a fun way to stay at the Dead Sea away from the tourist hotels. If you are going to climb the Masada, you must stay here and get the real experience.