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During the months of July and August, Eilat was flooded with young people - teenagers, soldiers on leave, and others. While it might be a reasonable assumption that hotels are simply too expensive for most of these youth, with prices in 3-4 star hotels reaching 700 NIS and 5-star ones from 1,500 - 2,000 NIS during the high season, it turns out that the hotels may want the youth even less than the youth ‘want' the hotels. According to Shabi Shai, head of the Eilat Hotels Association, this is because when teenagers come in groups, they egg each other on and break any or all rules of conduct. Thus, Eilati hotels discourage or ban teenagers on their own due to numerous incidents of vandalism which, they say, have plummeted since the ban.
The alternatives remaining to the young people are hostels, rented rooms or apartments, or simply camping out on the beach or a piece of lawn somewhere. Since, officially or not, ‘anybody' can rent out a room, bedsit, or a whole flat to tourists, there is no control over their quality. Most owners care and/or wish to make a good name for their guest accommodation and provide amenities and keep it clean and attractive. Unfortunately, there are always a few who just want to rake in money and don't care about either the guests or their own reputation, as ‘there will always be others where those came from'. Thus, it is caveat emptor (buyer beware) when staying in private accommodations which, unlike hotels, do not have supervision and ratings. Prices vary as much as quality, ranging from one hundred to several hundred shekels per night per person, and are not always commensurate with the quality of the accommodation.
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Hostels vary, and most are quite decent and generally considered a safe bet. These can range from minimalist to bright cozy rooms in family homes. And Eilat's weather is such that camping out is also much more feasible than in many places in the world. Some youth fork out ten shekels to rent a beach lounge chair and, with the investment of another 20 NIS or so on an inflatable mattress, make themselves a makeshift bed.
Eilat during the summer appears to be overrun with youth, and that is not far from the truth. The city can have as many tourists as residents at times, according to Shabi Shai, and indeed the young people are usually very audible and very visible as they crowd the malls and congregate on the beaches. Eilat is an attractive place to visit for young people, with its plethora of design boutiques, eateries, promenade, water sports, nightclubs, beach parties, and other entertainment.
Meanwhile, the young people are all back home for school, army, university, or whatever constitutes ‘normal life' for them while Eilat is enjoying a breathing space before the High Holy Days, which will bring in another influx of tourism.
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