Here's why:

* Aromatic: It contains a naphthalene ring system, which is a fused ring system of two benzene rings. This ring system is highly stable due to electron delocalization, a characteristic of aromatic compounds.

* Alcohol: It has a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to one of the carbons in the naphthalene ring. This hydroxyl group gives it the properties of an alcohol.

Specifically, α-naphthol is a primary alcohol because the hydroxyl group is attached to a primary carbon atom (a carbon attached to only one other carbon).