SPOT ON 91821 The Packer Lodge Jakarta

I was there for just one night, so I can't say much about the atmosphere. The single ensuite room was clean and quiet, and not as small as it looked in the pictures. There's a little cafe downstairs, and the neighborhood is nice to walk around.

For a decent price, this is a good hostel. I had a private double room with a balcony. The Jakarta-tour with Mr Buyung was a highlight, he was very friendly and knew a lot. Thanks, Mr Buyung.

The common areas are great, there's a nice cafe downstairs, and the bathrooms were clean. The staff were really friendly too. I stayed two nights in a private double bed room, but it had a bad smell, like a damp, moldy towel, which seemed to get worse when we switched on the AC. The wifi barely worked, unless you got lucky, and the building blocked my service, so I couldn't use that when the wifi failed. Apart from those two problems, it was a decent hostel.

The receptionist’s attitude was awful, and the customer service wasn’t pleasant at all. I also felt uneasy seeing a bunch of men hanging around outside the hostel. I wouldn’t recommend it. Edit after the owner replied: I was considering staying, but the receptionist quoted me more than the price on Hostelworld, even though that site takes a commission. In other places, booking directly with the hostel usually gets you a better rate than using a third party. When I showed her the price on my phone, she typed something into the computer and then tried to show me a higher “new room price.” She was extremely rude. I’ve never had that kind of experience elsewhere in Indonesia, and I’m not surprised other reviews mention her too. My review is valid because I visited and this was the impression I got. Is this how you treat everyone trying to book a room? There are plenty of nice hostels in Jakarta with lovely staff. Go somewhere else and avoid this place.