Get Inn Backpackers

The location is hard to beat, right in the city with plenty of shops and places to eat nearby. For the price, getting a bed and a simple breakfast is almost unbelievable. I’ve stayed at a number of hostels and backpacker lodges around KK, and this may be the best mix of comfort and cost. It was my first time here, and even though the place looks a bit worn, I liked it a lot. The bed was good for a proper night’s rest. Just a couple of small letdowns: the bath towel was about the size of a floor mat, and the thin blanket was a little torn at the edge.

We ended up asking a cafe waiter how to get to Kota Kinabalu national park because there was nobody at the hostel to ask. There was no cold drinking water that we could find either, and other guests didn’t know where to get any. Only warm or hot water, or water from the bathroom sinks. The communal space and dorm looked quite run down and nothing like the photos, and the shower on the left was completely cold. Breakfast was funky-tasting bread, so we bought porridge oats from the 7 eleven downstairs and avoided it. Check-in was a man who barely spoke, asked our names, then pointed to two beds. We had to ask for both a locker key and the WiFi password. The place felt like it was run by a ghost. It’s a shame, because KL has a lot to see and offer, but the hostel didn’t help us enjoy it or reflect the kindness of the people we met. We couldn’t wait to leave and move on.

The staff were friendly, and I liked that one of the showers had warm water. There’s a plug socket for every bed, and mine was comfortable. It does look a bit tired, and there isn’t much secure storage, which they could address. Still, it does the job for a budget traveller, and I’d stay here again.

The people and general atmosphere were nice, and the mattress was firm enough. There’s food and drink around, with locals nearby all the time. But the bathrooms need a deep clean, and black liquid comes out of a pipe onto the shower floor. The fresh sheets had lots of dusty little balls stuck to them, too. No lockers. It’s a work-in-progress hostel, but I’ll come back despite those problems.