HappyNest Hostel Cebu

For 500 peso, I got one night in an 8-bed mixed dorm. My locker and its key, provided by staff, were useful because the small room had little floor space, with people keeping bags, shoes, and shopping on the floor by their beds. My bunk had no ladder attached, so I had to climb the next bunk's ladder and make a small jump. That was manageable. I got my 500 peso deposit back, but you need to bring paper money or leave your passport instead. Don't leave your passport as collateral. Unfortunately, I didn't have change. There's a small cafe downstairs, a first-floor co-working space, and a second-floor sleeping area. The bathrooms and showers are on the second floor, with a large accessible bathroom on the first. Both the bathroom and shower spaces are quite cramped. A notice says they know about the low water pressure. It looks old, so maybe the building wasn't designed for its current water demand. The toilet seats aren't secured and move around, and two toilets for so many people meant they weren't clean. The second floor and rooms were dingy, and the walls and surfaces were just dirty. Air conditioning was only in the rooms. There were units downstairs in the lobby, but staff turned them on and off while I was there; fans in some spots were better than nothing. The co-working area was fair and seemed to have U.S. outlets. Other guests mostly kept to themselves in the rooms or chatted downstairs. I had one hostile encounter with a random French man. He didn't seem violent, just pushy. There was no security on site. I didn't try the food, which cost more than in Bohol, though that makes sense for a big city like Cebu. Music and noise can be a real problem if you go to bed early. Bring headphones or be ready to sleep poorly. The music quieted down around 10pm. I wouldn't stay again. The location works for the morning ferry, and Maxim, an app for ordering a motorcycle ride, can take you anywhere in Cebu city.

I booked again because my first stay was good, but this second visit was disappointing. The two days were just okay. The bunk beds were comfortable, but the good for four room didn't have full wall closure, so noise carried easily from next door. Sometimes there was no water in the evening, too. The lower bunk issue really frustrated me. I had specifically requested one in my booking, but the front desk said they were all taken, even though the other lower bunk in my room was clearly empty. I asked the next morning to move since it was still free, and got the same answer. Then a new guest arrived and was given that bed. Since I was staying longer and had requested it in advance, I thought it would have made more sense to give me the lower bunk and put short or one-night stays on the upper bunks. I don't understand why later guests were prioritized when I arrived first. This visit didn't meet expectations and wasn't as good as my first.

I've stayed here twice over the last couple of years, and didn't have the negative experience some others describe. After a rough, uncomfortable overnight flight, they let me check in at 07:00am and sleep until about 12:30. At first it wasn't clear which bed was mine, but staff sorted that out right away. They were very polite and helpful, and the bed was clean and comfortable. The room temperature was perfect. That stay saved me from a day of crankiness, and I'm grateful 🙏🙏 YouTube- PadEnRoute

The one good thing is how close it is to the port. Don't trust the official website when it lets you book a bed in a female room. They sell an unlimited number even when they're overbooked, so you can reserve as many female beds as you like whether they're available or not. When you arrive, you're left accepting a mixed room even if that wasn't what you planned. I'd already paid half the price on the official website when I checked in. The women at reception didn't ask me to pay, so I understood the rest would be due at check-out. After midnight, a woman came into the room, woke me up, and asked, “Did you forget to pay?” She insisted I pay 250 pesos while I was asleep. That was incredibly rude. Nobody apologized for the overbooking or the way I was treated that night. The rooms are terrible as well: the sheet was dirty, though the extra blanket they gave me was clean, and the privacy curtain was even dirtier and smelled bad. Luckily, the female bathrooms were clean.