ABC Premium Hostel

I stayed in the female dorm by myself in July 2019. The place was clean, but the staircase just inside the door smelled bad from all the shoes, and the smell carried into reception. My female roommates were respectful, as were the other hostel guests I met in the pantry. We chatted and helped each other. Some guests, mostly men in my experience, could be loud. At breakfast, I got up early so I could eat and have a drink in a peaceful pantry. There were only two men there with me. Breakfast was basic, with bread, jam, and instant coffee, but the machines all worked well. Staff were okay overall, though one was pretty rude to me just because I’m Asian. The location is near an MRT but tucked away, so you might need to ask someone if you get confused. My locker was broken, and I felt I could have been treated better. One staff member told me, “Just go stay at 4-5 stars hotel if you want to have best facilities and services.” It was an okay experience, but I wouldn’t really recommend it. Just enough for one stay.

Getting a good night's sleep is the only reason I wouldn’t return. My roommates were talkative and curious, but didn’t seem to understand that the sleeping area should be quiet at night. The hostel seems popular with Indonesian travelers, so staying here gave me a lot of exposure to Indonesian culture while in Singapore. The staff were polite, though I wouldn’t call them friendly, and breakfast was very basic. There are comfortable sleeping spaces, a kitchen, a place to socialize, and two secure lockers. The facilities seemed clean enough to me, and it’s conveniently close to an MRT station. It’s a hostel, so hotel-level expectations don’t seem fair. If a quiet night’s sleep isn’t important to you, you might enjoy the facilities and the people staying here.

The room felt cramped, though it was still acceptable. Cleaning needs to improve, especially in the toilets and bathroom, where I saw what looked like leftover mess in the toilet. They offered bread and tea for breakfast, but it was pretty underwhelming. Hot water in the shower lasted only about 3-4 minutes, and there wasn’t any basic soap or shampoo, so bring your own.

The place was hot all night because the air-conditioning didn’t work well, and there wasn’t any toilet paper in the bathroom. Reception also isn’t open 24 hours. Smells were a problem throughout: the staircase was full of shoes and stank, the odor reached reception, and the dorm room smelled like someone hadn’t bathed in ages. The beds smelled strongly too, as if someone with bad body odor had just slept there. It seemed the sheets and linen weren’t changed regularly. My skin felt itchy after sleeping on them, and there was hair everywhere. I hope management looks into this, since unwashed linen could pass skin diseases between guests. Some travelers were inconsiderate, watching videos and making noise in the middle of the night while others were asleep. The large bunk area seemed to house a lot of foreign workers long term, and was cluttered with junk and hanging clothes. It was a bad experience, avoid if you can.