Backpack Station - Hostel

I saw several hostile incidents between staff and guests. The staff seemed poorly trained, without customer service skills, empathy, or business sense. The managers came across as rude and incompetent, and I witnessed them aggressively confronting several guests who had valid bookings, accusing them of being on the property illegally and threatening to call the police. At 2am, the manager, and I use that word very loosely for her, yelled at a guest through the CCTV. She accused him of not belonging there even though he had checked in, had a bed, and had a card. Then she said she'd call the police, and a few seconds later set off an alarm. It was incredibly unprofessional and unintelligent. Another man arrived late at night after the manager and receptionist had left. He'd booked a bed with the pay by cash option, brought his luggage, and was waiting for help when he was suddenly confronted and told to leave or be arrested. Other guests felt bad for him and confirmed he was meant to be there. When the receptionist came back, she said, "Well, he booked with pay by cash so what am I supposed to do stay here all night." The answer is simple: remove the pay by cash option if you don't operate 24/7, or operate 24/7. People fly in from all over and arrive at different times. It's pathetic to show up expecting a rest and instead be treated like nothing and threatened with police.

Birender bhaiya, who managed the hostel, was especially kind and friendly. I'm Muslim and didn't know there weren't any halal restaurants nearby, but he pointed me toward a nearby vegetarian restaurant and helped me with other things too. It was such a thoughtful gesture. I had a really nice stay. It seems especially good for solo travelers, though couples would enjoy it too. Highly recommend ☮️

There are lots of local shops around the hostel. I spent one night in November 2025 in an upper bunk on the third floor, in an 18-person room. The staff were friendly and helpful. I had a bath towel, a safe in the bed, a water dispenser, and access to a kitchen on the first floor. There were common areas on the first and second floors. A 100B key deposit was required, and the key was a card. Shoes weren't allowed inside. The first floor also had a cafe. The iron bed shook and creaked when I moved, and there were no lockers. The air conditioning was off from 11:00 to 15:00. The outdoor terrace seating was a smoking area. On the second floor there were two toilets and two sinks; the fourth floor had five showers, four sinks, and three hair dryers. WiFi measured 22Mbps at my bed at 21:00 and 30Mbps in the first-floor common area at 00:30.

The management felt too sloppy for a guesthouse, and I won't stay again. My dorm mattress had sagged badly in the middle and was extremely uncomfortable. They must have seen it while changing the sheets, so leaving it like that suggests poor maintenance. There were also loads of receipts wedged between the bed and wall. Do they even change the sheets? A guest kept coughing in the dorm at night and in the common areas. I worried about it and ended up catching a cold, which ruined my travel plans. Staff should have noticed the constant coughing, but took no steps to prevent it spreading. The dorm locker lid was broken, leaving valuables easy to reach, and there was a screw inside the locker, another sign of inadequate cleaning.