October Hostel

The location was handy, near the pier and beach, with a cafe downstairs and some cafes and bars around. The staff were really friendly. But music from nearby places was loud, and we couldn’t adjust or turn off the air conditioner easily. We stayed four nights, and nobody cleaned our room.

For Phi Phi, where things cost a bit more than on the mainland, 350 baht a night, about $10 USD when I stayed, was good value. I had a dorm bed for five nights. There was a social area upstairs, and a restaurant downstairs, though the food was average. The room had A/C and fans, Wi-Fi, hot water, and a towel. There were two bathrooms for eight people, and they cleaned the room and bathrooms every day.

The location was great, right in the middle of town, about five minutes from either beach and 15 minutes from the viewpoint. I had a private room for two nights. It was okay for a cheap hostel, though one bed was dirty and the bar on another roof made it pretty loud.

There was mold on my pillow, and tiny insects, like small ants, were all over the bathroom, bed, and eventually our belongings. I had to remind the hostel guy twice to change the sheets. Before that, check-in was already a struggle because the person at “reception” barely spoke English. He said my brother and I couldn’t share a room; after we complained, we eventually got one key and were taken there. There was only one free bed, so we waited in the room until the air con came on at 6 pm. We were exhausted from the cruise and rested on one bed. When a roommate arrived, he was immediately kicked out so we could have two beds. He was understandably angry and said it had happened to him before. The second morning, the guy came in saying we had to check out. We explained we’d booked three nights, but he showed us documents and tried to make us leave. After a long discussion, I showed the proof in the Hostelword app, and he laughed, agreed, and left. If you’re going to Koh Phi Phi, don’t go to the October House!!