Bodega Phuket Party Hostel - Adults Only

Most of the staff didn't seem very concerned about how guests were doing, though a few really did try to make sure you had a good time. The four-person dorm room was clean and had a comfortable bed. It's a great spot if you're after the Bangla road nightlife, with a beach nearby.

I felt so uncomfortable that I left two days before my stay was due to end. Bodega may suit someone after a party hostel, but the services and products are below average for what you pay. There was no soap in the bathroom, just a broken dispenser. Staff treated guests as if we owed them something and should be grateful they answered questions. Most things cost more than 300% above the prices at the 7-11 across the street. This place feels like a money grab. I wouldn't recommend it to a friend.

The hostel guests were friendly and chatty, and it was shocking to hear how many had run into similar problems. We had a terrible experience with management, who were rude and incompetent. We stayed three nights. One evening they put 11 people in a 10-bed dorm, so after celebrating NYE I came back to find someone else in my bed. Luckily I was travelling with a friend and could share their bed. When I asked the two white men in management for a refund for the night my bed was double booked, they denied responsibility and said, “that's not how refunds work.” After talking to them again, we did eventually get a refund, but they blamed us and implied it was our fault for returning at 6am after a night out on NYE, as if being a party hostel excused the mistake. The older man was extremely rude to my friend. Two other girls in the room came back from the beach to find their belongings gone. Reception had told someone to clear their beds without warning because the girls had been assigned the wrong room on their fourth night. The night before, reception had accused them of not having a booking when they returned and found a middle-aged man in one of their beds. When we raised the repeated issue of middle-aged people being in our beds, management shut us down, pointing to an apparent “age limit” on the booking. Disappointed doesn't cover it. We saw this hostel advertised on several third-party sites as the best budget party hostel in Phuket, but I'll never give the Bodega brand more of my money. If you still have time to cancel and get your money back, do it.

It's a great place to meet people and party if that's what you want, with a ridiculously affordable stay. There are lots of events, and you can use their resort pool down the road, about a 15-minute walk away. The bed was quite comfortable and the place was acceptably clean, aside from rotted wood under the sink and no soap in either bathroom in my room. Still great value. One employee's tip: eat at Saw Thai Food, the last place on the left at the end of the alley. It's vastly cheaper than other places catering to tourists. It doesn't look like much, but the food is delicious and the staff are very friendly and sweet.