Tainan Gu Hostel

I checked in to GU HOSTEL on January 31st after reading a lot of reviews. The owner’s detailed replies to even the one-star complaints made me feel confident about booking, though it’s a bit far from my business trip in Yongkang. The place is thoughtfully decorated, with care put into the bathroom facilities and the bedding and amenities in the rooms. The owner who welcomed me was warm and lovely, and they’re tough with difficult customers, haha. Taiwan really is a strange place sometimes. Some people drive over without checking the details first, then expect a luxury hotel after choosing a cheap, economical hostel. One person even booked the wrong room, stayed the night, and then asked for a refund. I read a bunch of one-star reviews, and none of them had anything to do with GU HOSTEL. So, all you one-star reviewers, please don’t stay here and spoil the good atmosphere or its positive cycle!

The place is clean and tidy, the owner keeps it well organized, and messages get answered quickly. For hostel-style accommodation, the price and quality are acceptable. There’s convenient motorcycle parking in the covered walkway. The downside was sharing with six other guys. They came back making noise around 1 AM, and I didn’t get out of the shower until 2 AM. The walls don’t block much sound, so their laughter was easy to hear at night. There’s just one shower and one toilet, which means waiting your turn.

I won’t stay here again. The bed was set up on the floor, Japanese-style, and I spotted curly hair there when I checked in. The owner asked me to pay the full amount before November 9, 2024, and said later cancellations would have a NT$60 processing fee. But Booking.com showed free cancellation through November 22, 2024. The owner knew they were asking for advance payment, yet didn’t tell us about the banquet downstairs on check-in night or the temple fair the next day. They were still moving tables and chairs around at noon, and the fair started at 7:40 AM, so getting a good night’s sleep was impossible. They could have warned guests ahead of time. I understand that cancelling after the free-cancellation period means paying the applicable percentage. My issue is that cancelling within that period should be completely free. The owner’s booking text said a fee applied even then, and their reply to Google reviews seemed to shift that position.

The room’s Wi-Fi was poor, and the bathroom was cramped with a weak hair dryer. The soundproofing was awful, too. A cat kept meowing outside until 2 or 3 AM on our first night. The next morning, a temple event nearby began at 6:30, so there was no chance to sleep in. Even the guest slippers were loud, though that seems like an easy fix.