Topchan Hostel

The breakfast was fresh and tasty each morning, and everything was clean and well kept. The staff were consistently polite, helpful, and welcoming. I had a wonderful stay and would definitely come back.

It works for a layover, but otherwise I’d look for a hostel in the centre. The showers barely function as showers, and I’d rate cleanliness 2/5. Staff and long-term guests were noisy after midnight. The staff were loud too, and the women making breakfast played Instagram reels loudly at the only kitchen table. They came across as rude. The boy at reception seemed uninterested and lethargic, made no effort to explain or show me around, and even left me waiting to pay while he chatted with other staff.

There are other good hostels in the city that aren’t listed on Hostelworld, so for now I’d suggest staying elsewhere. It’s not a horrible place, and with some management changes it could become a pretty good hostel. It has potential, and it wasn’t quite as filthy as some reviews say, though that may not mean much. The long-term guests, or “volunteers,” seemed to be from Russia, Uzbekistan, and South Asia. I can understand the circumstances they may be coming from, but their presence changes the atmosphere. It’s something to consider. The staff are the other main issue. Many seemed disinterested, weren’t especially helpful, and spoke little English. Nobody told me breakfast was free, so I missed it on my first day. At checkout, the woman snorted in amused disgust when I held out my keys, as if she couldn’t be bothered to get up from the back of the reception office and take them or acknowledge I was leaving. The staff could use better training.

I was so disgusted with the staff that I left and paid more to stay somewhere else. It wasn’t much more, since the hostel’s claim about the tax it excludes is higher than the actual tax, so staying here doesn’t save much. When people can behave horribly and still make money, the problems can go beyond rudeness and childishness to safety and health. Stay away from this dump. The teenager at reception tried to push into the women’s dorm at night without knocking. He kept pushing even after I said I was coming to unlock the door, and got mad that I looked at him. Women lock the door so entitled, toxic boys don’t barge in without knocking when they may not be dressed. His parents should be ashamed, though perhaps they own the place, so he’ll never be fired. The other guest thought he had shorted her money, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had. The walls and floors were dirty, with gum stuck to them. You have to take your shoes off, but they don’t provide loaner shoes. There are no lockers, and signs everywhere say management isn’t responsible for theft. Reception staff were incredibly rude, lazy, and incompetent, especially the teenager. The only good staff were the maids and the woman who makes breakfast. I bet the blonde woman at reception and the toxic man child have their jobs because they know the owner or have connections, or they’d be fired. This place stays in business because there isn’t enough competition. The good places fill up, so people have to stay here and they can make plenty of money.