Brown Bean Hotel - 2/9 Street

Between the check-in ordeal, the way I was treated, and the hygiene, this was a very negative stay. The reception staff member in the morning was nice and polite, though. I arrived around 11 p.m. after traveling all day. No one was at reception at first, so I waited a few minutes, which was fine. When a man arrived, he didn’t greet me, just asked for my reservation number. Then he kept demanding to see my visa. I explained several times that an Italian passport doesn’t require a visa to enter the country, but he said they’d refuse my stay without one. He spoke very little English, so someone else, I think a guest, had to interpret. I was left in that situation long enough to start crying, alone and at risk of being left on the street at 11 p.m. Only after seeing me cry did he ask for the entry stamp in my passport. I showed it straight away, and he said that was what he meant, although he had clearly been asking for a visa. They’re not the same thing. Poor communication caused the whole issue, and it was handled very badly. When I was finally allowed upstairs, he handed me a key and sent me on my way. He didn’t show me the facilities or point out my bed in a room with maybe 40 to 50 beds, so I had to search for it in the middle of the night. The room was overcrowded and smelled strongly and unpleasantly. There was a pizza box and other rubbish on the floor, and the mattress was extremely hard. The bathrooms were very dirty, including the toilet bowls, and smelled bad. There was no toilet paper.

I’ve recommended this place before and still go back to meet friends who stay there. The beds are affordable, and there’s indoor parking for motorbikes and bicycles. Reception staff are sweet, even online, and there’s a coffee shop right beside the hostel, a mart next door, and plenty of restaurants nearby. The location is vibrant. The capsules are airy and spacious, and the rooms and bathrooms are clean and cleaned daily. There’s air conditioning and ventilation too. This was the second hostel I picked before renting an apartment. Totally recommend it.

I stayed March 24-25 in room 402 and realized after checkout that I’d left an expensive shirt there, one with sentimental value. I contacted the hotel within a week and was told they “didn’t find” it. A well-run hotel should log lost belongings and keep them for a while. Since nothing was logged, I can only assume the shirt was taken by staff or thrown away, which is unacceptable. I don’t feel safe leaving valuables here and can’t recommend staying.

I'd give it zero, period. I already erased a super long review, lucky I don't add more. Pathetic place, cheaper than cheap. The staff don't care about complaints, just laugh at you and do nothing about the hostel's cleanliness. The amenities are disgusting, the bathrooms are disgusting, and the whole place smells of smoke. I was meant to stay three nights but lasted less than 24 hours. The beds aren't even mattresses, they're hard as wood.