Catba Central Hostel

The dorm room had 28 beds and no privacy curtains, and the wifi wasn't reliable or fast enough for streaming. If you're working here, video calls could be an issue. The hot showers had very low pressure, a minor complaint but not a deal breaker. On the plus side, the location is right on the main road, only a few minutes' walk from the waterfront, restaurants, and shops. Breakfast was free, amazing, and the best I've had in Vietnam so far, with eggs, banh mi, noodles, pancakes, soup, Vietnamese coffee, tea, and juice. The beds were comfortable, and towels, blankets, toothbrushes, and toothpaste were provided. I also got early check-in at no extra charge when I arrived from Hanoi at 11am, which was helpful.

There were around 30 beds in each room, so expect to be around a lot of people. The free breakfast was good quality, and the bed was comfy. Staff were nice, and there were free lockers under the bed that didn't require your own lock. The toilets and showers were less pleasant, with showers often not working, and the wifi was temperamental.

The dorm beds were comfortable, the air conditioning worked well, and the breakfast was good. But the toilets and showers smelled bad all the time and weren't cleaned often enough. When we wanted to order, they also didn't have most things on the menu.

I spent one night in a private room run by the hostel, though it was in the hotel next door. The hot water was great, but there were plenty of issues, not surprising at the low price. The door was basically a metal porch door and didn't feel secure. A stained-glass-style window kept the room bright all night. The mattress was very hard, the bathroom quite mildewed, and neither the wifi nor AC worked. There were a few cockroaches too.