Lala Hostel

It’s a lovely hostel, and the rooms are really clean. The hand-painted pictures on the walls give it a nice feel. Compared with the hostels nearby, it gets fewer travelers, which I liked. Hoan at the front desk was warm and very helpful, and Son was cheerful, helpful, and curious. Definitely recommend.

We only planned on one night in the private room, but stayed for three. The place is affordable, freshly decorated, and has clean rooms and bathrooms, plus breakfast is included. It’s right in central Ho Chi Minh, though tucked away from the busy streets. The owners invited us to spend the evening with them and were great craic, sharing food, tea, and beer. The staff are lovely too. I’d absolutely recommend staying here in the city. 5*****

The AC in room 101 worked fine, and the bed was probably the best I had in Vietnam, though that’s not saying much. I hadn’t realized the private bathroom was outside the room, and you need a separate key for it. The room is above reception, and the window let in plenty of noise. There’s barely a common area, just a spot by the desk, so sounds from there carry up too. You can hear breakfast being prepared at 7am, and a dog next door barks each morning when its owner opens her front door. That part isn’t the hostel’s fault. For the price, it wasn’t worth it to me.

Really comfy beds, and the staff are very friendly. Breakfast was delicious, especially the pancakes with passionfruit syrup. There’s only one bathroom for eight people, though, and not much of a place to hang out and meet others.