The JOY hostel

The location puts you right among shops, including 7/11 and Circle K, with bars and clubs just outside. It’s convenient for food, drinks, and nightlife, but that also brings noise, especially at night. Meeting other travellers is easy, and the place has a lively feel. The woman at reception was welcoming and made check-in pleasant. Space is the main drawback. The alley is narrow, and the cramped feeling carries through the building. My room had 10 beds, so there wasn’t much personal space and it could feel overwhelming when busy. The beds were comfortable enough for sleeping after a long day, and for two nights they were alright. There’s one toilet per floor, which can be inconvenient at peak times. Joy’s Hostel makes sense for a very tight budget if you’re okay with small spaces, shared facilities, and noise. You’re mainly paying for affordability and the central location. If you can spend more and want more room, comfort, or quiet, I’d stay somewhere else. It depends what kind of trip you’re after.

The room had a bad smell, loud snoring, poor beds, see-through curtains, and hardly any proper lighting. The stairs were extremely narrow and uncomfortable. I felt there was very little basic care or hospitality for guests, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. I was very sick with a fever and told the owner, but got no help. There was an empty room upstairs, and I only needed it for about eight hours before checking out at 5 a.m. One staff member tried to help and said it would cost 20,000 VND extra, but the owner raised it to 40,000 VND and insisted I pay that or they wouldn’t arrange the room. It felt like they were taking advantage of the situation. The owner was completely uncooperative. Shame on this person for being in this business.

The location is central, yet it was quiet considering how loud the walking street gets. The rooms are small, with little space to get in and out of your things, and a lock is provided for the locker. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. I left something in my bed and went back ten hours after checking out. A new guest was using the same bed, and my belongings were still under the pillow. It looked like neither the pillow nor sheet had been changed or washed. There was a cockroach in the bathroom, though otherwise it was reasonably clean. Towels cost 20,000 dong to rent. Reception staff smoked beside a ‘no smoking’ sign, and the smoke reached the top floor, leaving an unpleasant smell.

A nice little hostel. Ten beds is a lot for a dorm, like any big dorm, but the strong AC kept it from getting too hot.