The Nineties Hostel

The hotel is very old and nothing like the photos. Check-in is supposed to be at 2pm. I arrived at 1:30 and was prepared to wait until then, but when I went to check in, a girl said I couldn't because the guest in my reserved room wanted to stay until 6pm. She said that if I wanted to check in at 2pm, I would have to talk to that guest and sort it out myself. What kind of service is that? I saw nobody check out while I was waiting. If a room was available, why didn't they give it to me earlier? Instead, they put me in a ground-floor room next to the cafeteria, which was really noisy. I think it was a room meant for staff. The room wasn't clean and smelled bad. The shower water smelled bad too, and someone had left clothes in the bathroom. I'll never stay here again, and based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend it.

The place was tidy and right in the center, but the owners made us uncomfortable. They came into our room while we were there and used the shower and toilet that were meant for our use. They also wouldn’t store our belongings, which is standard at hostels, and didn’t say goodbye when we left.

The room was tiny, damp, and disgusting. After finding a huge cockroach in the bathroom, we decided to leave and find somewhere else. The staff were kind and offered us a refund, which is the only reason I’m giving it two stars.

For the price, this is one of the best hostel dorms I’ve stayed in, possibly anywhere. It’s clean, nicely designed, and the beds and rooms are well kept. Each dorm bed has a bamboo privacy curtain, a locker drawer, a lamp, a power socket, and a USB socket. The air conditioning works well without being noisy, and the Wi-Fi is fast. There’s also a card scanner at the front door for security. Breakfast is free, usually fried eggs, bread, butter, jam, instant coffee, tea, and fresh fruit. The staff are friendly, and the young guy knows a little English and is helpful. Getting there can be tricky because it’s down an alley, but it’s just seconds from the busy Bui Vien area, with restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, street food, travel agents, ATMs, money changers, bus companies, taxis, a park, and Taka Plaza nearby. The easiest way I found was to go to Liberty Hotel parkview at 265 Pham Ngu Lao, then take the alley on the hotel's left, not Hem 241 on the right. Follow it and turn right to find The Nineties Hostel. One serious concern: the bathroom has electrical sockets and a light switch beside the shower head. That feels very dangerous and really needs fixing.