Hostel Reviews Archives

Taiwan Budget Accommodation: Sunny Hostel in Taipei

February 2, 2016

Some travel stories start on the first day of exploring the city. But let me begin my Taipei travelogue with a post about our lovely little hostel. Sunny Hostel may look simple from the outside, but from the moment we stepped inside the hostel, we knew that we’d love our stay. Some hostels meet expectations, and then there’s our accommodation that exceeded all of it.

We booked quite late, and we were already panicking a little because looking for an affordable hostel in Taipei wasn’t an easy feat. Rare are those that offer free breakfast, and we had little idea about the locations of the accommodation. So you can say that we chose Sunny Hostel just based on the photos on Airbnb. And I’m so glad that we judged it by its cover. [Read more…]

Busan Accommodation: Hi Korea Hostel

February 12, 2015

On our second day in Korea, we went to Busan for a two-day trip. Since we’d be staying overnight, we searched for a hostel offering dorm rooms. Even just for an overnight stay, Hi Korea Hostel made me wish every hostel offered convenience the way they do.

Stepping inside the place made me believe that I had found my ideal hostel. It’s homey, quirky, and incredibly lovely. The interior is well-thought-out, and I barely have complaints about the place. We couldn’t have chosen a better accommodation in Busan.

After weighing our options, we decided to find a hostel near Haeundae Beach since we’d be staying for only two days. There were tons to choose from, but we opted for Hi Korea Hostel when we chanced upon their contest on Facebook. Luckily, we won two free beds, so of course we were ecstatic. I first talked to HaKo on Facebook, but we finalized the booking via email. They’re always online so don’t hesitate to message them on Facebook if you’re thinking of booking with them. [Read more…]

Seoul Accommodation: Hongdae Family Housetel (Pencil Hotel 3)

January 23, 2015

Our stay in Seoul may have been short, but our hostel made sure we felt at home every single day.

Our hostel falls under a couple of names, which we found odd! It’s called Hongdae Family Housetel in Agoda and Hostel Hongdae in Facebook. It’s also called Pencil Hotel 3! In the grand scheme of things, the name doesn’t matter because the building was a welcoming site after every tiring day in Seoul.

It’s one of the simplest hostels I’ve stayed in, but I must say that it still has its pros. Also, among the Seoul hostels, they seem to offer the most varied breakfast, which is always a plus.

What I love most is the host’s kindnes. We did two bookings—first was for only night, then the second was for four nights—since we’d be staying in Busan for two days. Before going to Seoul, I corresponded with our host via email and they allowed us to leave our baggage in the hostel once we leave for Busan.

We were surprised when they said that we could leave our baggage and pretty much all our stuff in our room for two days and one night! Take note, we didn’t pay for that night, but they saved us the hassle of moving our things from one room to another.

So from the very bottom of our hearts, thank you very kamsa! [Read more…]

Ho Chi Minh Accomodation: Luan Vu Hotel

September 26, 2014

As much as I want to jump straight into blogging about our days in Vietnam, this post is long overdue.

Hostels in Vietnam are amazing, because of the two I’ve tried, both delivered top-notch service. I think you won’t go wrong with the budget hostels in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, because no matter how cheap it gets you can be assured of amazing service. And pretty rooms!

Luan Vu Hotel is located at the backpacker district Pham Ngu Lao in Ho Chi Minh City. So yes, it’s the perfect location for travelers because it’s in the middle of cheap restaurants and within walking distance of pretty much everything you need to see in Saigon.

We arrived in our hostel quite late, at around 2AM, I think? We coordinated through email before coming, so they knew we’d arrive late. We got a room in the second floor, and there’s no elevator! But I think it’s common for hostels to not have elevators so it’s not something to complain about.

I really can’t think of anything to hate about our hostel, because it’s always a welcoming sight whenever we went back after a long, tiring day touring around the city. We only spent three nights in Luan Vu but we already experienced their best service. [Read more…]

Budget Accommodation at K Hostel – Seoul, South Korea

June 11, 2014

My Seoul trip last month was a bit rushed, having booked our tickets just weeks before the actual travel period. After emailing tons (and I mean, TONS!!!) of hostels around Seoul, only a fourth had available rooms.

I hoped to get a reservation at Backpackers Mr. Sea because that’s where we stayed at two years ago but received no reply from my email and there were no more available rooms in Agoda. But I think it’s okay that I ended up booking elsewhere, because K Hostel was great! (Backpackers Mr. Sea is awesome as well.)

I corresponded with Michael, one of K Hostel’s hosts, via email instead of Agoda. Though it’s quick to book through that site, I couldn’t rest easy because according to the site triple rooms are for two people. It was confusing, because the room has a double bed and a single bed, so how can it be just for two people?

Michael replied really quickly so I had a pretty easy time making the reservation. I also didn’t pay anything for the reservation and only paid in full (either cash or card) once we got there. We booked two triple rooms (with breakfast!) since there were six of us. They gave us a discount because there were two kids with us.

Also, I made the reservation two days before our arrival and confirmed my booking a day before. Our email conversation went smoothly so we luckily had a place to stay for four day. Thank you! [Read more…]