Cheerful Hoi An Hostel

THE BEST PLACE TO STAY - mama is so friendly & welcoming, truly felt like home. The place is so clean, spacious rooms, comfy beds. The best place we’ve stayed travelling so far.

Nothing

Hien is an absolute legend, I cannot recommend this place enough just for her (let alone the fact that the building is gorgeous and clean and social). Placed about a 15-minute walk away from the Hoi An old town, this lovely little place is a great spot for any hostelers who don't fancy a mad party place. Hien (Mama) works really hard to create a friendly, natural environment, and will introduce people to each other, make (excellent) recommendations for multiple people at the same time, and even organise dinner cycle tours where she takes everyone in the hostel to some fantastic local food spots on her own time. I stayed for six nights, on the sixth of which she literally invited me to attend a friend's wedding with her that night (which I did - a brilliantly memorable experience). No other hostel owner would provide this level of personal relationship with their guests. The hostel itself is clean and beautiful, with comfy beds, plenty of cheap drinks provided, regular clean towels, and a great social-but-not-party vibe. My only advice for travellers to this hostel would be - whatever Hien recommends, do it, and whatever she doesn't, don't!

The only drawback of this hostel was the location. Although broadly, being a little out of town is good for noise, it is unfortunately right next door to a very loud bar, which played thumping music until about 12.30am every night. In addition, the street itself feels a little sketchy, but once inside, it's like a safe haven.

Mama is the single best hostel host I have meet in south east Asia. She is so friendly and helpful and really gives the hostel a family vibe. The hostel itself is very clean and has everything you will need. The water pressure is great, plenty of hot water, the hostel is extremely clean and has comfy beds. The customer service is beyond anything I have ever seen. She really knows the town and will show you all her favorite spots and he’ll pant way she can. If you ask her something she takes it personal and makes sure you have the best experience possible. If you are staying in Hoi An you have to stay at cheerful!

Very nice hostel, the room was big, the owner was accomodating about the fact I am gluten free and tried to find alternative Vietnamese breakfasts for me to try. There's free bikes to borrow. There is a very chill and friendly atmosphere in the hostel and other guests were great at sharing advice.

I had a wierd experience with the owner. She inappropriatedly touched my stomach and butt. This was not sexual in nature, but I believe to let me know to lose weight in those areas- she never actually explained why. I found it inappropriate and unacceptable. The first time it happened, I reconcoiled, but assumed it was an accident; the second time, I burst into tears (my reaction was a bit OTT as I was extremely jetlagged). She apologized and told me to be strong. However, There is no world in which body shaming your guest is appropriate, and I don't want other women to have this experience. It left a very bad taste in my mouth. I understand it's a cultural thing in Vietnam- this has happened to me twice more while travelling- but I'm a paying guest and I'm not paying to be insulted. My body is none of your business, and I do not consent to be touched on my butt or stomach by a hostel owner for any reason. Also double check trip prices with her before you depart. She told me to bring one amount with me for a tour and it ended up being a lot more than that. I believe it was an honest mistake, but the tour guide was surprised when I had the wrong money and I was surprised the tour was almost double the amount I expected to pay. The tour was fantastic and worth it, but it involved the owner having to call me on while on the tour to explain I needed to pay more money. I know other guests around me did not have this experience and really loved the owner, and she really seemed like she was trying to make sure everyone had the best experience they could in Hoi An.