Tabalo Hostel Hanoi
This hostel is a practical choice for budget-conscious travellers prioritising location and a private sleeping space over extensive communal facilities or pristine bathrooms.
Tabalo Hostel Hanoi offers a budget-friendly stay in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, providing open bunk beds with privacy curtains and individual lockers. Guests appreciate the comfortable sleeping arrangements and the hostel's quiet atmosphere despite its central location. However, the property struggles with maintaining consistent cleanliness, particularly in the shared bathrooms, which are often reported to be dirty or poorly maintained. Communal spaces are minimal, primarily limited to the reception area, making it less ideal for those seeking a social hostel experience. The lack of an elevator can also be a challenge for guests with heavy luggage, though staff are noted for their helpfulness.
Stations & airport.
Distances measured from the hotel. Walking times assume a gentle pace with a backpack.
- Long Bien418 m5 min walk
- Gia Lam Airport3.9 km
Eleven dimensions of capsule life, read from 652 reviews.
Noise & sleep
The hostel is generally quiet despite its central location, allowing for easy sleep. Some guests on lower floors experienced noise from the ground floor laundry shop in the mornings.
“Yet still quiet at night and able to sleep in.”
“Despite the god location it's not noisy at all so sleeping is easy (as long as the laundry staff on the ground floor don't play their music too loudly when they arrive in the morning).”
“It has a laundry shop so expect some washing noises if your room is in the 2nd floor.”
Pod comfort
Guests generally find the beds comfortable, with good space and integrated lockers. However, one review noted the mattress was quite hard.
“Good beds and space for luggage.”
“Confortable and clean beds.”
“The beds were comfortable and I liked that the locker is in the bed area.”
Privacy
The hostel provides good privacy with curtains for each bunk and secure, keycard-accessed dorms. Lockers are available within the bed area for personal items.
“Dorms are tidy and safely locked with a key card.”
“The lockets in the beds are awesome.”
“The curtain was good for privacy.”
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is a recurring issue, particularly in the bathrooms, with multiple reports of mould, dirty toilets, and infrequent cleaning. While some found the hostel and rooms clean, the shared facilities often fell short.
“Hostel is clean & well kept.”
“The bathroom was not clean nor cleaned during our stay. The bathrooms were not well maintained (e.g. one of the 2 showers wasn’t working/closing properly).”
“Not clean - there were potato chips on the floor when I got to my room which stayed there the 4 nights I was there despite the cleaner "sweeping", bin was only emptied on 3rd day, rubbish laying around in bathroom, dirty toilets.....not good”
Shared bathrooms
Shared bathrooms receive mixed reviews, with some finding them clean while others report issues with cleanliness, maintenance (broken showers), and poor ventilation. There were also comments about a lack of locks on private bathroom doors.
“bad ventilation in the bathroom”
“Washrooms and toilets are kept clean.”
“The bathroom was not clean nor cleaned during our stay. The bathrooms were not well maintained (e.g. one of the 2 showers wasn’t working/closing properly).”
Luggage storage
The hostel offers good luggage storage with practical and large individual lockers within the bed area (guests need to bring their own lock). There's also an option to leave bags after checkout. However, the lack of an elevator makes carrying heavy luggage to upper floors challenging, though staff assist.
“Good beds and space for luggage.”
“Practical and large individual lockers (bring your own lock). Allowed to leave our bags in the entry hall after checkout.”
“The lockets in the beds are awesome.”
Staff & check-in
Staff are consistently praised for being friendly, helpful, and providing good travel advice. There is always a staff member or night guard present, which guests appreciate. Some reviewers noted that English proficiency could be a bit limited initially.
“Everything is fine and the receptionist is very helpful”
“Friendly and very helpfull young staff.”
“Staff are nice and give travel advice without a hard-sell even though they do sell tours & tickets Unlike many hostels, there is always a staff member present - after reception & the laundry closes there's a night guard - which is a nice change from having to enter door codes or get a key lfrom a lockbox like in other places I've stayed.”
Location & access
The hostel boasts an excellent, central location in Hanoi's Old Quarter, with many attractions, shops, and food stalls within walking distance. Despite being central, it is noted as quiet at night.
“Very good location, central in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Lots of interesting places to visit, many shops, restaurants or food stalls and touristic highlights at walking distance.”
“Well located in the old quarter. Easy access to shops and activities.”
“Location, location, location... Yet still quiet at night and able to sleep in.”
Atmosphere
The hostel has very limited communal and social spaces, often combined with the reception, laundry, and shop areas. This makes it difficult for guests to connect with other travellers, suggesting a less social atmosphere.
“No public sitting places for the guests”
“Communal space is a bit limited while it is combined with the space for office, laundry service and fashion clothes shop.”
“It's not the kind of place where you'll connect with lots of fellow travellers as the communal spaces are limited, but it's a great place if you want to sleep and still be in the middle of everything Hanoi's Old Quarter has to offer.”
Value for money
Guests consistently highlight the excellent value for money, noting the budget-friendly prices for a central Old Quarter location. Many feel it offers a good experience for the cost.
“Hostel prices are budget, one of the cheapest in Old Quarter. They do a good job. Great value for money!”
“Good value for the price”
“It was a good value for the price and location, overall it was a positive stay.”
The honest drawbacks, from guests.
- inconsistent bathroom cleanliness
- limited social areas
- no elevator for heavy luggage
- potential laundry noise on lower floors
VATC Sleep Pod Terminal 2
This property is best suited for short, functional airport layovers where convenience outweighs comfort and amenities, provided guests are prepared for potential noise and the lack of showers.
FEMALE DORM - 3 mins to Train street - Top Floor Hostel - Big bed
This hostel is a viable option for budget-conscious solo female travellers seeking a private sleeping space in a central Hanoi location, provided they can overlook significant cleanliness issues and cramped facilities.
MOTOGO Hostel
A highly recommended option for airport transit, offering comfortable and private sleeping arrangements with excellent access to Hanoi's international terminal.