After spending 3 days around the beautiful city of Hanoi, I took a domestic flight with Vietnam Airlines on business class down to Ho Chi Minh City and spent a few days in Vietnam’s most populous city. I also took this time to meet with friends whom I had not seen in a very long time.
During this brief visit to Ho Chi Minh City, I stayed at a small yet homey family-managed hostel named Long Hostel. I am featuring this property in today’s Hostel of the Day feature to tell the world how wonderful and budget-friendly this is.
Long Hostel
Long Hostel is a small family-owned and run hostel in Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Located in a multistory building, the hostel hosts all types of travelers in its private and dormitory rooms.
In case you do not know, I try to stay and review hostels anonymously during my trips. I have been to a lot of hostels around Asia, Australia and Europe. I hope you can check all of these hostel features under the Hostel of the Day category.
Location & Access
Long Hostel is located at 373 / 10 Đ. Phạm Ngũ Lão, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam. It is in an alley within the busy and central District 1 and a few minutes away from Bùi Viện Walking Street.
The hostel is in a busy commercial neighborhood. It is near restaurants, cafes, hostels, hotels, travel and tour agencies, supermarkets, and banks. It is also near a local public market. It is 5 minutes away by foot (350 meters) to Bùi Viện Walking Street, 20 minutes away by foot (1.6 kilometers) to the Independent Palace, and 20 minutes away by foot (1.9 kilometers) to Bến Thành Market.
Ho Chi Minh City’s busiest airport, Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, is 20-30 minutes away by Grab or taxi without traffic. Fares vary depending on the time of the day. It is also 30 minutes to an hour away by local bus 109. The local bus fare costs ₫15,000.
Long Hostel’s location is easily a 10 out of 10. It is in a quiet alley within a bustling commercial area; it is practically near everything.
Room Options
Long Hostel only offers 2 room types: a private double room and a mixed dormitory room.
The hostel’s double rooms feature a large double bed, a working table and seat, a private toilet and shower (including towels), a stand fan, an air conditioning system, a cable television, a balcony (for selected rooms), a small refrigerator, a safety deposit box, and a closet.
The mixed dormitory rooms feature 2 bunk beds, an in-room shower and toilet (with towels), individual reading lights, and lockers. These dormitory rooms are also air-conditioned.
I booked 3 nights in a double room and paid ₫1,170,000 upon check-in; I paid ₫390,000 (around ₱900) per night. I booked through Booking.com and got an upper-floor double room with a strong and fast wi-fi connection.
Guest Facilities & Amenities
Long Hostel has a long list of facilities and amenities that guests can enjoy during their stay.
Free, Fast, and Reliable Wi-Fi Connection – The hostel’s wi-fi connection is free, fast, and reliable. It is perfect for remote work, including video calls and meetings.
Complimentary Hearty Breakfast – Long Hostel provides complimentary daily breakfast between 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. They have 5 food and 5 drink options to choose from.
Communal Lounge & Business Centre – Hostel guests have access to a communal lounge and business center at any time during their stay.
In-Room Shower & Toilet – Each room is equipped with a toilet and shower. Double rooms have their own private shower and toilet, while dormitory rooms have them shared inside each room.
Bath Towels – The hostel provides bath towels to all guests, regardless of room type.
Air Conditioning in Rooms – All rooms are equipped with air conditioning systems to cope with the Saigon heat.
Free Drinking Water Refills – The hostel provides free drinking water refills to guests.
Boardgames and Piano – Long Hostel has boardgames that guests can borrow and play during their stay. Those who know how to play a piano can try playing the hostel’s piano.
Luggage Storage – The hostel provides complimentary luggage storage to all incoming and outgoing guests during check-in and check-out days.
Tour Desk – The hostel has its own tour desk. They can help guests book their day tours or transportation tickets to other parts of the country.
Coin Bank – The hostel has a coin bank where guests can leave coins they no longer need and take coins of countries they are traveling to.
Laundry Services – Long Hostel offers laundry services at an additional charge. Do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Cam if you want to have your clothes washed.
Long Reception Hours – The hostel has long reception hours. Ms. Cam and the rest of the team may not be in the reception area all the time, but they can be contacted via WhatsApp at any time of the day.
Friendly and Amazing Host Family – Ms. Cam and her family are great hosts. They make sure guests have a great time, from check-in to check-out. They also provide their WhatsApp number for questions or emergencies.
Secured Hostel Premises – The property is equipped with security cameras to ensure everyone’s safety.
Flexible Booking Terms – The hostel has a very flexible cancellation policy. Guests can cancel up to 1 day before the intended check-in date at no cost. They also honor the pay upon check-in mode of payment.
Hostel Experience
I had a homey stay at Long Hostel Saigon. I have been to many hostels around the world, and I found this hostel to be one of the very few that felt like home.
Allow me to elaborate on what I liked about this property. First, Long Hostel Saigon’s rates are one of the best and most affordable for private rooms in the area. Second, the hostel is in the center of Saigon’s backpacker district. It is near everything a tourist needs during his or her visit.
Third, Long Hostel offers a hearty and filling complimentary breakfast. I was surprised when Ms. Cam told me of this perk during check-in because I knew this was not included or indicated in my booking confirmation. I highly recommend their banana pancakes, fresh passion fruit juice (as shown below) and iced coffee.
Fourth, Long Hostel has a fast and reliable wi-fi connection. The hostel’s connection is perfect for those working remotely. Fifth, Ms. Cam and her family consider their guests as members of the family. They are very warm, friendly, and hospitable. Ms. Cam even gave me her WhatsApp number and advised that I could message her if something wrong happened at any time of the day.
Lastly, Ms. Cam and her family offer exemplary service to their guests. Ms. Cam made sure she was present in the hostel to welcome me during check-in and to send me off after check-out. She also did everything to have the broken air conditioning system in my room fixed within 2 hours after I notified her via WhatsApp.
I did not expect this property to have the usual hostel activities because it is run by a small host family. I read from past reviews that they also offer free beers during the night, but I was not able to experience it since I was out during those times. The only minor inconvenience I found during the stay was the lack of lifts on the property. It would be difficult for those with big luggage and heavy bags to go up the higher floors. It is not a big issue, but I believe it is a factor for some guests, so I had to take note of it.
Other than that, I had a lovely stay at Long Hostel Saigon. Ms. Cam was an amazing host. I recommend this property to all of you. I hope you can consider staying with them on your next trip to Saigon.
Interested in booking a stay with them? Feel free to reach out to Ms. Cam and the property on these platforms:
Long Hostel Saigon
Address: 373 / 10 Đ. Phạm Ngũ Lão, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Phone Number: +84 90 894 71 78
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/longhostelsg
This sums up my stay at Long Hostel Saigon. I hope you can consider staying in this amazing family-owned property in Ho Chi Minh City. Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You will find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in Paris, The Bed KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, The RomeHello in Rome & Z Hostel here in the Philippines. Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!
PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.