H-ostel Kuta Bali — Hotel in Kuta

Pros: Super friendly, warm staff! They're taking out the trash and doing regular cleaning daily. A handful of food items for sale at the front desk. A cup o noodles, cold water, hot chocolate, beer etc. There is a small fridge in the lobby for guest storage. There's a water 'cooler' in the lobby as well for fresh water and fresh hot. water. Perfectly good, spacious elevator. A luggage storage room is available. Individually assigned footlockers with Bluetooth locks are in the dorm rooms. There's enough space to hold a carry on or regular sized backpack. The bunks have clean linen with two side compartments for storage; and, a mini shelf down the length. There's also a bunk light, privacy shade, fold down table, and international outlets.

Cons --Seating & Pests-- There's almost no where to sit comfortably. The lobby and 2 millimeter porch has tiny, painful stools. There are tiny mites and other bugs crawling all over. You won't notice until they're already crawling on you. Mosquitoes when you'e expect them. On the roof, same mites crawling on you and your food. (I got bit 6x while typing this!) Additionally, there's a mouse or two on the roof that's always jumping out of the plants to greet you. The only place you're safe from something biting you; crawling on you; or, jumping in your food is your dorm. But you can't have food in there.

--Bathrooms-- The shower water smells absolutely horrible! Smells like a cup of beef noodles. All fixtures in the shower are caked up with calcium and rust. You can pump the soap dispenser on the sinks all day and only get a an ounce. Stalls are chrome and glass which have big splotches of rust and giant cracks, respectively. Plenty of mosquitoes hiding behind the toilet to service you.

--Food-- There's no rooftop bar in operation. There was in the past. However, they still have it being advertised on all websites. And there's an ad in the elevator. Also, if you have leftover takeout you want to heat up, you're out of luck. They have a seemingly brand new toaster sitting right on the counter but say it's broken. And there's no microwave anywhere. Saw another big mouse running behind the counter twice.

Unhygienic and loud guest behavior can be expected but that's with any hostel. And also, that's no fault of the house.

--Update (TL; DR)-- Before I even got to post this, they 'changed the policy'. When you check in, they require either your state ID or passport to hold. But today I was asked to give my passport instead. They returned my state ID. I NEVER let a business hold my passport but I am stuck for the next day or so.

They said the reason for the change was because someone random stayed and didn't bathe and they had stains on the sheets. I said, 'okay, but that has nothing to do with me. I have been bathing. If you want to inspect my bunk, go ahead.' They said 'No no no. We need your passport instead. New policy. New policy.' Now they did show that they have other passports in a binder but...what are we doing?

So I handed in the towel I had for a fresh one. They literally pulled out a flashlight to inspect it. Then they gave me a fresh one. And the fresh one had rush stains and discolorations on it. I brought this to their attention and they said that's all okay. When I checked out and gave them back that towel, they thoroughly inspected that one too. This is my 5th hostel this year, worldwide (Nepal, US, Pakistan and Malaysia). I've paid similar rates at the others and didn't have conditions this bad. If you are staying in Kuta longer than a couple days; and, this is all you can afford, then you might as well...

The exceptional feature of this property is its layout and customer service. The staff exhibit impeccable manners, kindness, and attentiveness, with a constant cheerful demeanor. Despite the signs of aging, the establishment was arguably one of the top-rated hotels in Asia in its prime. However, the setup remains one of the most remarkable aspects of this property, with fully private pods that include efficient air conditioning, invigorating showers with great pressure and hot water, and a range of complimentary shampoo and body wash products. There is an abundance of well-lit toilet and shower stalls, each equipped with a fold-down working table, convenient outlets, storage shelves, and spaces. In addition, each room is equipped with a secure locker and ample storage space under the bed.

Food and beverage options are limited to coffee and pre-packaged snacks, with a rooftop area providing a somewhat dated but functional space for relaxation, work, or pleasant vistas. During my stay, the elevator was out of service. However, the beds were exceedingly comfortable, and overall, the value offered by this property is outstanding, considering its age and former status as one of Asia's finest hostels.

The location is also commendable, with easy access to popular attractions such as the beach, restaurants, fast food outlets, and convenience stores, making it a convenient base for exploring the city. The front desk is open 24 hours, and luggage storage is available. While the lobby lacks air conditioning, hot water is provided in this area, albeit with limited seating options.

In conclusion, this establishment offers excellent value for money, with its exceptional layout and customer service, convenient location, and comfortable amenities, despite showing...

By the end of my stay I was pretty fed up and I even contemplated leaving early.

Some bizarre design choices in the hostel led to quite a lot of disturbance & inconvenience. For example, each of the dorm doors operate on an electric sliding door mechanism (pictured). In a 20 person dorm this is far from ideal, because you not only have the noise of the door sliding across, but also the rotor of the electronic system. You hear it about 3-4 times every 10 minutes and it woke me up on several occasions in early hours. This is not a good option if you're a light sleeper or sensitive to noise generally.

Also, storage has been overlooked for how many are in the dorm. There are locker cabinets but they're small backpack size, so everyone's large luggage was littered across the limited floor space; it was quite messy.

In addition, the WiFi is pretty terrible and barely reaches the dorm, and even 5G coverage is an issue (because of room design & how many people there are). I never felt I could just relax & do travel research here because for any kind of reliable connection I was either forced to use the small, busy lobby area at the hostel entrance or use the (seemingly abandoned) rooftop bar where wind was an issue.

It's also quite odd they have men's bathrooms on a separate floor - why not have a women's dorm & bathroom on floor 1, men's dorm & bathroom floor 2 and mixed sex on the other levels? And why are all the bathroom taps jet propulsion power like mini fire hoses?!

AC worked well & staff were very pleasant, but there were too many annoyances for me to suggest staying here. I wouldn't stay here again even if...