HappyNest Hostel Cebu — Hotel in Cebu City

I stayed here for 12 days, and sadly, my experience was far from pleasant. Here are the key issues that made my stay uncomfortable and frustrating:

No Water Early in the Morning On my second day, I woke up at 7 AM to get ready for my 8 AM class, only to find there was no water at all—not even enough to brush my teeth. There was no warning, no announcement. For someone on a tight schedule, this was extremely inconvenient and disappointing.

My Belongings Were Moved Without My Permission When I returned later that day, I discovered my things had been moved from Room 1 to Room 5 without my knowledge or consent. When I asked the staff, they said the room needed to be cleaned. I’ve worked in hospitality, and I know that moving a guest’s belongings without permission is a serious breach of trust. What made it worse was that no one even helped me move. I had just come from training, exhausted and running a fever, yet I had to carry all my things alone. I messaged the Airbnb host to report it—only to be completely ignored. No apology, no explanation. Just seen-zoned.

Miscommunication About Room Availability I was supposed to check out on May 2 at 12 noon, but on the night of May 1, I asked the receptionist if I could extend. She checked the system and confirmed that I could. So I didn’t check out the next day. But by 1 PM on May 2, I received a message saying there were no beds available for female guests. That kind of last-minute notice is unacceptable. Had I been informed earlier, I would have checked out and saved myself the stress.

Unwelcoming Staff The staff was cold and unapproachable. No smiles, no greetings—just blank stares. It made the atmosphere feel uncomfortable, especially for a solo traveler like me. It felt like I wasn’t even welcome there.

Poor Facilities The WiFi was slow and unreliable, and the air-conditioning didn’t work properly. For a hostel that markets itself as comfortable and convenient, these basic amenities should be a priority.

To top it off, after all the issues I raised, I was still charged ₱200 for a late checkout —even though the mix-up was entirely on their end. "Wala diay ka na inform?" was all they said. Clearly, I wasn't informed. Kung ni-ingon pa daan ang front desk atong nangutana ko if pwede ko mo-extend nga wa nay available bed, wa untay problema. FUNNY KAAYO MO SA.

While the hostel has a good location, that doesn’t make up for the poor service, unprofessional handling of guest concerns, and lack of basic courtesy. If you’re going to run a hospitality business, you should know how to take care of your guests. If not, why...

During my recent stay at HappyNest Hostel in Cebu, I experienced a range of positives and areas that could use improvement. Here's a breakdown of my experience:

Check-In - 7/10: While the check-in process was fairly smooth, I was surprised by the request for an additional 500 pesos as security without any clear explanation or policy regarding damage security. They provided a locker key, which was appreciated.

Mixed Dormitory - 4/10: The mixed dormitory had a few drawbacks. The vent appeared dirty, and the bed curtain seemed untidy. The AC was functional, but the presence of washed clothes hanging everywhere in the room resulted in an unpleasant odor. Unfortunately, there were no Internet signals in the room.

Common Area - 7/10: The common area was a highlight of the hostel. It was well-maintained and equipped with all the basic facilities needed for a comfortable stay.

Laundry Service - 9/10: The laundry service provided by the hostel was of high quality, with clean clothes returned to me promptly. However, it's worth noting that an extra charge labeled as a service fee was included.

Parking - 5/10: The availability of free parking right in front of the door was convenient. However, the parking area was not secured as it was located outside the gate. Additionally, the parking seemed suitable only for small motorbikes.

Staff - 7/10: The staff members were friendly and approachable. While they were willing to answer any questions, I found that they lacked in providing necessary details and a short information session upon arrival.

Canteen - Not Applicable: There is a canteen on-site, although I didn't personally use it during my stay, so I can't provide further comment on this aspect.

In conclusion, my time at HappyNest Hostel in Cebu had its ups and downs. While the check-in was relatively smooth and the common area was well-maintained, the mixed dormitory had cleanliness issues and connectivity problems. The laundry service was commendable, but the extra charge could be more transparent. The parking area was convenient yet lacked security, and the staff, though friendly, could improve in terms of providing detailed information to guests. Overall, with some adjustments, HappyNest Hostel has the potential to offer a more consistent and enjoyable...

Review

me and my friend stayed at this hostel for two nights. The dorms were overall fine. The beds were clean and there was a curtain, but only small lockers, so you weren’t able to lock up your whole bag - you would have to empty it. (But the keys were free). The AC in the room was SO cold, we asked to get it turned down, but it seems it weren’t possible. So we slept with a full set of clothes… which is fine but we got a cold from the AC. The bathroom is shared - The toilets and bathroom were fine, but there was no lock on the toilet and also sometimes you weren’t able to flush, because the flush thing had fallen off.. there was also no hand soak - when we asked the reception that said “we don’t provide soap”. NO windows one the whole hostel, only in the cafe downstairs.

The common areas were fine and there was a cafe. But it didn’t look like the pictures. They need to update - we booked it because of the nice common areas. But they redid the hostel, and the new areas are very cramped and not as cozy. There was more local people staying at the hostel than tourist. And it’s not a social hostel.

The hostel is in a very sketchy area, many homeless people begging you for money as soon as you go out. Also just many uncomfortable people trying to make you pay of give them money or just following you around and starring at you everywhere you go.

The city is also just very weird, so would not recommend going to Cebu! - there was not that much to do and the city is just very big and there’s many people. No tourist around, and not a city where you can walk from place to place. We got scared quickly and also got told, by locals, to not to be outside when it got dark and just really keep your things close to the body. Because there were so many sketchy...