CATBA BUFFALO HOSTEL

What reviewers say

Excerpts from public Google reviews. They are the reviewers’ opinions, not ours, and we have not verified them.

• ★ 53 months ago

  This is easily one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed at. The overall experience was outstanding—from the fantastic complimentary breakfast to the thoughtful extras like the free Sunday night BBQ and drinks. A special shout out to Jili who was incredibly warm and welcoming from check-in to check-out, remembering guests by name, which made the stay feel more personal. The hostel has great amenities, including a pool and jet tub, pool table, reliable Wi-Fi, and plenty of comfortable common areas to relax, socialize, or get some work done. They also provide bicycles, and there’s a convenient motorbike rental right outside the property—I rented a moped that was in perfect condition. The included breakfast was surprisingly extensive and delicious, including an omelette station, pancakes, fresh fruit, fried rice with eggs, pumpkin soup, salad, coffee/tea and more. The kitchen/hostel staff do a wonderful job keeping the grounds spotless. I stayed in a private room, which was clean, comfortable, and well-equipped with everything I needed (great a/c). While the hostel is about an 8–10 minute motorbike ride from the town center, I actually preferred this location. It’s quieter at night (once the music is turned off at 10:30 PM) making it easy to get a good night’s sleep. It’s also conveniently located on the way to Cat Ba National Park, which makes it a great base for exploring. The hostel even provides a complimentary shuttle bus 3x daily to and from town. Highly recommend staying here if you’re visiting the area.

• ★ 56 months ago

  The place is incredible, if you're looking for somewhere to meet people from all over the world, this is the best option. The staff are super friendly and will help you with anything you need. The cleanliness is excellent; there are always people cleaning the common areas and rooms, so you don't have to worry about that. The cool thing is that it's a hostel that helps you with tours in the area. They have several options and help you with everything, but if you want to explore on your own, you can also rent motorcycles at a great price. The truth is that my stay here was incredible, a unique experience where they make you feel part of the community all the time, which is important if you are traveling alone like me. The view from the pool is incredible, and the island is beautiful, with its beaches and everything.

• ★ 53 months ago

  Awesome hostel. The staff are really cool and very helpful with lots of expert local knowledge and recommendations on things to do and see. The rooms are great - very comfortable, clean beds and spacious. Facilities are all really good especially the bar and pool to cool off or lounge outdoors, very relaxing. There's a great food and drinks menu from the bar. You can rent a bicycle or scooter to check out the island. Highly recommend, looking forward to visiting again.

• ★ 52 months ago

  Everything a hostel should be: - free drinks every night - games and activities - big breakfast included - restaurant with decent food at fair prices, including lots of vegetarian options - pool - nice, cozy seating / restaurant area to socialize Our room (mixed 6 people dorm) was clean, working AC, and had a private bathroom. We arrived very early, and couldn’t check in immediately. There is a room to store bags and we were able to get breakfast (40k per person while not checked in) and use the pool. There’s also a small bike rental shop right outside. We were able to rent a bike at a pretty good price. The process there was really simple and quick.

• ★ 54 months ago

  I had a wonderful experience staying at this hotel. The room was spacious, clean, and beautifully designed, with a very comfortable bed that helped me get a great night’s sleep. Another highlight was the breakfast, which offered a wide variety of delicious options. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for comfort, great service, and a relaxing stay. I would definitely choose to stay here again in the future.

• ★ 54 months ago

  Best hostel in all of Vietnam! Extremely social and easy to make life long connections. The staff is amazing, Trung the manager is so fun and supportive. The kitchen and bar staff are so friendly and welcoming. Its like one big family there, thankyou for making my birthday memorable! The hostel is amaaazing , cozy dorms , jacuzzi , pool , rooftop. Shoutout to Gia - amazing volunteer. They have games and free beer for 1 hr every night and free cocktails and live band alternative nights too! I stayed here for two weeks but honestly i could stay more , wonderful place i will definitely come back ♥️♥️♥️

• ★ 56 months ago

  Had an awesome stay at Catba Buffalo Hostel! The rooms were super clean, the food was great, and the overall vibes were unreal. We were only here for two nights but honestly wished we could’ve stayed longer. All the staff were incredibly friendly — shoutout to Trung, who actually sat down and had lunch with us, which made it feel more like hanging out with friends than staying at a hostel. Somewhere between meals we also found ourselves learning how to play Paisho, which pretty much sums up the relaxed, social atmosphere. The pub crawl was a highlight — awesome stops, great energy, and karaoke that turned into us singing our hearts out. So much fun and such a good way to meet people. If you’re coming to Cat Ba and want clean rooms, good food, and a hostel that really nails the social side, this place is a winner. Would 100% stay again. Also big shout out to Huy, extremely helpful to us in a time of need. Great translation and awesome English. Genuinely a nice a guy, and made us feel safe.

• ★ 1a month ago

  If you value honest and happy staff, this is a hostel to be avoided. While the facilities are nice, that is the extent the positivities go to. In the spirit of honesty, while I’m unsure why they are unhappy and short, evidence suggests Amir may be cause of this. Promising kareoke multiple nights in a row and then going back on the agreements made, only to then hog the mic from everyone who queued songs at the bar. He even went so far to hand us a mic which he knew was not connected to the speakers, just to get his Machiavellian kicks, and then proceeded to mock us when we realised why it wasn’t working. He even blamed us for not agreeing with him because he “wasn’t not wearing a Rolex” - a weak strawman argument so unbelievably far from good management it’s astounding. I am genuinely struggling to think of a reason the man is still employed, perhaps he is good at clearing plates. The only real positive (aside from the facilities) has been David, a shining star of an example of what a hostel worker should be. Affable, attentive, approachable and ultimately a great guy.