Ho Chi Minh City, null, Vietnam
“Joey Arnold, the Original Joey Arnold”
Pending review
I love the people that work here. The maid taught me Vietnamese. $6 USD
per night. Plus $1 if you want breakfast each morning. Free coffee, tea,
sugar, wifi, beds, showers, chairs, tables, friends, laughter, walls to
write on. My name is Joey Arnold, the Original Oatmeal. They can do
your laundry for around $2 or so per kg or something like that. It cost
me about $12 for about 8 kg of clothes each week. I lived here the month
of April 2013. I am now living with a Vietnamese house in district Binh
Thanh but I stop by to see them when I can. it is next to the Circle K.
It is on the street Pham Ngu Lao in district 1. I am meeting people
around here.
http://OriginalOatmeal.WordPress.com
OriginalOatmeal@Gmail.com
http://FaceBook.com/OriginalOatmeal
http://YouTube.com/OriginalOatmeal
http://OriginalOatmeal.WordPress.com
OriginalOatmeal@Gmail.com
http://FaceBook.com/OriginalOatmeal
http://YouTube.com/OriginalOatmeal
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Stayed April 2013
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Value
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Location
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Rooms
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
saskatchewan
Senior Contributor
32 reviews
9 hotel reviews
Reviews in 15 cities 
7 helpful votes
“great stay”
My sister and I stayed in a 6 bed dorm room that jade it's own bathroom,
they supplied a blanket and towel that you find in your security box.
Aside from thegeoss guy living in the room it was great! The breakfast
isn't included but still cheap and you get a god meal of bread, eggs and
coffee. It's by all the little alleys full of restaurants and bars and
within walig distance of the war museum and palace.
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Stayed April 2013, traveled with friends
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Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Contributor
19 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities
10 helpful votes
“Twin rooms at the front are awesome!”
I've seen this hotel from 2 perspectives as when we arrived they
upgraded us from standard double to a twin room at the front of the
building - I guess the hotel was full. Anyway the twin room is awesome!
It had a queen bed and a single, a fridge, a bath and shower and the
hugest flat screen TV I've ever seen in a hotel!
Sadly we couldn't afford to pay $20 a night so we changed the next day to our dingy little double. I can see why people would have a bad stay here if they spend any amount of time in this room. We spent 3 nights there and that was more than enough - I really didn't like the window out onto the hallway.
If you can afford it then def get a twin room. You do have noise from the road but overall your stay will be much more enjoyable.
It was a bit hard communicating with the staff sometimes as they don't speak English but the girl who showed us to our room was lovely.
Would definitely go back.
If any staff are reading this please can you get in touch if I left my lucky keyring behind? I stayed 15th to 19th March - it's a yellow Doraemon cat!
Sadly we couldn't afford to pay $20 a night so we changed the next day to our dingy little double. I can see why people would have a bad stay here if they spend any amount of time in this room. We spent 3 nights there and that was more than enough - I really didn't like the window out onto the hallway.
If you can afford it then def get a twin room. You do have noise from the road but overall your stay will be much more enjoyable.
It was a bit hard communicating with the staff sometimes as they don't speak English but the girl who showed us to our room was lovely.
Would definitely go back.
If any staff are reading this please can you get in touch if I left my lucky keyring behind? I stayed 15th to 19th March - it's a yellow Doraemon cat!
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Stayed March 2013
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Value
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London, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
39 reviews
22 hotel reviews
Reviews in 20 cities
14 helpful votes
“Worst Hostel In The World - Stay Away!!”
Other than the location, there is nothing I can compliment this hotel
on. We spent Christmas here and I really wish we'd have slept on the
street.
1. There were building works every day (even Xmas day) - starting from 8am. The noise was UNBEARABLE.
2. There were mouse droppings on our bed when we woke in the morning
3. Toilet smelt like sewage / rotten eggs
4. Room had no window and was dark and dingy
5. Electrical plug point sparked when you put your lead in
6. Staff spoke poor English and didn't understand a word when we complained. Perhaps it was turning a deaf ear.
Finally I'd like to add that there is a sign outside that reads "Saigon Backpackers Hotel", I can only assume that they are riding off the success of the nearby Saigon Backpackers Hostel which has great reviews on tripadvisor.
1. There were building works every day (even Xmas day) - starting from 8am. The noise was UNBEARABLE.
2. There were mouse droppings on our bed when we woke in the morning
3. Toilet smelt like sewage / rotten eggs
4. Room had no window and was dark and dingy
5. Electrical plug point sparked when you put your lead in
6. Staff spoke poor English and didn't understand a word when we complained. Perhaps it was turning a deaf ear.
Finally I'd like to add that there is a sign outside that reads "Saigon Backpackers Hotel", I can only assume that they are riding off the success of the nearby Saigon Backpackers Hostel which has great reviews on tripadvisor.
Room Tip: Don't stay here and don't get it confused with Saigon Backpackers Hostel which by all accoun...
See more room tips
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Stayed December 2012, traveled with friends
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Value
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Location
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Sleep Quality
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See 2 more reviews by TerenceCraven for Ho Chi Minh City
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
hautranthanh, Inhaber at Saigon Balo Hostel, responded to this review
January 6, 2013
Dear Terence Craven,
I am Mr. Grimm and the ovner and Manager at the “Saigon Backpackers Hotel”, the bad place; you needed to stayin Ho Chi Minh City.
I saw your review about my hotel and I got surprised and I really wondered.
Before I will answer for the things are happened to you at my hotel, I have to say sorry. Not sorry because the happening, because it was not happen but sorry for my bad English. I am German and English is not my mother language, so my English is rather poor same like the English of my staff.
Something more before I am continue with answering you complain, if I am staying one hotel and there are something happen like you wrote about my hotel, I will check out but you didn’t. I will check out and find a better place, especially if there are 100 other hotels around but you stayed at my hotel for 5 nights. You checked in at the 23. of December 2012 and you enjoyed your stay at my hotel until the 28. of December. You are not care about anything you complained now on tripadvisor. You agree at your stay with the room no have window, the construction noise, the smell from the toilette and even with the mouse on your bed. But let’s check the things are happened to you in detail.
1. There were building works every day (even Xmas day) - starting from 8am. The noise was UNBEARABLE.
There was not any construction or bulding work at my hotel at the period you stayed here. Of course, sometimes I need to repair something but I do it at noon time, when my costumers at tour and I try to do it quiet as I can. Sometimes my neighbors also have to repair something and I am sorry because I cannot tell them what they have to do and when they have to do it but you still got the chance to check out, if their building works disturbs you at your sleeping time, 8.00 am in the morning. Another thing is, Christmas is the holiday for Christ’s and not for the Buddhism in Vietnam. So if you want to make sure, it is silence on your Christmas day, please stay at home.
2. There were mouse droppings on our bed when we woke in the morning
I am sorry but this is just not true and even it is true, if I am in that situation like you, I will show the Manager of the hotel, will not pay for that night and I will check out for sure but you didn’t. You stayed continue at my hotel.
3. Toilet smelt like sewage / rotten eggs
We got many customers stayed at the room number 102 at my hotel before you stayed there. Even now there are a couple from Australia and never had I got any complain like that. Do you want to know the reason? Because I check by myself every day every single room about the smell and cleanliness, because I know the problems wastewater system and sewers in Saigon at the try season and as well the problem of musty, mold and mildew.
So if it smells at your room, like you said, may you eat something wrong and you forgot to use the flush.
4. Room had no window and was dark and dingy
That’s the next thing on your review is really lie and not true. All the rooms at my hotel got windows but of course, the inside rooms have windows just to the floor and not to a street or park. But even if there is not any window same like you said, you were agree with it on you check in and you spend here 5 nights and never you designed to check out and change the accommodation.
5. Electrical plug point sparked when you put your lead in
Hey, do you want to make me laugh? Every room at my hotel has a few of electrical plug points and there is nothing happen. But maybe the lead you try to put in, was not compatible with the Vietnamese power standard.
6. Staff spoke poor English and didn't understand a word when we complained. Perhaps it was turning a deaf ear.
I can assure you that my staff is not deaf, and I can communicate very well with my staff. So maybe there was something wrong on your English or the way, you try to talk with them. But if it was happen like that, why did you not asked for me? I stay at my hotel every day, to be care about the things are really happen, not about the things happen in some ones dreams.
7. Finally I'd like to add that there is a sign outside that reads "Saigon Backpackers Hotel", I can only assume that they are riding off the success of the nearby Saigon Backpackers Hostel which has great reviews on tripadvisor.
Yes, I use the name "Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel", same like there is a “Saigon Backpackers Club” and some other Backpacker accommodations near my place. I also use the name “Backpacker’s Center”, because I offer tours for travelers. But if you don’t understand the different between Hotel and Hostel, maybe you need to check your English and you should went one more time to school. "Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel” just means, I offer dorms and private rooms. But if you realized the different about that, I wonder again, why you did not checked out and stayed at my hotel for 5 nights.
I am not caring how many good or bad reviews these places have because, I know the most of them are written by the owners and this is something I don’t need. I am care about the feeling of my customers and is not easy at all to make all of them happy but me and my staff try our best.
At last I have to tell you, my staffs English is not bad like you said. They really understood when you asked for discount and that you can write good or bad reviews for hotels and I need to tell you, that I am not care about that. But I hope tripadvisor will be care and check your reviews again. You are a newcomer on tripadvisor but within less than one month you got the time to write 18 reviews, which are not in sequence with your tour.
So as conclusion I will tell you, you are one of the worst traveler or customer one hotel can get and I feel right now very sorry for all the hotels, you will stay as next.
Heiko Grimm
Manager
Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel
I am Mr. Grimm and the ovner and Manager at the “Saigon Backpackers Hotel”, the bad place; you needed to stayin Ho Chi Minh City.
I saw your review about my hotel and I got surprised and I really wondered.
Before I will answer for the things are happened to you at my hotel, I have to say sorry. Not sorry because the happening, because it was not happen but sorry for my bad English. I am German and English is not my mother language, so my English is rather poor same like the English of my staff.
Something more before I am continue with answering you complain, if I am staying one hotel and there are something happen like you wrote about my hotel, I will check out but you didn’t. I will check out and find a better place, especially if there are 100 other hotels around but you stayed at my hotel for 5 nights. You checked in at the 23. of December 2012 and you enjoyed your stay at my hotel until the 28. of December. You are not care about anything you complained now on tripadvisor. You agree at your stay with the room no have window, the construction noise, the smell from the toilette and even with the mouse on your bed. But let’s check the things are happened to you in detail.
1. There were building works every day (even Xmas day) - starting from 8am. The noise was UNBEARABLE.
There was not any construction or bulding work at my hotel at the period you stayed here. Of course, sometimes I need to repair something but I do it at noon time, when my costumers at tour and I try to do it quiet as I can. Sometimes my neighbors also have to repair something and I am sorry because I cannot tell them what they have to do and when they have to do it but you still got the chance to check out, if their building works disturbs you at your sleeping time, 8.00 am in the morning. Another thing is, Christmas is the holiday for Christ’s and not for the Buddhism in Vietnam. So if you want to make sure, it is silence on your Christmas day, please stay at home.
2. There were mouse droppings on our bed when we woke in the morning
I am sorry but this is just not true and even it is true, if I am in that situation like you, I will show the Manager of the hotel, will not pay for that night and I will check out for sure but you didn’t. You stayed continue at my hotel.
3. Toilet smelt like sewage / rotten eggs
We got many customers stayed at the room number 102 at my hotel before you stayed there. Even now there are a couple from Australia and never had I got any complain like that. Do you want to know the reason? Because I check by myself every day every single room about the smell and cleanliness, because I know the problems wastewater system and sewers in Saigon at the try season and as well the problem of musty, mold and mildew.
So if it smells at your room, like you said, may you eat something wrong and you forgot to use the flush.
4. Room had no window and was dark and dingy
That’s the next thing on your review is really lie and not true. All the rooms at my hotel got windows but of course, the inside rooms have windows just to the floor and not to a street or park. But even if there is not any window same like you said, you were agree with it on you check in and you spend here 5 nights and never you designed to check out and change the accommodation.
5. Electrical plug point sparked when you put your lead in
Hey, do you want to make me laugh? Every room at my hotel has a few of electrical plug points and there is nothing happen. But maybe the lead you try to put in, was not compatible with the Vietnamese power standard.
6. Staff spoke poor English and didn't understand a word when we complained. Perhaps it was turning a deaf ear.
I can assure you that my staff is not deaf, and I can communicate very well with my staff. So maybe there was something wrong on your English or the way, you try to talk with them. But if it was happen like that, why did you not asked for me? I stay at my hotel every day, to be care about the things are really happen, not about the things happen in some ones dreams.
7. Finally I'd like to add that there is a sign outside that reads "Saigon Backpackers Hotel", I can only assume that they are riding off the success of the nearby Saigon Backpackers Hostel which has great reviews on tripadvisor.
Yes, I use the name "Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel", same like there is a “Saigon Backpackers Club” and some other Backpacker accommodations near my place. I also use the name “Backpacker’s Center”, because I offer tours for travelers. But if you don’t understand the different between Hotel and Hostel, maybe you need to check your English and you should went one more time to school. "Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel” just means, I offer dorms and private rooms. But if you realized the different about that, I wonder again, why you did not checked out and stayed at my hotel for 5 nights.
I am not caring how many good or bad reviews these places have because, I know the most of them are written by the owners and this is something I don’t need. I am care about the feeling of my customers and is not easy at all to make all of them happy but me and my staff try our best.
At last I have to tell you, my staffs English is not bad like you said. They really understood when you asked for discount and that you can write good or bad reviews for hotels and I need to tell you, that I am not care about that. But I hope tripadvisor will be care and check your reviews again. You are a newcomer on tripadvisor but within less than one month you got the time to write 18 reviews, which are not in sequence with your tour.
So as conclusion I will tell you, you are one of the worst traveler or customer one hotel can get and I feel right now very sorry for all the hotels, you will stay as next.
Heiko Grimm
Manager
Saigon Backpacker’s Hotel
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
2 reviews
“Excellent place to stay!”
Stayed here with a friend, right opposite where our bus dropped us off
so easy to find and an excellent location in general, right in the heart
of the backpackers street, close to bars, shops and most attractions of
Saigon. Staff are very welcoming and friendly, speak good English and
are willing to give local advice. Good value for money too, important
when traveling on a budget and the rooms are clean and comfy! Highly
recommended to any traveller visiting Saigon! :-)
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Stayed November 2012
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Value
-
Location
-
Rooms
-
Cleanliness
-
Service
-
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
millarandy88 has 1 more review of Saigon Balo Hostel
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Reviewed November 30, 2012
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