Hanoi · Vietnam
Hanoi Backpackers Hostel & Rooftop Bar
Suspicious-review evidence
≈637 possibly bought · 2470 top-rated reviews scanned
Explain how it works
We compare every 5★ review's word count against the global distribution. Hostels where unusually many top-rated reviews are suspiciously short — way under the typical length — start to look like the staff (or a boost-my-listing service) is padding the score with throwaway praise.
The detector flags reviews that are both top-rated and below a length threshold, then estimates how many of them statistically shouldn't exist. For this hostel we scanned 2470 top-rated reviews and 0% were suspiciously short.
Length z-score: 29.93. A z-score measures how far this hostel's distribution of 5★ review lengths sits from the global average, in standard deviations. 0 = perfectly typical. 1–2 = slightly unusual but within normal noise. 3–5 = strongly anomalous. Anything 10+ means the pattern is so far from the global norm that it's effectively impossible to get there organically.
This is a heuristic, not a verdict — it surfaces hostels worth a second look, not proof of fraud. Read the actual reviews below and judge for yourself.
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10/10 reviews, u get a free beer
No bad hostel. If u want beer it’s good, if you want sleep forget it. Don’t believe the 10/10 reviews, u get a free beer if you review
Scotland MALE 25-30 -
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free drink to every guest in exchange for a good review so take all the 10 star review
Good stay overall but the hostel offers a free drink to every guest in exchange for a good review so take all the 10 star reviews with a grain of salt
Australia MALE 18-24 -
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five star reviews as there is a discount
Quite a dirty hostel, one bathroom for 12 beds? Lots of five star reviews as there is a discount on booking in the hostel if you review them 5 stars. Better hostels to stay at in Hanoi
England FEMALE 18-24 -
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review you get a free shot
From all the reviews I was expecting a lot but was really let down. The curtains are see through, only one bathroom in each room. Then I saw on the wall that if you leave a review you get a free shot so that explains the good reviews. Breakfast was good though
Canada FEMALE 18-24 -
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free beer for giving the hostel a 5 star rating
Good: - staff is friendly -nice rooftop Bad: -Rooms are very bad; small, dirty, mold everywhere (also in bathroom), you don‘t get a proper dovet and they probably don‘t wash it. -Ants in the room -rooms are so small -I saw a staff member how we gave someone free beer for giving the hostel a 5 star rating -
Germany MALE 18-24 -
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reviews are inflated.. someone I met was given a free night
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reviews are inflated
Pros: good AC, cheap, breakfast yummy Cons: cramped rooms, rickety metal beds, dirty bathrooms Also these reviews are inflated.. someone I met was given a free night stay for leaving a good review (ok fair enough) but then the staff just took their phone and wrote the review themselves (according to them) Overall I say meh. I wouldn’t stay here again
USA MALE 18-24 -
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reviews for this place are fake as there are signs all around saying that you get free drink
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reviews for this place are fake
Do not stay here. They have bedbugs in the rooms which I found. The main reason for the poor review however is that many of the reviews for this place are fake as there are signs all around saying that you get free drinks for good reviews. I do not like when hostels do this as it is misleading for travellers. Stay somewhere else.
England MALE 18-24 -
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review for a free beer
This place looks like it has good reviews because it’s a social hostel with signs everywhere saying give us a review for a free beer or shot. It is NOT clean. I woke up with ants in my bed, there were ants in the food at breakfast. My sheets were dirty and even worse the blanket they give you is a fluffy throw which clearly does not get put in the wash between people staying which is so gross. The dorm rooms are really cramped and the whole place is really dingy.
Australia FEMALE 25-30 -
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review by offering us free drink
The location is amazing + so is the free buffet breakfast, also if you book the loop through them you get a free night! Toilets weren’t very clean and there weren’t enough of them. Having more shared bathrooms would be good as we often had to go all the way to the top or bottom floor as the bathroom in the room was busy. As we were leaving, the staff on reception tried to get us to give a 10 star review by offering us free drinks + snacks, so please take the reviews with a pinch of salt
England FEMALE 25-30 -
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free breakfast is 10/10
Great hostel! Good location and the free breakfast is 10/10
England FEMALE 18-24 -
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10/10 stay great service and great staff, and a good free breakfast
10/10 stay great service and great staff, and a good free breakfast
England FEMALE 18-24 -
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10/10 plus the beeeest free breakfast
i love the atmospher and the people who work there. 10/10 plus the beeeest free breakfast
Austria MALE 31-40 -
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reviews from people who wanted a free shot
grossest, most run down hostel i've ever stayed at. roach infestation, the occasional rat, and mold... enjoy your stay... Can't lie the breakfast was nice, but don't be fooled by the 10 star reviews from people who wanted a free shot
USA FEMALE 25-30 -
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ratings are skewed by the hostels policy of free drink
The dirtiest hostel I’ve ever stayed at. The ratings are skewed by the hostels policy of free drinks for positive reviews. The sheets were damp, it is on the loudest street with all the pubs and clubs, the sheets have stains and bathroom is filthy, and the atmosphere isn’t as social as one would expect. Do not recommend.
Canada FEMALE 25-30 -
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reviews because they offer a free shot
The pictures on the internet look nice, the rooms nothing alike. This hostel is extremely loud, starting from the fifth floor you hear the rooftop music (11th floor). I booked for three nights, and after one night (during the day, without anyone asking or telling me) I was removed from my room and put in another. No windows, just a lightless box. Warm water was broken. They have good reviews because they offer a free shot/beer for those. I'd never book again!
Germany MALE 25-30 -
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reviews, customers get free beer
Don’t be fooled by the 5* reviews, customers get free beer for writing those… We stayed in a ‘deluxe’ double, with a grubby bathroom and zero sound proofing. Breakfast was good, offering continental and traditional options. Staff seemed to mainly be other travellers, volunteering, but didn’t take you on unless you were in their cliche. Overall if you’re wanting something that offers you a few hours sleep, in a central location with like minded party goers then you’ll be fine. Very loud hostel.
Scotland FEMALE 25-30 -
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free breakfast buffet is something you see in a 5-star
One of the best hostels in Hanoi. The location is perfect (right on Beer Street), the rooms are clean, and the beds are some of the most comfortable hostel beds I've been on. The free breakfast buffet is something you see in a 5-star hotel. The Rooftop Bar is the main attraction here, with views of both sides of the Hanoi skyline and epic sunsets to match with vibes of the music and drinks. Definitely a hostel you HAVE to stay at in Hanoi.
USA MALE 31-40 -
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Free beer for review
Room was clean and tidy! People were very nice and felt safe! Met so many great people here! The breakfast was amazing and the best breakfast I’ve ever had in a hostel!! Would definitely recommend this hostel to people looking to stay in a good location of Hanoi! Really easy to book tours through the hostel! Hai Giang loop was so easy to book! Only bad point was that the shower door did not close properly so in a 6 bed dorm the floor flooded a lot! Free beer for review 🤙🏽🤙🏽
England MALE 18-24 -
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reviews are only left so people can get a free beer
Below average hostel, place was cramped and the rooms nothing like the photos. Dead rat in a trash bag just left in the corridor. Rooms were tiny so no room to do anything other than get in and out of the bed. The good reviews are only left so people can get a free beer/shot. Rooftop is the best attraction but music can be heard from the 5th floor (bar is on 11th). The place is okay for one night to crash but there are other hostels for the same price that are way better. Staff are friendly tho.
Wales FEMALE 25-30 -
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for 5 star review
So my girlfriend and I booked the ha giang loop through the hostel and we each paid 230. we found out that other people in the hostel only paid like 170 and if you booked it through the website it was 160 so THEY SCAMMED US OUT OF 140 QUID. we came back for our free night and there was this guy in my room on drugs like screaming and freaking out so we ran down to reception and they didn’t help even though 2 girls were in tears. They give u a shot for 5 star reviews, they only gave us juice
Ireland MALE 18-24 -
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fake reviews
Very small rooms with no window, no hooks, very loud lockers, not much space for bags. Rooftop bar was great. Really confused how this hostel gets >9 stars avg (many of us at the hostel think they are fake reviews, much like google maps in the area).
USA FEMALE 18-24 -
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review for this place are largely overinflated
Instead of giving my opinion I’ll just list some facts; One bathroom for 10 people. Spotty air conditioner in the rooms See through curtains No free water refills Mediocre but passable breakfast buffet I think the review for this place are largely overinflated. If you want a place to get hammered and come home so drunk it doesn’t matter what the bedrooms are like, this isn’t a bad option. If you want a good hostel I would look elsewhere.
USA MALE 25-30 -
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reviews have been bought
This was a bang on average hostel and the good reviews have been bought in some way or another. The room was cramped & dark - looked nothing like the photo. I appreciate that not all rooms look the same, but it made me feel a bit cheated. There are not enough lockers in the room for the amount of beds. The whole set up of the building feels more like a hotel and so the social atmosphere left much to be desired. Only upside was the friendly bar staff!
Australia FEMALE 18-24 -
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Suspiciously short
Everything!
England MALE 25-30 -
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Recommended
Philippines FEMALE 25-30
HostelPunk native reviews
First-party field notes
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Vibe Analysis
Hanoi Backpackers Hostel & Rooftop Bar is built around its rooftop: a loud, social terrace with music, activities, pub-crawl energy, and an easy path into Hanoi nightlife. The location is right in the Old Quarter near Beer Street, so it works best for backpackers who want bars, late nights, and quick access to tour desks rather than quiet recovery time. Breakfast is a real bright spot, with the buffet and bacon standing out more than the rooms. The hostel can also be useful for booking Ha Giang Loop and Ha Long Bay trips, though tour pricing and organization may need careful checking. The rooms are the tradeoff. Dorms can be very tight, dark, stuffy, and short on bag space, with one combined shower/toilet setup serving larger rooms. Private rooms seem especially uneven: some are in a separate building or annex, sometimes with weak WiFi, poor soundproofing, plumbing problems, or a layout that feels disconnected from the main social area. This is a party hostel with a rough edge, not a polished base. It fits travelers who care most about location, rooftop energy, breakfast, and meeting people, and who can tolerate noise, cramped rooms, and inconsistent facilities.
Signals to check
- Cleanliness is a major concern, including dirty bathrooms, stained bedding, mold, bad smells, and pest sightings.
- Noise can be intense from Beer Street, the rooftop, hallway traffic, lockers, construction, and late-night partying.
- Private rooms may be poor value compared with nearby hotels or other hostels.
- Facilities can be unreliable, including hot water, WiFi, air conditioning, lockers, showers, plugs, towels, and room security.
- Tour bookings and add-on charges may need careful price checks before paying.