Hanoi · Vietnam
Hanoi Buffalo Hostel
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
Unfortunately at this hostel I woke up after one night to find a bedbug skin on my bed. My friend in the same room got absolutely eaten alive by bedbugs, with enough bites to suggest a bad infestation. Staff did respond immediately when we told them of the issue. A shame as otherwise a social hostel in a good location.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Friends and I destroyed by bed bugs. Massive infestation, woke throughout the night with countless bites, blood stains and bed bug carcasses. Good breakfast, staff were responsive (I hope they fix this asap) and facilities are otherwise good.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
There were bedbugs
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Super nice hostel, very social. Highly recommend the pub crawl and walking tour. Free breakfast is nice but expect it to be cleared up 10 mins before it’s over and for them not to refill it much at all - basically get down early if you want to make the most of it. Great location too. However I did find bed bugs on the mattress when checking out and may have had a few bites which isn’t ideal..
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Confirmed Google Maps
I had a hard time writing this review… The two stars are for the good breakfast and the nice staff! Otherwise I have to admit that my stay at the hostel wasn‘t great: the dorms are relatively loud, the bathrooms are very small and you have to share them with a lot of people. Unfortunately I found some kind of dead bug… even though the staff said that it isn‘t bed bugs I would advise every traveler to check the area surrounding their bed and their luggage. Because of this, I left earlier than intended. The staff was understanding and helpful in that situation!
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Confirmed Hostelworld
For the price you pay I can’t complain too much. Staff were super helpful with recommendations and booking Ha Giang Loop and Ha Long Bay. I stayed in 2 separate rooms before and after the loop… the first one was a 6 bed female dorm with en suite which was not great. I found 2 bugs in my bed which staff assured me were not bed bugs but actually baby cockroaches (still kinda gross). They did offer to move me rooms but someone else would have gone straight into it so I just requested they clean my sheets which they said they would do (but they evidently did not). Also the bathroom was super mouldy and the shower flooded the whole bathroom anytime anyone had a shower which was annoying. The second room was a 8 bed mixed dorm with no en suite and the bathrooms there were much better. Only complaint was there was a huge open drop down the side of the bed (I was top bunk) under the socket so I had to stuff down into it to stop my phone falling through in the night. Other than that free breakfast was good and it was nice to have a pool, although I never used it due to it being very small with only one table beside it which was usually occupied.
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Possible Hostelworld
Cooles Hostel, leider in der eine Nacht wo ich da war, würde ich lebengefressen von Bettwanzen. Die Stiche habe mich die letzten 2 Nächte wachgehalten und brennen tierisch. Mindestens 20 Stiche am ganzen Körper. Bleib weg von Zimmer 204 Bett A (top bunk).
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Vibe Analysis
The Ha Giang Loop setup is the big extra here: Hanoi Buffalo can organize multi-day motorbike trips with small groups, homestays, food, drivers, and group leaders. It can be a trip-maker when the logistics land well, though tour communication and itinerary pressure may need a careful pre-booking sanity check. The hostel itself sits right in Hanoi Old Quarter, close to Beer Street, night markets, Hoan Kiem Lake, cafes, street food, and the main city chaos. It leans social and party-friendly, with free beer hour, pub crawls, quizzes, beer pong, walking tours, and a lobby/common area that can make solo travel easier. Beds can be comfortable, lockers are large, and card access for rooms and lockers is a useful touch. Breakfast is a real strength, with buffet-style options, omelettes, fruit, toast, and enough fuel before a city day or onward bus. This is not a polished boutique hideout. Rooms and bathrooms can be tired, cramped, damp, smelly, noisy, or maintenance-prone, and the tiny pool is not a major reason to book. Come for Old Quarter location, social momentum, cheap-bed practicality, and tour convenience, not for serenity.
Signals to check
- Bathrooms and rooms can be inconsistent, with cleanliness, dampness, smell, small showers, broken hooks, weak AC, and tired fittings possible.
- Noise is part of the deal near Beer Street and inside a large party hostel, though a few private rooms may still be quiet.
- There have been serious bedbug complaints in 2025, so checking the bed area on arrival is sensible.
- Hot water can be unreliable or too hot, including one recent scalding-hot sink and shower issue.
- Ha Giang Loop bookings need clear confirmation on bus type, room type, inclusions, dietary needs, route length, and post-loop accommodation before paying.