Gili Meno · Indonesia
The Rabbit Tree Hostel
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
I was given the ball pit room, which is windowless, has dirty floors, and the AC was stuck on full blast due to the remote being lost . After the Friday night Family dinner (which was delicious), I went back to the room, and found what appeared to be bed bug droppings on the edge of my bed. I told the front desk staff, who asked if I wanted them to clean it up, and was told that the manager was not there to speak to. A few minutes later, the owner came upstairs, pointed at me in the seating area outside the room, and said "Come with me" without eye contact or introduction. He made me point to the droppings (small dark red pellets. He said they could not be bed bugs. Outside of the room he said "so, what do you want me to do about it!?" And got more and more argumentative, at one point asking me to come outside. I said that I didn't feel comfortable staying at his hostel anymore, and wanted a refund. He said no, and "what would I get out of that". I asked for a refund for the second day, when I wouldn't be there, and he said it "wouldn't be fair to other guests". I'm still amazed two days later how terribly and unprofessionaly he dealt with this. Just because they "haven't had bed bugs in 3 years" he seemed to think I was personally attacking him and being "overly emotional" by not instantly trusting him that this room that is innately uncleanable can't possibly have bed bugs. The volunteers & staff were all lovely, and the food was really nice, it's just a huge shame about bedbugs, lack of cleanliness, and the owners aggression.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
I was given the ball pit room, which was windowless with blasting AC (lost remote) and possibly bed bug droppings. After reporting it, staff offered to clean but the manager was unavailable. The owner responded rudely, denied the issue, became aggressive, and refused a refund for my second night, saying "what would I get out of it?". Despite great staff and food, the experience was ruined by poor cleanliness, possible bedbugs, and the owner’s unprofessional behavior and hostility.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
HATE to leave a bad review but people really need to be aware of what this place is like - amazed to see so many good reviews. The atmosphere is very creepy and my friend found bedbug droppings, the owner wouldn’t believe him. Someone cut their foot on the sharp concrete slabs in the kitchen because it’s no shoes allowed. Only reason it gets some points is because the volunteers were lovely and we had a nice family dinner, but the whole place really freaked me out.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
The hostel lookes really crazy and has a lot of crazy stuff. The chilloutarea is super nice and comfty also the wifi was very good. The people were nice and it feelt like a big family. But the rooms are humid because there are no windows and therefore it smelled. The carpet was pretty dirty and one of us had bed bug bites.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
When booking the hostel we expected a small treehouse vibe which it definitely delivered on however we were put in the Ball Pit Room which was honestly the most impractical room I have ever stayed in. As the floor was a literal ball pit, there was no where to put our luggage so we slept with our suitcases on our beds. Also as the doors did not lock, we had multiple people try enter our room to play in the ball pit at all hours. Also most importantly, 2 out of the 3 of us had BED BUGS!
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Possible Google Maps
The hostel was ok for a hostel if a little pricey, certainly has is quirks however the room (private double) we were put in had some kind of ants or bugs in the bed then we we moved to the actual room we booked (bamboo room) which was nice, a large room but the shower did not work( down the road from hostel). At this point we did not want to make a fuss about shower as we had already complained about the bugs in our Bed in the previous room. I feel like you can get better facilitates for similar price on the island with a pool (we wish we had a pool but that’s our mistake for booking this without one). Overall it was cool and quirky and they had lots of activities going on such as cinema nights, family meals and yoga etc so possibly better for solo traveler's or couples up for a lot more fun that us! :)
HostelPunk native reviews
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Vibe Analysis
The Rabbit Tree Hostel is a handmade oddball on Gili Meno, built around themed rooms, hidden corners, ladders, rooftop nooks, a ball pit room, a tree house, a cinema space, cats, and plenty of places to flop between beach missions. The building itself is the main event: playful, strange, and more like an explorable art project than a standard dorm block. The social side is active without being a pure party machine. Family dinners, movie nights, games, bonfires, volleyball, beach sunsets, boat trips, snorkeling, and night swims with glowing plankton can make it easy to plug into a group. Staff and volunteers are often warm, kind, and hands-on, and the place suits solo backpackers who want a small, creative island base with music, shared meals, and low-pressure chaos. Rooms vary a lot. Some beds are comfy, some rooms have A/C or fans, and the Bamboo room gets good marks, but the more experimental rooms can be cramped, hot, windowless, awkward to reach, or short on privacy. The location is inland, around 5-10 minutes from beaches or the harbor depending where you are walking from, which fits Gili Meno's slow, barefoot rhythm but is not beachfront living. This is a personality hostel, not a polished resort substitute. Pick it for weird architecture, nightly hangs, and a small social scene; think twice if you need quiet sleep, spotless bathrooms, conventional room layouts, strong privacy, or a frictionless check-in-and-hide setup.
Signals to check
- Showers may use salty water, and hot water is not reliable.
- Cleanliness is inconsistent, especially in bathrooms, floors, and a few rooms.
- Some rooms are impractical: steep ladders, tiny doors, limited luggage space, weak privacy, no locks, poor Wi-Fi, weak fans, or no A/C may apply.
- Noise can carry through the building, with music, social areas, nearby prayer calls, and thin room divisions affecting sleep.
- Food and drink quality is mixed, and some activities or boat trips may cost extra.
- There may be no pool despite older listing material or expectations.