Bui Vien Street Hostel

Rooms and decor

The 6-bed female dorm sits on the inside of the building, away from the street, at VND 340,000 a night, about $14. It is a 13 sqm room with three wooden bunk beds, each with a privacy curtain, a power socket, a USB port and a locker under the bed. The sheets are clean and white, the air-con is cool enough, and Wi-Fi runs at 50 Mbps. There is just one ensuite bathroom shared between all six beds, with a strong hot shower and free Cocoon toiletries. The 8-bed mixed dorm runs VND 300,000 (about $13) and a private double goes for VND 850,000 (about $35). One thing matters here: pick a room on the inside, because a street-facing bed hears Bui Vien until 02:00 every night.

Food and amenities

The 5th-floor rooftop common area is open 17:00 to 24:00, with sofas, chairs and a small bar where cocktails run VND 80,000 (about $3) and beer VND 25,000 (about $1). The pull is the view: you look straight down over Bui Vien Walking Street and the neon of the bars below. Free breakfast runs 06:30 to 09:30 in the ground-floor common area, with Pho Bo, banh mi, Vietnamese coffee and fruit, all unlimited. Staff speak good English and are quick with food and sightseeing tips, and the tour desk books Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta trips at prices about 15% under what you would pay online.

Location and getting there

This is the whole point of the place. The front door opens on Bui Vien Walking Street itself, and no hostel in the group is closer. The strip runs 800 metres and opens 19:00 to 02:00, packed with bars, food, live music, massage and hookah, most of it going late. Saigon beer on the street is VND 25,000 (about $1), cocktails VND 100,000 (about $4) and BBQ street food VND 50,000 to 100,000 (about $2 to $4). Named spots along the strip include Crazy Buffalo, a rooftop bar with a DJ and cocktails, Apocalypse Now for rock and a 70s feel, and Khoo Khoo Cafe for Vietnamese craft beer. Tan Son Nhat Airport is roughly a 25-minute taxi.

Things to know before booking

The noise is real: it is loud until 02:00 every night because Bui Vien simply does not stop. To sleep, book a room on the inside of the building rather than street-facing, which cuts the noise by around 60%. Rooms also start small at 12 sqm, and the female dorm shares a single ensuite between six guests. Wi-Fi is 50 Mbps, fine for browsing but slower than the newer boutique hotels nearby. None of this is a dealbreaker for the right traveller, but it tells you exactly who this place suits.

Our take

Bui Vien Street Hostel is the closest hostel to Bui Vien in the group, full stop, with a rooftop over the walking street, free breakfast and a tour desk that handles Cu Chi and the Mekong. It scores 8.5/10 across more than 1,800 reviews, with dorms from about $11. For anyone who wants nightlife on the doorstep and every bar within reach, it is excellent value. Just do not come expecting quiet, and if you want to sleep, take the inside room.