QuiikCat
by the TopOfHotel team
QuiikCat is a thoroughly cat-themed hostel — a very low starting price and staff reviewers single out as outstanding.
QuiikCat is a thoroughly cat-themed hostel — a very low starting price and staff reviewers single out as outstanding.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Kuching is the Cat City, and QuiikCat runs with that theme as far as it will go — bright painted walls, cat pictures in every corner, right down to cat-print bed linen. You open the door the first time and it pulls a grin out of you. There is a range to choose from, from a bed in a shared dorm up to a private room, so it works for a backpacker arriving solo or a couple on a budget. The decor is playful and reviewers like the easygoing feel — none of the impersonal sprawl of some bigger hostels. The honest thing to flag before you book: the walls are thin. Some reviewers go as far as to say the walls shift when you lean on them — it sounds like an exaggeration, but enough people repeat it. Rooms on the main road hear the traffic clearly, so if you are a light sleeper, asking for a room on the inner side at check-in helps a lot, or bring earplugs.
Food and amenities
A small thing sets it apart: the self-service breakfast is open 24 hours — coffee, tea, local bread to toast yourself, with butter and jam. Roll in at one in the morning hungry and you can make toast; head out at five for an early start to Bako and there is hot coffee before you go. That is convenience most hostels simply do not match. The other standout is the staff. Reviews say the same thing in one voice: they know the city deeply — which bus line, how much it costs, where it goes — they can tell you all of it. Plenty of reviewers stay only a couple of nights and still come back to single out the staff for special mention.
Location and getting there
It is a 6-minute, 400 m walk to the Waterfront, close to the Cat Statue, the Tua Pek Kong Temple and Carpenter Street, all on one easy walking route. You get the location of an upper-tier hotel at a hostel price. From Kuching International Airport it is about 12 km in, a 20-25 minute drive.
Things to know before booking
Go in with the right expectations. The walls are thin and the place sits on a main road, so street-facing rooms are noisy — ask for the inner side, or pack earplugs. It is a hostel, which means the amenities are basic: no pool, no en-suite bathroom in the dorm setup, and none of the hotel-style services. What you are paying for is the price, the theme and the people, not the facilities.
Our take
Backpackers, solo travelers and budget-minded couples who like a hostel with real character — and who do not mind meeting new people — get the best value of anyone here. The people who should look elsewhere are those who want dead silence to switch off, or who expect an en-suite bathroom and a pool. That is not what this is — for that, try a 3-star option like the Harbour View instead.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The cat theme is full-on, across the decor and even the in-room items — fun and distinctive, and a natural fit for the Cat City.
- Outstanding staff who know the city, the buses and the sights in real detail — this is the single most-praised point across reviews.
- Both private rooms and dorm beds, so it works whether you are traveling as a couple or solo.
- Self-service breakfast — coffee, tea and toast — is available 24 hours, which most hostels do not offer.
- A very low starting price, with dorm beds from about $9 a night, and only a 6-minute walk to the Waterfront.
- The walls are fairly thin — some reviewers go as far as to say the walls move when you lean on them, and you can hear the room next door.
- It sits on a main road, so the street-facing rooms pick up a lot of traffic noise.
- It is a hostel, so the amenities are basic — no pool and none of the hotel-style services you would get up the price scale.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Kuching
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a room or bed away from the street side at check-in — the main-road side is fairly noisy.
- Ask the staff about buses and sights — reviewers say they know the local routes deeply and help plan well.
- Breakfast is self-service and open 24 hours, so you can make toast and coffee at any hour you like.