Backpacker Homestay Shanghai, Shanghai, China

BEWARE: Most people had a pleasant experience here, but my stay resulted in the worst hostel experience I’ve ever had in my 4 years of traveling. The place is nice, but the service is unwelcoming and insulting.

I got lost on my way there, and had the taxi driver call the hostel. The host responded, “didn’t you get my map? I’m surprised you had a hard time finding this place. I send everyone a map.” She seemed upset that she had to walk downstairs to find me.

After I checked in, I asked for recommendations for live music venues around town. She told me to look in the book. There were no towels available and there were bugs everywhere on the floor. When I asked her about the bugs, she quipped, “they’re everywhere in the city.” I asked to use the phone, and she said I couldn’t use her personal line, and had to wait until she came back from the store with her cell phone. 20 minutes later, unable to place a call on her cell phone, she told me to use her personal phone.



The breaking point came when, after unhappy with my night stay, I asked for my money back for the second night to look for another hostel. We argued for 30 minutes, in which the host said that I was not a guest in the hostel, there was no problem with her place, and that I WAS THE PROBLEM. In my 4 years of traveling, I’ve never been so insulted at a hostel or hotel. I was trying to be nice, and have an honest disagreement without being contentious. I simply was unhappy with the place and wanted my money back for the night I wasn’t going to be there. I told her in my country, hostels would refund me the money if I was unhappy with the place. She told me THAT I WASN’T IN MY COUNTRY, THAT I WAS IN CHINA NOW. All her comments combined were absolutely insulting.

I calmly left the place, forfeited my money (100 Yuan, big money in China), and walked 10 minutes down the street to Le Tour Traveler’s Rest where I was warmly greeted and found a place to stay that was cleaner and cheaper than Backpackers Homestay.

Overall, the place itself isn’t bad. If you are an independent traveller that wakes up early in the morning, comes home late, needs a place to crash, then this could be your place. The hostel is more like a room in an apartment where you crash than a typical hostel. All the stuff advertised about how great the place is mostly true, but what is not advertised is the horrible and rude service that awaits you when you arrive. You’re paying a lot of money for no service. You can go to Le Tour Travelers rest down the street, pay less, have a cleaner room, and more importantly, have hosts that are welcoming and not insulting to their guests.


Overall

1

Location

3

Cleanliness

1

Value

1

Facilities

2

Service

1

patma stayed here in Sep '08