Considering a stay at About a Bed Hostel Chiang Mai?
Great choice! Today, I’m here to tell you about About a Bed Hostel and my stay there in January 2024.
Chiang Mai was the second stop in my journey of backpacking Southeast Asia, and after I took the overnight train from Bangkok, I was EXHAUSTED.
Thankfully, About a Bed was a great place to catch up on rest and relax.
Here’s everything you need to know about staying at this hostel.
Don’t have time to read the full review? The short summary is yes, I recommend staying in About a Bed Hostel.
About a Bed Hostel Chiang Mai: Overview
At the time of writing, About a Bed has a 9.6 star rating on Hostelworld, which is pretty good for a hostel.
I’d give it the same rating; however, whether I’d recommend the hostel to you is very dependent on what you’re looking for.
If you like party and/or super social hostels, About a Bed might not be for you. I’d suggest checking out Stamps instead.
If you like quiet and relaxing hostels, then it’s a great fit.
About a Bed’s selling point is its peaceful atmosphere and clean dorms. It’s very safe and accessible to other areas in Chiang Mai. However, it’s not the most social.
Breakfast is not included (nor do they serve it), but they do provide free coffee and tea. There’s a communal kitchen/fridge so you can store leftovers there.
Accommodation and Beds
About a Bed Hostel offers the following dorm options:
- 6 bed mixed dorm
- 6 bed female dorm
- 4 bed mixed dorm
- 4 bed female dorm
I stayed in a 6 bed female dorm and it was perfect for me. As a solo female traveler, I tend to prefer female-only dorms when available.
The cost came out to about $12/night.
The dorms are spacious, with lockers available. The beds are pushed against the wall and curtains are provided, so there is a lot of privacy.
Each bed comes with a light and outlets. The rooms also have air conditioning – which for me is a must for the hot Chiang Mai days.
One thing I thought was odd was that the main light was located outside the dorm, which was inconvenient to whoever had to turn them off/on.
The biggest con within this category is that the beds are not comfortable. Honestly, they were pretty hard. Okay for a few nights sleep but something to be aware of.
Social, Party or Both?
About a Bed Hostel Chiang Mai is very far away from being a party hostel. It’s a little social, as there is a common area to meet others, but it’s on the lower side of social.
I did meet a few people by having dinner in the common area, but I mostly had to go out of my way to interact with others.
That being said, About a Bed is great if you’re looking for a quiet place to unwind after a busy day.
Activities
The hostel doesn’t offer activities specific to hostel guests – e.g., city tours. Again, that’s why I say it’s somewhat social, as hostel activities are usually where I meet most people.
However, the staff are more than happy to arrange tours for you. You can book a bunch of different tours here, from cooking classes to elephant sanctuaries to jungle trekking.
The best part is these tours come with hostel pickup!
Location
About a Bed is located outside the Old Town of Chiang Mai. It’s a short walk into Old Town, so I wouldn’t call that a dealbreaker by any means.
The hostel is:
- 3 mins walk to nearest convenience store and pharmacy
- 3 mins walk to Chang Phuak Night Market (the famous street food market)
- 3 mins walk to Wat Lok Mo Lee
- 10 mins walk to North Gate Jazz Bar and 15 mins walk to Zoe in Yellow
- 10-15 mins walk to Main Temples (Wat Prasing, Wat Che Di Luang).
- 15 mins from Chiang Mai International Airport / Arcade Bus Station / Train Station
Anything you need is in close proximity. There are a lot of hostels located on the same street, meaning there’s also plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and more.
Since Chiang Mai is relatively small, you can walk to many places from the hostel.
Safety
I always felt safe at About a Bed Hostel Chiang Mai. There is a locker in the room (bring your own lock!) and the door can only be opened with your electronic key.
When reception is closed (8pm – 8am), you can only get into the building with the key card.
The location is safe, too. I never had any issues being alone in the evenings.
Not to mention, the staff here is wonderful. I cannot say enough good things about them!
If you’re heading to Chiang Mai, definitely consider staying at About a Bed!
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