Betel Box Backpackers Hostel
Location: 200 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore, sg
Star Rating: 1 Stars
Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
About this Property
Historic Charm and Modern Comfort: Travel back in time and experience the nostalgia of the 1920s in our traditional restored shophouse in Joo Chiat.
Convenient Location: Just a stone's throw away from the Geylang Serai Malay Village Market and well-connected to public transport, exploring Singapore has never been easier.
Relaxation and Entertainment: From a resident cat named Whisky to a cosy lounge area with a pool table and library, we offer the perfect blend of relaxation and entertainment for our guests.
Ready to immerse yourself in the rich cultural tapestry of Joo Chiat? Book your stay at Betel Box Backpackers Hostel now.
Important Information
In efforts to remain eco-friendly, air-conditioning in all dormitory rooms are switched on overnight between 19:00 to 11:00, while the windows remain open during the day to let in fresh air. Air-conditioning is available 24 hours in the common room. Payment before arrival via Paypal is required. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions. Please note that the hotel accepts only cash payment upon check-in. The hostel conducts award-winning tours and activities weekly, for a minimum of 8 guests. Guests who wish to use this service are kindly requested to inform the property in advance. Contact details can be found on the booking confirmation. Guests who have already checked in and require to shorten your length of stay must inform the partner at least 2 days in advance, or full payment for the original booking will be forfeited. In order to maintain a travelers hostel atmosphere, we can only allow guests who holds a tourist Visa in Singapore to stay with us. We have the right to refuse any locals, PRs and work pass holders.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Policies
Check-in: 02:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Check-out: 10:30 AM
Amenities & Facilities
- Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
- Air conditioning
- Family rooms
- Luggage storage
- Fax/photocopying
- Tour desk
- Non-smoking throughout
- Shared lounge/TV area
- Board games/puzzles
- Fruits
- Fire extinguishers
- Smoke alarms
- CCTV outside property
- 24-hour security
- Key card access
- Shopping on site
- Television in common areas
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Free wired internet
- Water park access (surcharge)
- Internet access
- Games
- Secured parking
- Beach club nearby (surcharge)
- Bicycle-friendly property
- Beach toys
- Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
Rooms Available
-
Single Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Air-conditioned mixed dormitory room can sleep up to 6 guests in bunk beds. Rate is for 1 guest only and includes a self-service Continental breakfast. Bathroom facilities are shared. Complimentary coffee/tea making facilities are available.
Benefits include:
- Free Continental breakfast (self-service)
- Free-flow Coffee/Tea
- 10% discount on attraction tickets
- 50% discount on selected tours with The Real Singapore Tours
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Air conditioning
- Fan
- Trash cans
- Lockers
-
Bunk Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Air-conditioned mixed dormitory room can sleep up to 8 guests in bunk beds. Rate is for 1 guest only and includes a self-service Continental breakfast. Bathroom facilities are shared. Complimentary coffee/tea making facilities are available.
Benefits include:
- Free Continental breakfast (self-service)
- Free-flow Coffee/Tea
- 10% discount on attraction tickets
- 50% discount on selected tours with The Real Singapore Tours
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Air conditioning
- Fan
- Clothes rack
- Trash cans
- Lockers
-
Bunk Bed in 8-Bed Female Dormitory Room
Air-conditioned female dormitory room can sleep up to 8 guests in bunk beds. Rate is for 1 female guest only and includes a self-service Continental breakfast. Bathroom facilities are shared. Complimentary coffee/tea making facilities are available.
Benefits include:
- Free Continental breakfast (self-service)
- Free-flow Coffee/Tea
- 10% discount on attraction tickets
- 50% discount on selected tours with The Real Singapore Tours
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Air conditioning
- Fan
- Clothes rack
- Trash cans
- Lockers
-
Bunk Bed in 20-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room
Air-conditioned mixed dormitory room can sleep up to 20 guests in bunk beds. Rate is for 1 guest only and includes a self-service Continental breakfast. There are lockers provided and 3 shared bathrooms. Complimentary coffee/tea making facilities are available.
Benefits include:
- Free Continental breakfast (self-service)
- Free-flow Coffee/Tea
- 10% discount on attraction tickets
- 50% discount on selected tours with The Real Singapore Tours
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Air conditioning
- Fan
- Clothes rack
- Trash cans
- Lockers
-
Single Bed in Female Dormitory Room
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Shower
- Hair dryer
- Fan
- Toilet
- Bidet
- Toilet paper
Guest Reviews
- Nine (10/5): Super personeel en het verblijf was top! - Het personeel was echt geweldig! Super vriendelijk. De locatie is goed bereikbaar met bussen waardoor je makkelijk naar de airport of de hotspots bij Marina Bay kan. Het ontbijt is te doen, ik heb er zelf geen gebruik van gemaakt. Je kan zelf je brood roosteren en smeren en eventueel wat cake meenemen. De bedden waren wat mij betreft iets te hard maar alles was schoon. Het enige onhandige was de douche half boven het toilet maar opzich ook weer niet het grootste probleem. Over het algemeen een super verblijf waar ik zeker nog eens terug zou komen! De bedden/ kussen was iets te hard waar ik erg gevoelig voor ben en daardoor een beetje stijf wakker werd.
- Kzey (8/5): Good hostel at Joo Chiat - Cheap dorm bed, strong WiFi, shower was ok, The hostel is far from the train station. No individual lamp and socket. Check in process was a bit complicated
- Lilibeydy (8/5): -
- hann (10/5): If you're looking for a good experience & getting your money's worth, here is your place ! - The host is very friendly from the moment i come through the door & very helpful with everything that i need. The place also very near to many bus stop that u can take to go to any MRT stations. The surrounding area also have a convinience story, restaurant & cafe within walking distance. Is there anything to not like ?!
I never see one leh 🤨
- Thomas (10/5): -
- Mengting (10/5): 很好 - 老板大晚上还帮忙细心办理入住,并且耐心指点去公交站的路程。很好。 晚上附近有点噪音
- Tiago (3/5): Get rid of the night receptionist - Some members of the staff were nice and cared about your experience in Singapore. I was not impressed with the main dorm, too many peoole for the conditions with people canned like if we were back to a low budget school trip. People coughing would hit you and the bunk beds were quite squitchy. Toilet and shower were in the same booth meaning it was always flooded. Upper beds don't have plugs but you can get a 1-ton power bank if you leave an ID that is quite wrong. But the worst was the night receptionist. He spent his time trying to hit in some of the females around and seemed quite annoyed when had to leave one of them to answer a question about extension. We had a debate over leaving the ID which I questioned and he replied "Welcome to Singapore Bro!". I have been travelling for 15 years and love the light mood on hostels but I am still a paying guest and customer service is a must. That guy ruined the total stay as I even decided not to extend!
- Adam (10/5): - Stayed here 3 times now staff are amazing and really helpful, its on a great street with great connections, quiet enough that you'll get a good night's sleep but enough going on so if you want to stay out you can.
- Floortje (7/5): Nice hostel in a perfect street (Joo Chiat is nice) - The welcome at check-in felt really warm, also efficient instructions with door-code, Wifi, sightseeing in the area etc. I little ‘messy’ vibe, a lot of stuff everywhere
- Olga (10/5): Friendly Staff and Great Location - The staff were the highlight of the stay - they were super friendly, helpful, and eager to share about life in Singapore. The location was also very nice - the streets have a lot of restaurants/bars and the rest of the city is just a bus/MTR ride away. The rooms and bathroom were both clean. The non-bunk layout of the room made it feel a bit tight. I also couldn't sleep very well because of the AC + fan combo.
- Masato (10/5): -
- Steve (8/5): -
- Arnaud (8/5): -
- Sohrab (10/5): -
- Chiara (9/5): Great comfortable stay and a perfect basis to explore Singapore! - The check-in was easy and very informative, also available at any time of arrival. Staff was very friendly and constantly available. Check-out was just as great, with the option to store my luggage until late.
- Caldwell (9/5): good for a longer style layover - very friendly staff with lots of advice
- Aymeric (9/5): - Hostel pratique, propre et bien placé. Situé hors du centre-ville proprement dit, mais proche de lignes de bus et de deux lignes de MRT.
Le quartier de l'hôtel en lui-même est intéressant : la Joo Chiat Road et ses environs sont des lieux animés, comprenant de nombreux restaurants, bars, food-centers et commerces adaptés à tous les budgets, L'architecture Peranakan confère aux lieux une atmosphère particulière, dans le style "ancien Singapour".
- Sin Yu (8/5): - 很乾淨!員工非常友善!
- Holp (9/5): -
- Marius (10/5): - I would say it’s a perfect hostel. I have no complaints!
- Alexander (10/5): -
- amelie (9/5): - Emplacement parfait. Petit dej simple mais appréciable. La salle commune est agréable. Possibilité de faire faire sa lessive dans la journée. Staff professionnel et accueillant. Pas de rideaux dans le dortoir ni prise individuelle.
Salle de bain pas pratique : douche au-dessus des WC et pas grand chose pour poser ses affaires.
- Lynn (9/5): -
- Panagiotis (8/5): - Lage in einem sehr schönen stadtteil unweit von stadt strand und flughafen, kleines gutes frühstück -
- Ashwani (10/5): 10 out of 10 (from my son who was backpacking and needed somewhere cheap to sleep for one night) - Room, shower, people, Breakfast. Bar next door.
- Lloyd (10/5): -
- Qazi Asim (8/5): - No no
- DANDAN (8/5): -
- servidei (10/5): - Staff really nice and in a very good location, pub, restaurant, disco and beach nearby Only bad thing shared dormitory
- Juliette (10/5): -
- Amalie (10/5): They had an amazing Singapore-guide to help us navigate through the country:) the staff were very helpful -
- Pamela (8/5): Value for your money. - I stayed in a 5-bed female dorm. The bed was comfortable. Although the hostel is about a 20-minute walk from the metro station, it’s not difficult to navigate. Like most hostels in Singapore, it doesn’t have a lift, so it can be quite difficult if you have heavy luggage.
- Geoffrey (7/5): - The personnel is great, very helpful
Location is great Only reason I put 7 instead of 9 is the WiFi is the worst thing in the world, it’s a captive WiFi and it doesn’t make any sense to have this in a hostel.
Also it could use curtains when you have that many beds in a room. Curtains and normal WiFi would make it a 10.
- Daniel (9/5): Saya akan kembali lagi - Vibes tamu dan traveller sangat baik Hampir tidak ada
- Sandra (10/5): -
- Ying (10/5): -
- Zhou (10/5): -
- Mohammed (1/5): - Nothing Shampoo , towels and body wash are for sale which should’ve been the minimum that the property provides for its guests
I came from the airport afternoon time tired and hot from the humid weather the room was boiling windows were open and all the noise coming from the street I asked for some air conditioning at least so I can sleep they said our policy is we don’t turn the AC on Till 7pm at night
It was a big struggle I couldn’t sleep till after 9 when the room got cool
I don’t recommend it for the solo travelers too because you won’t have chance to rest till late at night
Reception guy was kind and respectful to me
- Jonas (6/5): Das Hostel bietet alles was nötig ist aber mehr auch nicht. - Der Preis Die Betten
- Sanchez (8/5): - bunk beds without curtain are a big no no
- Guest (10/5): -
- Radoslaw (7/5): To był tylko nocleg przed przesiadką do kolejnego samolotu. - Śniadanie tylko słodkie: dżemy, masło czekoladowe itp. Połączenie z wifi trochę problematyczne. Trzeba się zalogować potem przychodzi jakaś informacja na email aby dokończyć połączenie. Pierwszy raz spotykam się z czymś takim. Wszędzie gdzie byłem dovtej pory to otrzymywałem poprostu hasło.
- Demi (10/5): My Singapore go-to - Vibes were great, bathrooms were clean, laundry was efficient, and the staff was hella friendly. Great place to mingle too, and in a great neighborhood that was observing Ramadan at the time. I stayed in the room at the very top of the building, so you could hear some kind of generator outside the walls the whole night. So there was some noise. Unsure if from inside or a neighbor.
- Kattreen (7/5): - Location, there are restaurants around, yoga/pilates studios. Walking distance to train and bus station.
- Teddy (8/5): -
- Pamela Rose (3/5): Not really good - Nothing much Was first located at the male room
- Alice (9/5): - - Awesome staff: got a great conversation and a ride to Malaysia thanks to them!
- Room was very clean; no mess
- Breakfast was good (especially when there was multigrain bread)
- All the info (tips, landmarks, train stations...) given at the beginning of the stay - The common area has a huge potential for being very social, but it wasn't while I was there. Would be great if activities e.g. board games were organised on some nights.
- The toilet and shower being in the same room is quite unpractical (toilet gets drenched)
- MANDAVA RAGHAVA PRASAD (7/5): -
- Michelle (7/5): A nice stay at Betel Box - Great staff. Very welcoming, helpful. Offered early breakfast due to Ramadan. Convenient to the bus to and from the airport. Individual curtains and light so you don't disturb others. Wifi was limited.
- Barbara (10/5): Hostel muy acogedor - El personal muy amable y preocupados de cada detalle, de dar información sobre la ciudad. El ambiente era todo muy grato, las instalaciones funcionaban bien y era un lugar limpio. Además dan un rico desayuno Me gustó todo, volvería a esta lugar siempre
- Sonja (10/5): Toll, komme wieder - Der große gemischte Schlafsaal war sehr sauber und man hatte genügend Platz und ein großes Schließfach .
Es gab für diesen Bereich 4 Toiletten und drei Duschen. Extra Waschbecken.
Aufenthaltsraum sehr gemütlich.
Küche: genügend Geschirr, Wasserkocher, Trinkwasser, Kaffee, Tee, Toastbrot., Das Frühstück ist auf geringe Basis. Aber man weiß es ja und es reicht.
Der Service ist unwahrscheinlich nett und hilfsbereit. Tolle BackpackerUnterkunft.😃 Nur als Tipp vielleicht noch ein paar mehr Aufhängenmöglichkeiten für Kleider
- Risueño (8/5): - Buena ubicación. Personal amable y 24h.
Los baños son baño-ducha en la misma cabina.
Venden toallas (1$) y bebidas.
- Johanna (8/5): - Super freundliches Personal, sehr zuvorkommend. Wahnsinnig toll, dass man bei der Anreise so viele Tips bekommt, was man die ersten Tage alles machen kann! Frühstück bestand nur aus Toast mit einzelnen Aufstrichen, die Toaster waren super schlechte Qualität und haben mehrfach angefangen zu brennen.
Der Müll könnte öfter geleert werden.
- Anna (9/5): - the location was perfect and zi was very helpful in any way.its a nice place were you can hang around i the hottest hour.very easy to access by bus 24 from changi
- Matthew (8/5): -
- Muhammed Adeel (5/5): -
- Arailym (10/5): -
- Arailym (10/5): -
- Kristin (7/5): -
- Anant (10/5): Value for money - Location The charging ports are very far- not near bed
- Natalia Triantafyllou (9/5): Great value for money accomodation in very nice and comfortable location. - The location was great, and the staff was very friendly. Comfortable common area, with a workspace available. The location was also great, with easy access to MRT or bus. Many food options around as well. I would prefer if the beds were ready.
- Carolin Johanna (8/5): -
- manuel (10/5): -
- Maria Eulalia (8/5): It was comfortable, people are hospitable and helpful. Neighborhood is very cool too - Like the soft and comfortable bed and warm blanket It could have been better if there's curtain in between beds for privacy
- Nai-Yuan (10/5): -
- Louis (4/5): -
- Nathalie Jane (9/5): -
- Piotr Karzełek (8/5): -
- Piotr Karzełek (8/5): -
- 勤翔 (8/5): -
- Sri Vaishnav (10/5): -
- Rahul (10/5): -
- Anil (8/5): -
- Shishir (10/5): Everything was very good. The hotel management was well organized, staff were kind, and the overall atmosphere was comfo - Room,Bathroom & toilet with single bed 0
- Baban (9/5): -
- anhtho (8/5): value for money - location mixed cohabitation is a bit scary
- tomer schwartz (10/5): - Made my SG stay wonderful, comfortable, social, safe, value for money
- Dilara (8/5): Etwas überteuert selbst für Singapur - Mitarbeiter sind super freundlich und kommunikativ 30€ pro Nacht für das female dorm dafür musste man noch sein Bett selber beziehen (Bettwäsche war so lala)
Es gibt keine Vorhänge, also 0 Privatsphäre. Bei Late Check in oder spät abends schlafen gehen wird man zwangsläufig geweckt.
Alles bisschen weit entfernt (mit Bus gut machbar)
- Hancy (10/5): Friendly staff, free travel guides, and clean toilets. - I like the free breakfast, it saved my budget trip in Singapore! I met new friends here too! I didn’t like the staircase because it was hard to carry my luggage up and down.
- akhil (10/5): -
- Kumaresan (6/5): - Don't like Mostly
- MOHAMMED (5/5): Average stay, acceptable for one night only. - The location is convenient and close to public transport and food places. Staff were okay and check-in was simple. Having to return bed cover, pillow cover, and blanket to the counter was inconvenient. Overall comfort could be improved.
- Eunice (6/5): Fair price for what you get. - Loved the location of this hostel in the historic Joo Chiat neighborhood. They put together a lovely guide to explore both the area and Singapore as a whole. Very easy to get to via public transport. Staff was friendly and super helpful. Seemed like people enjoyed having a space to work. They also have dry goods for sale if you need snacks, drinks, soap, etc. Cash only unless you have more than s$25. The price matches the value. I booked here because the ratings were so high, it looked like a great place, I was expecting it to be way nicer than it was. The photos of the rooms are accurate; they are sparse with zero privacy. “Breakfast Included” is also a bit misleading as the option is toast with jam, maybe a pastry, coffee or tea. No fresh fruit or cereals or juices are offered, so it’s a very simple breakfast compared to the other hostels I’ve stayed at throughout the region for less. A good bit of the common area is used for storage so I wasn’t sure what was open to use without having to ask.
- Echo (5/5): 非常完美的体验 - 超棒 无
- Wichai (10/5): - สะดวกสบาย ประหยัดงบได้เยอะ เจ้าหน้าที่เป็นกันเอง ดูแลดีมาก ที่พักสะอาด
- Diego Alonso (8/5): Simple, reasonably clean, and good value overall - Friendly and helpful staff. They were happy to recommend attractions and explain how to get around by public transport Not enough power outlets in the room, especially near the top bunk. Breakfast is basic but does the job
- Anson (10/5): -
- Eva (10/5): - Everything was perfect, ideal location and great staff. I would definitely come back here 😊
- Yi Ling (10/5): - boss is very enthusiastic. he's provide complete and convince travel guide to know Singapore well
- hu (7/5): -
- Jose (7/5): - Facilidad para moverte No tenía enchufes cerca de la cama
- VICTORIA (9/5): - Das Personal war sehr nett. Mir wurde für meinen ganzen Aufenthalt eine powerbank geliehen und als mir ein bisschen Geld für mein Abendessen gefehlt hatten, wurde es mir gegeben, ohne das sich es zurückzahlen musste. Der Weg zu den Hauptattraktionen Singapurs ist sehr lang.
- Abhishek (9/5): -
- Amena (8/5): -
- Wentsai (8/5): - 接待人員介紹很多新加坡的景點,check in 到晚上12點 櫃檯僅一位工作人員,入住辦理時間過長
浴室廁所很小間,
洗手台水龍頭要按壓才出水,洗臉很不方便
- Mills (9/5): Great experience - Good location, really informative and friendly staff. Free breakfast was good and found everything very clean. Not a super social hostel but probably relative to it being in a major city?
- 喻海涛 (8/5): -
- Natsuko (8/5): 個人的にはおすすめします! - スタッフの方が本当にみんな親切です。
清掃もまめにしてくれているので快適に過ごせました。
シンガポールでこの値段はとてもお得だと思います。
お水や他飲み物も受付で24時間買えるので、安心して利用できる素晴らしいホテルです。
私は女性用ドミトリーに宿泊しました。女性用のシャワー&トイレは3つあるので何処かは空いていました。
ドライヤーもあるし、洗濯物もお願いしたら乾燥まで済ませて返してくれます(有料) いろいろなバス停が近くにあるのでバスを使うには便利ですがMRTは少し離れています。私は散歩にちょうど良い距離でしたが、暑い中歩くのが苦手でしたらバスをオススメします。
シャワー、トイレは一緒ですがこの価格なら何処も同じだと思います。
- M (10/5): Great! - Second time I stayed here, absolutely would come back again if I need a place to stay in Singapore. Staff is beyond friendly, the area is nice and the accomodation is clean.
- Moritz (9/5): -
Photos