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Hostels Guide > North America > USA > California > Los Angeles Hostels > Banana Bungalow Hollywood

Banana Bungalow Hollywood

Los Angeles (Hollywood), California, USA

3 of 23

Hostels in Los Angeles

Address	5920 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (Hollywood) Map
Price	$18-$19 dorms, $45-$75 privates Check Current Prices by Date Here

Location/Contact

Details

Their Description

Features

Free Breakfast
Kitchen
Lockers
Lounge / Common space
Pool Table
BBQ
TV
Washing Machine (laundry)
Travel information provided
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Phones (public or in room)

The Hostelz.com Review

Banana Bungalow Hollywood (also known as the Vibe Hotel & Hostel) is a privately run hostel that offers the best value spot in Hollywood, and arguably Los Angeles. We say value not only because the price is pretty reasonable, but primarily because of the quality of the establishment. This hostel is well-located -- close to supermarkets, underground stations, local buses, and Hollywood attractions. We didn't hear any negative comments in conversations with other guests.

The management are friendly and show a genuine interest in the comfort of their guests. The Vibe employs a full-time cleaning staff, who work every day. Changes of linen and additional pillows are available upon request.

The Vibe is a motel that has been converted into a hostel so the dorms have a maximum of eight beds (four bunks), and all include private bathrooms and kitchens. Linen, towels, and a full compliment of cutlery and crockery are available in all rooms. There are laundry facilities and plenty of parking spots within the complex. Other great features include cable TV in every room, free high-speed internet provided through five consoles, free coffee available all day, and free barbecue dinner on Saturday nights.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review

Your Comments

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites, we don't censor out the negative comments.
We do not validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by Danielle, Australian

April 2008

Dodgy
Banana Bungalow is in the worst possible location. the outside of building doesnt even have the hostels name on the outside, which lead to my friends and i driving around for ages trying to locate it. eventually we found the west hollywood hostel and one word describes both locations -- dodgy. Rooms were filthy, staff unhelpful.

Comment by Susana, Brazil

July 2007

The Best in L.A.!
The Banana Bungalow Hollywood is by far the best hostel in Los Angeles. They have many free things and will treat you very nice. I couldn't believe they had a kitchen right in our dorm and cable TV! We played basketball, pool table, and many fun things. They have free internet and breakfast which is very good and they are close to the public subway and stores and bars of Hollywood. I would not let to pass the time anywhere else but here and with the great people that I met, most important the friends that I made will be forever.

Comment by Roxy Edge, American

April 2007

I had the impression of this being a trendy and funky hotel in Hollywood. It was not, it was a rundown trailer park hotel with loud partying every single night. This place is definitely not for the upper class. There was a lot of screaming and yelling around the clock from foreign exchange students and hostile white boys yelling racial slurs. I would not recommend this place for anyone with class.

Comment by Barry Sloan - aussie

December 2006

Vibe Hostel made my experience in L.A. wonderful. At the age of thirty-seven and traveling by myself I found all the staff very friendly and couldn't do enough for me. Make sure you meet up with Vlad, he loves a Cuban cigar and after traveling the world was one of the friendliest and genuine characters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The rooms are lovely and most importantly clean (everyday). It is centrally located so it's only a short walk to Mann's picture theatre and a bus ride to anywhere! HBO TV and the hundreds of channels were an experience too! I would highly recommend it to anyone. The Bar-B-Que's are great and just like staying on a movie set! Thank you Vibe and Vlad. Will definitely see you again!

Comment by TravlGrl

November 2006

I have stayed at this hostel off and on and it is one of the best places I have ever visited. Every member of the staff is friendly and go out of their way to ensure you have a pleasant stay. The rooms are kept immaculately clean and are cleaned daily and in a timely fashion. Most of the other guests are friendly and there is a definite community spirit. I would highly recommend the Vibe.

Comment by Daniel

September 2006

The hostel is under new management and has great people and a great party vibe. We stayed at many hostels in our tour of the U.S.A., and Vibe was where we had the best time. The location is awesome too!

Comment by Beth from Glasgow

July 2006

How cool is this place?? My husband and I stayed here for one night and had a great time. We were greeted by the manager who was very friendly and upgraded to a private room as there had been a mess up with our booking in the dorm. The accomodation was very comfortable and spacious, complete with Austin Powers round bed!! We were also able to get a space in the car park which was great. However we did have to pay a $200 deposit on the room and the reception was not open till 12pm as specified. Overall I would recommend this place on novelty value alone!

Comment by Anonymous

October 2005

This hotel is ok but can get scary at times if you're staying any longer than a couple of days. Some very shady characters stay here. Police are called out there every weekend, sometimes more, because of guests fighting or management throwing tenants out. Private rooms are reasonably priced for what you get — dorms are best avoided. Also, this hotel is currently being renovated (and will be for some time, as less than half of the rooms are complete), so be prepared for lots of noise during the day.

Comment by Anonymous

October 2005

This place is not for the faint hearted. The people are friendly and it is definitely safe but the rooms are dirty, the kitchen is grimy and there are a few weird people there. If you are looking to experience LA and meet a few out of work actors then this is the place for you. But if you are not experienced in backpacking then I would suggest somewhere a little more mainstream. The photos are nothing like the real thing!!!

Comment by Christeon Gordon

August 2005

I had such a blast here. The people were very friendly. I felt safe and I felt my things were safe when I went out. I used the Internet port all the time, and when I was not out taking care of business or partying the satellite cable gave me 200 channels to watch. Overall for the price it was excellent and I highly recommend it. Oh yeah it's close to the strip on Cahuenga where there are 6 bars and another 10 around the corner, with every kind of vibe you can ask for. Good luck, God bless and good traveling. Peace, Christeon.

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3 of 23

Hostels in Los Angeles

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