Sam's Guesthouse Chengdu Hostel

Sam's guesthouse -- if you are ever in Chengdu then this is the place to stay. The rooms are big, clean, and airy and they are situated around a beautiful little garden courtyard with an abundance of trees and water. Suffice to say it was a great suprise to see such a thing in the middle of the city, also a great reason to stay here. But above all, the best thing about the hostel is the staff. They are kind and friendly and make you feel at home. They will help you with anything you need, and what's more, as they are all young people, you can have a great time chatting with them.

Nice setting but beware, they do not always honor your reservation.

I have stayed now at Holly's and Sam's many times now and for sure the rooms are a bit older (this is China where maintenance is not a high priority) and could do with a refurbish but the bedding is always clean and the service/friendliness rates 4 star to me. If they can they will do the world for you. Here's a tip for free: if you arrive with an arrogant Western demanding attitude (that's anywhere in China), then you will find yourself not getting a lot of help. Be friendly, explain carefully and WITHOUT EMOTION any problems you have and you will find they take you very seriously and will help to their best ability. I see too many backpackers thinking they are still in a service-orientated western country. China isn't like this so treat them like your equal friends and not your servants if you want a good time here.

Sam's Guesthouse is not very clean. I stayed at three hostels in China, and this one was just as bad as Feng Long in Beijing. No elevator, mold in the room, flying bugs, and I am not sure if the sheets were changed, because there was still hair on them. The location is good but I can't say much for its cleanliness.