Travel Mongolia Guesthouse, Ulan Bator

Travel Mongolia Guesthouse is packed with backpackers from around the world and offers cheap and basic accommodation in Mongolia's bustling capital city.

The Location

You'll find the hostel on Seoul Street, one of the main streets, and also right in the center. This is really the place to be if you are curious to explore the local night scene. There are many bars, cafes, restaurants, karaokes joints, and shops around -- it's a great location. The famous Sukhbaatar Square is a few minutes' walk away and so is the iconic state department store. The train station is a short ride away as well.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The building seems to be in a shabby state, a lot of bare walls and areas that are under construction. The rooms are very basic, and the dorms have twin beds in them. The beds are not that comfortable, the mattresses are very thin, and there are only a couple of power outlets in the room. The rooms are very bare as well, with no lockers or any furniture other than the beds. The bathrooms are shared and there is one per floor, so when the hostel is busy you'll probably wait to use it sometimes. But hey, at least there is a bathroom and a shower and even hot water -- that's quite a treat around here.

Common Spaces

There is a little dining area by the kitchen -- that's all, sadly. It's not much space, but it's something. You'll usually find travelers sitting around the table, exchanging tips and experiences. There is a little book-exchange shelf, where you can find some good reads. They also organize tours around Mongolia, so you can find travel mates if you're traveling solo (usually, the bigger the group, the cheaper the price). There is Wi-Fi, there is also drinking water and a nicely equipped kitchen you can use to cook. Breakfast is not included (although there is nice coffee available in the mornings). They also have a laundry service for a surcharge.

Summary

We have stayed in better hostels in Mongolia, but this is definitely one of the cheapest ones. So, you really get what you pay for. That being said, if you don't care about being too comfortable, this place is fine. We especially enjoyed the international backpackers atmosphere, and we met cool people.