The Hostel
Nolo Hub Pai was built from the ground up as a purpose-built backpacker hostel. It’s a 10–15 minute walk from Walking Street and the bus station. The dorms are upstairs, eight of them, with six extra-large pods in each. Then there’s the pool and the jacuzzis, the bar, a guest kitchen, and a common area full of games. With quiet hours from 10pm, dorms built away from the common area with privacy and space as key, you get both social and privacy.
Hostelworld’s most popular hostel in Pai, 2024 and 2025
The pods
Every dorm was designed around its pods: six extra-large pods to a dorm, and all eight dorms are mixed. Each dorm has air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a full-length mirror and its own bathroom. Bed linen is included, and towels are for hire.
And every pod has:
- A king single mattress, with an extra-thick foam topper
- Room for your large bag alongside the mattress
- Its own window, which opens
- A blackout privacy curtain
- A lockable locker for valuables
- Its own power points and USB, for charging your devices
- A fan
- A reading light
- A fold-down desk
The pool, the jacuzzis and the garden
Seen from above, the pool is shaped like a phallus — an ‘eggplant’, if you prefer — with NOLO HUB PAI in tiles along its length. Possibly the only eggplant-shaped hostel pool in the world. It’s outdoors, with loungers along the side, and there are jacuzzis too — not heated — and towels for the pool.
Around them is the garden: stepping-stone paths, more loungers, and thatched shelters for the shade.
It has a page of its own in the guide, too: The Eggplant Pool.
The common area and the bar
The common area is full of games: a big pool table, ping pong, foosball, darts, board games and games consoles, with somewhere to watch movies.
The bar is here too. Nolo Hub works with local cafés so you can have food delivered to Nolo fast and for free.
Kitchen, laundry and the rest
- A guest kitchen: fridge and freezer, utensils, tea and coffee, and a BBQ
- Free fruit-infused water
- Laundry
- A printer, for visa forms and tickets
- Hair dryers and plug adaptors
- Free Wi-Fi: over 100 Mbps down and 150 up, tested in a dorm
- 24-hour security, and CCTV in the common areas
- Housekeeping
- A smoking area
- Free luggage storage
- Free parking, and parking for bicycles
- Bicycle, scooter and car rental, arranged through the hostel
Arriving
- Check-in from 2pm to 10pm; check-out until 11am
- Reception open 9am to 10pm
- A free lift from Walking Street any time between 9am and 9.30pm, for arriving with your bags or coming back from the night market — where to meet it is on Getting to Pai
- An easy, safe walk of 10–15 minutes to the bus station, Walking Street and the middle of town
House rules
Four dogs live here: Tarzan, Sophie, Pablo and Samantha, young and friendly bulldogs. If you’re allergic to dogs or would rather not be around them, it’s worth knowing before you book.
- Guests aged 18 to 34
- Quiet hours from 10pm to 8am
- No pets
- No drugs
- Large group bookings may be turned down: this is a hostel made for solo travellers and small groups
