Villa Viva Cape Town

I've stayed in hostels all over Europe and Villa Viva Cape Town blows every one of them out of the water. From the collectivist and environmentally conscious ethos that permeates all aspects of the hostel, to the staff and other travelers, everything was fantastic. I was only there for 3.5 days but I still felt so welcome and wished I had been able to take a longer holiday. The dorm rooms are exactly as described on the website, with pretty comfortable bunk-style beds, a private bathroom for the women-only dorm I was staying in, and a large locker space with safe provided. The kitchen facilities were good, though I didn't use them other than the fridge since I was there for such a short time. The continental breakfast was great too, plenty of fruit, yogurt, muesli, cheese, bread for toast, spreads, boiled eggs, fresh juice and coffee/tea. The real charm of Villa Viva is the comfortably eclectic common areas, including the main bar and eating space, living room and working spaces, and the absolutely gorgeous back garden. The last day I was in Cape Town I was incredibly ill, but the garden was such a calming and healing space to be able to just lie and watch the sun rise over the mountains while I drank my electrolyte-replacement drink and ate my sad breakfast of dry crackers-- I'd rather be ill at Villa Viva than at home, to be honest. And cuddles from Bruno, the resident Labrador, really made everything better, even if he did fall asleep on my feet. I've been to other hostels where they claim to have a "friendly atmosphere" but Villa Viva truly I does-- I met a lot of my fellow guests on the first night, as well as members of the extended hostel community who came by for a Friday night braai and it was so wonderful. The hostel WhatsApp group was also great, especially with people willing to organize group trips for hiking and beach days. If I can ever get myself back to Cape Town for a longer stay I'll absolutely be back at Villa Viva.

This is the place. No question about it. Amazing staff. Great room and beds. Awesome breakfast and bar area. Great pool with a nice view of table mountain and lions head. Met some awesome people and was the best experience. When I return to Cape Town, I will definitely stay here again!

The perfect place for a backpacker I highly recommend this place. Specially if you are a working digital nomad who’s working remote and need a good Wi-Fi with a very good space for work. Their breakfast is very rich. It’s a very good place. Very good vibes a huge place with massive areas I like the energy that they have. The staff are so cool and always helping you. You feel family and home.

I love this place. They organize lots of events throughout the week so it was easy to make friends. The location is also excellent, 5 minutes walk from 2 supermarkets and lots of cool bars and restaurants.

Absolutely amazing hostel! Clean, comfortable, safe, and friendly. Great location. Can’t wait to stay here again.

Such a good hostel esp for first-timer and solo traveler. Staffs are very welcoming and space is very clean. Located just behind the main kloof street which is full of coffee shops and restaurants. Breakfast is also always more than enough!

The best vibe in Cape Town. Wonderfully appointed dorms and private rooms. Clean, well maintained. Friendly staff. Great location...A must visit.

I was refused check-in. I lost my identification the previous day, and even though I had digital copies of both my id and my passport, then receptionist refused to assist me. Problem solving is clearly not one of her strong points. I had to make another reservation at a different property even though I have yet to be refunded by Villa Viva - I am however checked-in at the other property - without my physical identification. This place is a joke.