Rules were a common sight in the hostel: From generic house rules to strictly enforced room guidelines, there were dozens of decals on the walls.
Marielle Descalsota/Insider
In my first hostel experience, there were only three rules: no hairdryers, no smoking inside, and no noise.
At Dream Lodge, there were dozens of rules plastered on the walls. They masqueraded as decor, and I only noticed them when I took a look at the photos I had taken.
While many of the rules — which included not eating in the rooms and keeping the room lights switched off from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. — made a lot of sense, others — like “chew swallow speak” — struck me as a bit extreme.
Chen said the hostel has kicked out around 10 guests since they opened because they didn’t follow rules.
“Those bad reviews are those who can’t follow [rules]. They are more alpha in their character,” Chen said.”The rules are more like reminders. We don’t want to step in or say negative things,” he added.
