If there was one word to the describe Raymond’s Boutique Home in Melaka (Melacca), Malaysia it wouldn’t be boutique. It would be battered. It feels a little wrong to really criticise a hostel since it’s advertised as a ‘home’ but for a place that’s supposed to be ‘boutique’ it’s more like the boutique elements were accidentally put in the washing machine and got battered.
Raymond’s Boutique Home is a rather poor establishment but has some nice quirks to it that give it a sort of charm, the charm of a person who’s gone through the ringer of tough times and been suffered many blows but still has some positivity. Aesthetics wise the front desk area is the loveliest part which is most likely down to it being on show constantly to the public with its open glass exterior. For the rest of the place, it’s the Quasimodo to the Notre Dame.
From the rooms to the bathrooms, it’s all very run down and kinda shite really. The bathrooms aren’t great and don’t have any toilet rolls to dry your arse with after using the bum guns, the showers weren’t great or warm and lots of cleaning stuff and things guests shouldn’t really be marvelling on were kicking about everywhere. In the rooms the beds were ok comfort wise but made a hell of amount of noise if you’re in a bunk bed, and were rather cramped with a lack of space for your bags. The biggest complaint though has to be the severe lack of outlets in the room with only one at the very far side of the room and a lack of them all over the hostel as well.
The thing is though, Raymond’s Boutique Home does try to be a good establishment but fails so hard, it’s like the overweight kid in gym class who has the dedication but fails miserably most of the time. It offers free breakfast in the mornings in the form of toast, jam, butter and coffee but it’s usually swarmed by Ants. It’s cool with food and drink, but has no fridge or kitchen facilities. It has that homely feel staying true to its name and not purely being a hostel but the feeling of a home in a deprived area that someone may or may not have died of an overdose in. It has a decent wifi connection but constantly goes down. It’s got a great location being round the corner from the entrance to Jonker street but isn’t easy to find and blends in to the row of businesses looking like a laundrette more than hostel/hotel/guest house. It tries so hard which you have to give it credit for and the staff are lovely but it’s a shite hostel.
You really want to be ok with your stay at Raymond’s Boutique and not just see it as a begrudging bed for the night, but despite the lovely owners, the location and how it’s incredibly cheap. However you can’t see it any other way than ‘A park bench would be nicer’. Sorry Raymond pal, at least you’re value for money since you pay next to nothing to get absolute shite.
Overall Score: A Park Bench Would Be Nicer
Pros:
• Great location
• Very very cheap
Cons:
• Pretty much everything!
• Ants in yer toast
Loser Travels 
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