Hangover Hostel is a convenient and inexpensive lodging option for those looking to travel to Mirissa on a budget. It's a simple little space but they've got the essentials covered. They've got private rooms and dorms, both priced very reasonably.
Location
Hangover Hostel is located on Matara Road, a few kilometres away from Mirissa town. The easiest way to go get there is to take the highway bus to Matara (Nupe Junction) and travel back about 10 kilometres towards Mirissa. We actually made the mistake of following the Facebook map location, and ended up at a sweet old lady's house. So yeah, say no to Bing maps. Just stick to Matara Road and you'll find Hangover on the landside, just past the gas station.
There's a bunch of other hotels and inns around this area. But Hangover actually has an excellent location since the best stretch of Mirissa beach is just across the road, along with plenty of beachside dining options.
The Hostel
Hangover offers two types of rooms — dorms (female and mixed) and private rooms, both of which come with free Wifi and airconditioning. Like most hostels, Hangover's dorms double up occupancy by using bunk beds. What's interesting is that the dorms have been fashioned out of a large shipping container. They cost Rs. 1,300 per night.
We got the private room which costs just Rs. 3,300 per night at the this time of year. During the season, however, prices will likely be higher, but not by much. Like we said earlier, it's a simple set up so the room just comes with twin beds, a closet, A/C and swipe card lock. That being said, the beds were comfy, the A/C worked great and one thing we truly appreciated was the very fast Wi-Fi, which isn't easy to find outside of Colombo.
The private room comes with an attached bathroom while the dorms have shared bathrooms. A clean restroom is an abosolute must, and that's exactly what Hangover Hostel offers along with an excellent rain-shower.
They've also got an outdoor dining area where you can bring your own food, or even use their kitchen to cook yourself something, provided you've got the ingredients.
Service
The staff at Hangover are friendly and easy-going, with good knowledge of the area. They've got small hand-drawn maps with important locations marked on them. We found those way more useful than Google maps. The manager is an Italian dude, who was more than willing to recommend some restaurants in the area — they all turned out to be pretty great suggestions.
Conclusion
Hangover Hostel is a great alternative to the usual hotel stay and a brilliant option for those travelling on a budget. They've got a good location close to the beach, helpful staff, all the essentials including fast Wifi — and most importantly, comfortable rooms.
