Hostel 109 Flashpackers

For a hostel, it was pretty decent. I had a clean private double room with a fan, and they provided towels. The bathrooms had no soap, which really bugs me. They did give us bars to take along, but it’s annoying having to carry soap to the bathroom. The showers were roomy, with good pressure and plenty of hot water, though there was quite a bit of mould on the walls.

I liked sitting on the balcony among the beautiful Jacarandas, and parking out front is free as long as you avoid getting fined between 9am and 5:30pm. The staff and Trevor were pleasant to deal with, and there are quite a few long-term Australian guests. My room got very hot, with little ventilation and no aircon or fan. The walls are thin and the floor creaks, and I felt the rooms and toilets could be kept cleaner. The hostel has potential, and I understand it’s been a difficult time financially. I’d still stay again.

It was a pleasant, peaceful stay, and the long-term guests were very friendly. The staff were fantastic and did all they could to help. However, this is not accessible for wheelchairs or mobility aids, despite what the booking site said: there’s a large flight of stairs to the rooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Small steps at bathroom entrances are also a trip hazard at night, so some high-visibility tape would help. The two fridges smelled of spoiled or rotting food and could do with more regular cleaning.

The balcony had a nice view, and the location is fairly close to Chinatown. The price is low for what you get, basically a bed, though I appreciated having a table and closet in my single room. The bed and furniture were clean. But the walls are so thin I could hear coughing, TV and cooking next door, which kept me up. The building clearly used to be offices, which may bother some people. What bothered me was that my room had no window, something to keep in mind when booking. The Wi-Fi was also very slow.