YHA Apollo Bay Eco

The hostel had a really homely feel, and I loved that about it. It’s very clean and comfortable, and because of the layout there’s always a quiet spot to make a phone call or just have time to yourself. We met two staff members, Nick and Danni I think, who were so kind and helpful. They made our stay even better. The one downside for me was the mattress. It gives me back pain, like the ones at every YHA I’ve stayed at before. That could just be a personal thing, since I haven’t heard anyone else complain. Thank you!

The staff were thoughtful and friendly, and the facilities were top rate. With clean, modern rooms and a brilliant location, it was a marvellous place to stay and a great way to experience this gorgeous area. I’d definitely recommend it.

I left feeling frustrated and let down. The rooms were very small, the beds uncomfortable, and the toilets a bit dirty. The service made the stay worse: staff were rude and dismissive when I arrived, gave no clear information, and seemed uninterested in helping. Communication was poor, service was slow, and even after I asked repeatedly, issues weren’t sorted out. For a YHA that’s meant to welcome and support travellers, this felt like the opposite. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and I won’t stay here again.

The only things I liked were the comfortable bed and the washing machine, which cost four dollars. At that ridiculous price, I still had to strip the bedsheets and return them. I’ve had much better stays with air-conditioning for half as much. We paid almost $400 for two nights, and the stay didn’t meet what I expected. It was easily the worst stop on our way down from Sydney. The place looked nice and modern at first, but everything seemed worn, dirty, or broken. The windows wouldn’t close, there were spiderwebs and bugs in the room, and the frying pans were dirty and warped. There are only two toilets per gender, and they were never clean. The showers didn’t work properly either. All in all, it was just a lousy experience.