Reid's Guest House

From the outside, it's a beautiful historic building. Inside, most tenants are drug users or alcoholics who, I believe, will try to steal from you if they get a chance. The staff seemed standoffish, and the rooms and corridors reeked of body odour and different kinds of smoke. Most rooms are tiny and windowless, with no heating or air conditioning available. It reminded me of the infamous Gatwick hotel, only with fewer murders. To me, this felt more like a bail house for criminal elements than a guest house. You aren't even allowed to visit someone there. The way staff treated customers was so bad that if I treated guests in my own home that way, I think they'd attack me, storm out, leave a huge burnout on the grass or driveway, and throw rocks at my windows whenever they passed. Lol. I'd never return, even just to visit someone. Avoid the place unless you have no other option. Maybe camp next door at the train station, though the trains will wake you at night and again at 4:30 every morning.

It's a clean old building with a historic past, and a good choice if you need somewhere safe and secure to stay. Staff are friendly and ready to help. The downside is that some junkies live there, so it's better not to associate with them.

Reid’s Guest House sits above the original New York Bakery, which has been recreated in Sovereign Hill. Ballarat, like Edinburgh in Scotland, raised the street level, leaving many buildings underground with other buildings built over them. Through a very narrow alley and down some stairs, you can enter a completely dark room and see the original ovens.

The saddest part is that this heritage-listed building is in such a poor state of repair. Locals say it houses people who are down and out in the community. That’s sad, but it shouldn’t be mixed with families and children. The place was a complete mess, with holes in the walls and filthy handrails you wouldn’t want to touch. It stinks, and it’s the worst place I’ve ever stayed.