Gecko's Rest Budget Accommodation & Backpackers

Geckos Rest feels like home, with a safe, clean atmosphere and a team who clearly care. I was lucky to meet some lovely fellow backpackers there, and they have rooms with single and double beds. The kitchen facilities are excellent, with what I think are four separate burners and sinks. There’s also a stunning room to chill out in, and the downstairs games room is great, with a pool table, dartboard, couches, and a television.

The reception staff were lovely and really helpful, and the location is good. But the building feels neglected: it’s dirty, worn and broken, despite having potential. There are carpets everywhere, which are unclean and make luggage harder to move, and all the rooms are upstairs. The lighting is too dim, even in the bathroom, where there’s no towel or paper for drying your hands. My room smelled unpleasant and had no windows. The kitchen was often quite dirty, and the old, disorganized terrace looked out onto other rooftops.

The welcome was the highlight. The woman at reception was lovely, and the place was very clean and well located. I could hear the bar downstairs on Saturday night, though, so it might be better during the week.

I had a terrible night here, and it didn’t feel worth the money. As a woman travelling alone, I felt really uneasy: the hallways were very dark, the rooms had no windows, and creepy men lingered in the kitchen. There were hardly any pots, pans or cutlery, and the stove took about ten minutes to get hot enough to fry an egg, so I pretended to use my phone while waiting. The room carpet was so dusty or mouldy that I kept sneezing. Hot water kept cutting out during my shower, and at night the bass from the club down the street was incredibly loud. Worst hostel night I’ve had.