Nate's Place Backpackers Melbourne

The staff and social atmosphere made this a great place for me. The rooftop and common area bring travelers together from all over, and I had some of my best times in Australia here. There's free breakfast, Wi-Fi, food during the week, and plenty of events. The rooms and hostel were kept clean, though the building felt a bit run down and had some plumbing problems while I was there. Definitely worth a try.

After staying somewhere else for about the same price, I realize how much I took Nate’s for granted. My friend and I booked two beds in a four-bed room, and the front desk associate said he’d try not to book the other beds. We got lucky. The staff were warm and helpful, and there was free breakfast, a nice kitchen, and a good rooftop. The shower had hot water, and there were separate shower rooms for women and men, which my current hostel doesn't have. Nate’s had the friendly, social feel of a traditional European hostel, with pancake breakfasts and themed dinners. The place I'm in now feels like an untidy frat house, smelling of bleach, eggs, and sweaty laundry. I'll picture myself back at Nate’s when I try to sleep tonight. The pub downstairs is pretty good too.

Fine if all you need is somewhere to sleep for a night or two. The room was clean and the staff were friendly enough, but the building and facilities weren't well maintained. Bathrooms were only on two of the three floors, each with one toilet and two showers, and one shower stayed out of order throughout my visit. There was never hand soap, and the water kept switching from hot to cold. The small kitchen was always crowded, and most of the items were greasy because other guests hadn't washed them properly.

The staff are really friendly, and the hostel is clean. It just has no atmosphere. There's one little table that seats about 10 for maybe 80 guests, and the only other option is sitting outside in the rain. The kitchen shuts at 10:30 pm, so there's nowhere to sit or socialize after that. The TV room is pretty sad and has no vibe either. Even worse, the kitchen closes from 10 am to 2 pm for cleaning, right through peak lunch time, so you can't get in.