YHA Melbourne Central

It felt safe, as access is restricted to guests after 8 pm. They also rent lockers after checkout, which is handy for solo travellers like me. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the Wi-Fi worked well. It’s a clean, well-run hostel, including the communal kitchen and shared shower room. Each bed has a privacy curtain, light and power socket. The location is very convenient, and I could roll my suitcase over from Southern Cross Station. Trains and traffic make some noise, but it was still tolerable.

We could set the heat ourselves with a remote, which was great in chilly Melbourne. Our room, 501, had a refrigerator, and the shared kitchen has microwaves, fridges and burners. There’s also table tennis and a pool table, both of which I enjoy playing. The tram at Batman Park is close by and took us to St. Kilda. The place also has some nice wheelchair-friendly features.

The first time I stayed here, I had a fairly updated six-bunk room. This visit was very different. After a long day at the Australian Open, I checked in at 11:30 pm and was put in a four-bed mixed room. Clothes were scattered everywhere, it was about 24 degrees, and the old bunk frames felt unstable. There were no curtains on the bunks either. I left for a hotel down the street around midnight and lost the money for the two nights I’d booked. I won’t stay here again.

The beds squeak loudly and there are no plugs beside them, but my room had a fair amount of space. The rooms were clean, and most of the bathrooms were too. The kitchen is large. The eating area is more like part of a hallway, and on the small side, though still cozy enough.