The Hive Hostel

The beds were so noisy that even a small movement could wake people up, making it hard to get decent rest. I was here for a week and mostly just slept and showered, so I didn’t really get to check out or use the kitchen. Cleanliness was a big problem. The common areas and corridors were often dirty, and seeing pigeons walking around inside the corridors was unpleasant and unhygienic. The bathrooms were in very poor condition, often with used items on the floor and no soap. They also smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. Hygiene felt very precarious overall. The hostel needs serious improvements to cleanliness, bathroom upkeep, and basic comfort.

The kitchen was the biggest letdown. There were only three plates, four pots, two frying pans, and a little cutlery for a hostel accommodating at least 100 people. The pans were bent and scratched, so I couldn’t cook with them. The gas stove lighters were always empty, and the burner flames were barely visible. Even making pasta with pesto took us 50 minutes. We also found dirty cutlery on the floor and cockroaches crawling along the walls. For what we paid, that was absolutely unacceptable. We stayed two nights and arrived on Wednesday morning. Waiting until 3 p.m. for the room was fine, but once inside the room we shared with 10 others, we found we had to put our own sheets on the beds. The sheet didn’t even fit the mattress, which had old yellow and brown stains. The duvet and pillow didn’t smell freshly washed or look clean. At checkout, we had to bring our sheets to reception ourselves to get the $40 deposit per person back. The place felt like an old, run-down youth hostel, messy and dirty enough that sitting on the sofa or a chair felt unpleasant. The only good things were the friendly receptionists and the fairly central location, around a 10-minute walk from the CBD. We definitely won’t return. Denise

The people were great, and that’s what matters to me in a hostel. It’s a very social place, and I’d come back. I spent five months there through winter and had an unforgettable time at The Hive Hostel. Just don’t expect somewhere fancy or nice-looking. A lot of it is old, broken, and improvised, but it has character.

I paid $72 for a reserved parking space on arrival, but once I got into the car park I saw my car wouldn’t fit. I didn’t use the spot and asked for a refund. The woman at the counter on Friday, 6th Feb said she’d arrange it, but I still haven’t received the money and nobody has resolved the issue. This business is a fraud. Don’t waste your time here. Their “un-refundable” policy makes this feel like a scam.