Port Douglas Backpackers

The communal kitchens are big commercial style spaces with plenty of shared gear, which we appreciated. They were often messy, though, so be prepared to clean up before cooking. People cooked late into the night and the strong food smells lingered until early morning. Quiet hours and cooking hours didn’t seem to be enforced. We stayed eight nights, and the bathrooms may have been cleaned once, perhaps by long term guests. There are very few bathrooms for a place this large, and we brought our own toilet paper. It felt understaffed, and many guests seemed to live there, so short term stays didn’t get much service or cleaning. The desk and bar were usually empty or closed. We saw people waiting to check in with nobody there, and twice we let guests with paid reservations in and showed them to the rooms. They sorted it out the next day. The bar has drinks listed, including draft beer and cocktails, but staff often seemed unsure how to serve or charge for them. Once, when I asked for a margarita, they seemed confused and gave me a 3.5% canned Smirnoff margarita, even though the liquor for making one was behind the bar. The bar and desk also often shut well before the posted time. If you book, be clear about your arrival time or try to arrive mid-day. It’s a large hostel with good availability. There are many places to stay in Port Douglas, including hotels, resorts, and AirBnBs with good deals, so I’d look at those before choosing this hostel.