Dolphins Beach House - Hostel

Dolphins Hostel is such a friendly place, and the owners are around and clearly care about it. The atmosphere is quiet at night but still welcoming, and the clean rooms only have a few beds, so it doesn't feel like one of those big, crowded hostels. It's a lovely location, just a short walk from the beach, and the staff are amazing. I lost my key and checked out late, but they were understanding and didn't charge me extra. You can borrow surfboards for FREE, too. Easily the best hostel I've stayed at in Australia. I'd give it ten stars if I could, and recommend it to anyone in the Sunshine Coast.

We had such a nice, calm, homey stay at Dolphins, with lovely people and staff. The dorms, kitchen, and common areas were tidy and clean the whole time. Cafes, restaurants, and the bus station are just a minute away on foot. We liked it so much that we extended our stay. We'd happily return and recommend Dolphins to anyone heading to Noosa 😍

Dolphins feels cared for from the moment you arrive, and the family who run it make guests feel like old friends. It's a beautiful, relaxed hostel with a lovely atmosphere, quite different from others in the area. The location is amazing, just a five-minute walk to Sunshine Beach. I met some wonderful friends here. I'd recommend it to solo travellers hoping to meet people and explore Noosa, or to groups wanting a laid-back place to unwind after a day of surfing. By far my favourite place I've stayed in Australia.

The beachside setting is chill, but I didn't find the hostel very social. Buses are infrequent, which is inconvenient, though that's not the hostel's fault. My problem was the extremely rude woman at reception and the manager, or whoever she was. Checkout is at 9:30, a weirdly early time. Five minutes later, a staff member told us to hurry because the longer we took, the later she'd have to work. About ten minutes after that, the manager came in and yelled at me and another guest to leave immediately. We'd already moved out of the room and put our things in the common room. I was making breakfast, and the other guest was sorting her stuff. It's basic hostel etiquette to let guests use the common facilities after checkout once they've left their room. This was all before 10am. The manager was harsh and unnecessarily rude, and kept belittling the other guests. I told her she could go clean the room while I finished breakfast. If the hostel's policy is that guests can't use the common areas after checkout, that's fine, but she could have explained it politely. Rushing people off the property within 30 minutes of checkout in such a hostile, disrespectful way was extremely unprofessional. I don't usually write bad reviews, but the whole thing was jarring enough that I felt I had to.