YHA Sydney Central

This was my second stay, and I’d happily come back. It’s about five minutes from Central Station, with a tram stop right outside. The staff were friendly and helpful, reception is open 24/7, and there’s a large shared kitchen and dining area plus free luggage storage. They even gave me a day pass after checkout so I could keep using the place. My requested bottom bunk was reserved in the five-bed room, which I appreciated. The downsides were a stuffy, warm room at night with closed windows and no air conditioning, and the floor’s only shower was closed for an hour from 4pm Saturday for cleaning, though nobody started cleaning the bathroom until 4.50pm.

My husband and I booked what we thought was a private room with its own shower and toilet through an app. We only found out later that this was a dormitory, and the room seemed to be a special case for the hotel. Then at 9pm a staff member called Ali kicked us out because the batteries in our door lock had died and it wouldn’t open. They blamed us, and we had to find another hotel for the night. The hospitality was terrible. This place is absolutely overrated.

The hostel is very clean, with comfortable bunks and full curtains for privacy. There are large, ventilated lockers in the rooms, good Wi-Fi and excellent kitchen facilities. I liked the sustainability touches, including bins for different waste, organic waste bins and a water fountain that tracks plastic bottles. A couple of things bothered me: beds aren’t made up with a bottom sheet because of housekeeping health and safety rules, and there’s too much 90s music playing everywhere. Some quiet areas would be nice.

The facilities are amazing, and I stayed here when the rates were affordable. At $700 a week, though, it costs more than renting in Double bay or Paddington, which is absurd and puts the place out of reach for backpackers. There were also so many older people that my room felt like a ward for sick elderly people, no offence to older folks, but it didn’t feel like a place to meet like-minded travellers. Sad to see YHA so expensive now. It used to be affordable for travellers.