Original Backpackers

I booked for three nights but left after two, and I’d tell people to learn from my mistake and avoid this place. The room was revolting, with dirty clothes and old food everywhere, and there was nowhere to put my luggage. The bathroom sink had vomit on it, the toilet seat had faeces, and cockroaches were throughout the building, including the kitchen. Outside, empty bottles and fast food wrappers were piled up. I was told to ask reception for a blanket. Most guests seemed to be long-term residents. They were actually pretty friendly, but being surrounded by drunk strangers while trying to sleep was intimidating. Staff seemed to disappear after about 10pm. People kept coming in and out of rooms, drinking, using drugs, playing loud music and partying until at least 1:30am. The window was wedged wide open onto a street where people were drunk and shouting. I didn’t feel completely safe. Earplugs only got me about three hours of sleep before people returned from a rave around 5:30am. I asked for a refund and was refused because I’d booked through Hostelworld. I wish I’d taken more photos. “It’s the weekend” and “It’s a hostel” aren’t good enough excuses. This is a business and a place where people are supposed to sleep safely. There’s no excuse for these conditions, especially at €40 a night, which isn’t even cheap.

We’d booked three nights, but after ten minutes we knew this hostel wasn’t for us. We arrived early for check-in and sat in the communal area, where the strong cannabis smell was overwhelming and seemed to be throughout the whole building. Upstairs, our room door was held open with a shoe. Inside, clothes and food were scattered in piles, with no room for our luggage. The stale, musty smell sent us back outside, where we found a moldy bowl of food and dirty underwear on the balcony. Boxes of clothes made it look as though many guests were staying long-term. There’s nothing wrong with that, but staff should ask long-term guests to keep their rooms clean and respect that others are staying there too. When we left, we were told, “this is a hostel not a hotel,” with no apology. We’ve stayed in plenty of hostels on this trip and none have been this unpleasant or unclean.

The staff were a big part of why we’d happily stay again. Leo helped us extend our ten-night stay, and Lune and Henry were friendly and helpful too. We’re two Canadians who came to get settled for a working holiday in Australia, and ended up moving between a six-bed dorm, a private ensuite room, then a private room without an ensuite. The dorm had curtains on the lower bunks, locker tops for storage by the upper bunks, a fan and a mini fridge. Both private rooms had a fan, fridge and TV. Bathrooms and showers can get busy, but there are plenty around the hostel, and towels are provided. With so much use they can get dirty, as in most hostels, though staff were visibly working hard to clean them every day. Breakfast runs 8am to 10am, with toast, spreads and cereal, and dinner is served at 8pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It rotates between pasta, rice and vegetables, and BBQ. Thanks to Dave for cooking! The kitchen closes for about an hour from 10am for cleaning, so plan breakfast around that. Staff make sure the courtyard clears by 10pm to keep the rooms quiet; people can continue hanging out in the TV room or on the front porch. They also post daily activities on WhatsApp, including city walks, picnics, pub trivia and basketball at a local outdoor court.

The patio outside is the main place everyone hangs out, and I loved it. Good kitchen and breakfast too. People were really kind, especially Julia from reception. She always had a smile and was ready to help.