Wake Up! Bondi Beach - Hostel

Given what had recently happened on the beach, I felt safe here the whole time. The following day, staff changed the usual pizza and bingo activity into a cosy movie night, which was just what I needed then. The rooms are 10/10, with plenty of storage and a good bed area. During hostel social events, the staff joined in and led the activities well. Thanks to everyone at the hostel.

I can’t recommend staying here because of the serious mold and the way staff handled it. When we checked in, things seemed fine. That night, about 45 minutes after switching on the air conditioner, both of us developed severe allergy-like symptoms. We first thought it was dust, but found extensive black mold throughout the AC unit when we inspected it. There was no staff available overnight. It was extremely hot, but we had to turn off the AC and didn’t sleep at all. We were congested and unwell throughout the night. The room was right under the rooftop stairs and noisy, but we were prepared to put up with the noise, cockroaches, dust, and generally poor cleanliness because we thought those were somewhat expected. We reported the mold the next morning. Staff seemed unsurprised, as if they already knew about it, and said it would be dealt with. We left for several hours because we felt sick. When we returned, the AC hadn’t changed. They said it had already been fixed, which wasn’t true. We had to show photos before they acknowledged the problem and said, “wow yeah that one is pretty bad”. We know the front desk wasn’t at fault, but management wasn’t involved. We were moved to another room and promised a refund for the first night. At first the second room seemed better, but later we found significant mold inside its AC unit too, hidden from view at floor level, and became sick again. Their “cleaning” only wiped the visible edges and didn’t deal with the mold inside the unit. We later heard several other guests say the ACs had caused respiratory symptoms for them too, so they’d just left them off. We couldn’t do that because there wasn’t enough airflow. There were tubs of “mold cleaner” around the hostel as well. We’re both now unwell after what seems to have been prolonged mold exposure. We raised the issue four times during our stay and were told to email management after checkout. A week later, management still hadn’t replied. We have extensive photos of the mold and conditions. It seems to be a widespread, known problem that poses real health risks, especially for people with allergies or respiratory conditions. Until it’s properly dealt with, I strongly advise against staying here.

The location is stunning. Walk out, cross the road, and you’re on world-famous Bondi beach. Waking up and heading straight into the surf was hard to beat, and there are plenty of cute little cafes and places to eat nearby. The hostel itself is basic. Dorm beds don’t have curtains, though they do have a light and power. Music played at night, but it didn’t stop me sleeping really well. I think our floor had three showers, three toilets, and two sinks, so things could get crowded. Staff were friendly, and after checkout they let me store my bags and keep using the facilities, which I appreciated. There were travellers of all kinds and lots of events. All up, a great stay.

The staff made the stay extra special, especially Frederique. Thank you for all your help and enthusiasm. Wake Up in Bondi had great rooms and a great atmosphere. I had an amazing stay, thanks 💯!!