YHA Sydney Harbour

The Rocks is an excellent base: Circular Quay is a five-minute walk, the Harbour Bridge is 5-10 minutes away, and the Opera House is about 15 minutes on foot. Ferries from Circular Quay reach places like Manly Beach, Watson Bay and Milton Point. Trams or buses can get you to Darling Harbor, Surrey Hills, Darlinghurst and Bondi Beach, though Bondi can take 45 minutes to an hour by bus. I booked a four-person room for a long weekend and ended up in a top bunk with four other travelers from around the world. The room had an ensuite shower and toilet, with communal and private facilities also available. There’s free luggage storage near reception. Daily activities include a Manly Beach trip, the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk, rooftop live music and morning workouts. They also team up with YHA Sydney Central for a $20 Saturday bar crawl. I’d recommend it if those are the kinds of things you’re after.

The staff are what made my stay memorable. They were patient, kind and so helpful. I especially want to thank the guy from Colombia, whose name I didn’t catch, for helping me out. The location and hostel are both wonderful, but it was the people that made this such a good experience. Highly recommend YHA Sydney Harbour.

The rooftop view is incredible, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House right there in front of you. I also loved the fully equipped kitchens, which made it easy to cook and feel at home. The rooms and shared areas were spotless, and staff were friendly and ready to help. In The Rocks, you’re a short walk from trains, buses and trams, as well as the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. I loved staying at YHA Sydney Harbour and will be back next time I’m in Sydney. Highly recommend it!

For a short visit, the location is great, the staff were friendly in my experience, and breakfast for $14 was good value with a decent choice. One guy with a Spanish accent made me an excellent hot chocolate and was very nice. The place is clean and modern, but after three days I felt I’d had enough. I paid a rate close to what I’d pay for a Meriton one-bedroom suite, which was slightly more expensive at the time. For my money, YHA the Rocks wasn’t as good value. The private ensuite room was tiny, with no real cupboards or drawers, and the high price seemed to come from the location rather than the room. At Meriton I get a washer and dryer, a kitchen where I can cook anything and the gas isn’t shut off at 11pm, a dishwasher, cutlery, crockery, a fridge and freezer, plus daily free bottled water, toiletries, coffee and milk. There’s also a coffee maker, pool, spa, gym, better temperature control with air conditioning and heating, cupboards, drawers, a safe, couch and coffee table. I stayed at YHA 23 years ago, when it was a grungier, fun party hostel. I wouldn’t call it a youth hostel now. It’s a nice place, but there weren’t the wild party types from back then. Guests ranged from young to elderly, and mostly kept to themselves or their groups. Maybe modern technology and people looking at their phones too much, or being afraid to talk to new people, has something to do with it. Good for a short stay, with a great location, but not as good value as Meriton.