Are hostels safe?

QueenBee1

I'm thinking of taking the plunge but I am worries about staying in hostels. I would like to hear other people's stories. Is it realy safe staying in a room with 4/6 other strangers?

Carlosd

Choose one with a good rep, a big one like wake up or base. I assume you refer to Sydney

QueenBee1 wrote: »

I'm thinking of taking the plunge but I am worries about staying in hostels. I would like to hear other people's stories. Is it realy safe staying in a room with 4/6 other strangers?

fleet

I've stayed in maybe 50 hostels on four continents in the last couple of years. All booked through hosteworld where one can read the reviews.

Haven't had one bad experience. Not one.

Some countries are better than others, with Asia and south America typically having a higher standard. Australian hostels are mostly full of skint backpackers, so don't expect luxuary (despite the price): big communal kitchens, shared toilets, expensive internet etc. Like everything in Australia they are very safe though.

Kiith

I've heard of some awful places, but if you pick ones with good ratings on Hostel World or Booking.com you'll be grand. The only time you'd have problems is if you're in a room with a bunch of assholes...which can happen. I've had no issues after 2-3 months in a hostel in Melbourne though.

Can't wait to get my own place though, as i'm at my wits end with endless parties and no space.

Lucifer-0

Kiith wrote: »

I've had no issues after 2-3 months in a hostel in Melbourne though.

Can't wait to get my own place though, as i'm at my wits end with endless parties and no space.

I dunno how anyone can live in a hostel.

Took me 2 weeks to get a job, as soon as I had that sorted I got out of the hostel. There were lads in my dorm who had lived there for months, madness.

It's not like they're saving money or anything by living there.

It was the least amount of sleep I've ever had in 2 weeks.

Kiith

Getting enough money for a bond + months rent up front isn't easy unfortunately, which is why i've been in this current hostel for almost 2 months (2 weeks searching for a job, 3 weeks till i got paid). Especially after being as broke as i was when i got to Melbourne. It's grand if you are in a room with other people who are working, as they tend to be more respectful of others.

There are people who have been there for 6 months though, and drink like nutters every night. Not sure how they do it.

Lucifer-0

Kiith wrote: »

Getting enough money for a bond + months rent up front isn't easy unfortunately, which is why i've been in this current hostel for almost 2 months (2 weeks searching for a job, 3 weeks till i got paid). Especially after being as broke as i was when i got to Melbourne. It's grand if you are in a room with other people who are working, as they tend to be more respectful of others.

There are people who have been there for 6 months though, and drink like nutters every night. Not sure how they do it.

I stayed in 2 different hostels both for 1 week, the dorm was usually a mix of travelers and workers, I hated it tbh.

I know what you mean about the bond and waiting to get paid and all that.
But you can just get a short term place to stay, loads of rooms available to rent on gumtree, you can just filter by short term. I got a place that you just payed by the week, all they looked for was one weeks notice.

It was such a relief to get my own room and a bit of space.

After a couple of weeks I got a nicer place and more long term.

Cooperspale

Yes, generally hostels in Australia are safe.

As said above, read reviews of hostels or go with a friend's recommendation.
Be vigilant with your valuables and lock them in your bag as your dorm mates may be fine but sometimes they will bring random pals back to the room.
If you have not stayed in a dorm situation before; be prepared for little personal space, partying 24/7 and associated drunken antics, being woken up in the early hours because of this drunken carry-on, being woken because a dorm mate is sh**ging a stranger in the bunk above or below you, being woken because a dorm mate is spanking the monkey, being in the vicinity of or catching bedbugs yourself.
Some hostels are known for partying so depends on what you want from your hostel experience. There are hostels that have long termers who work also but to be honest there is an underlying party element in most hostels. YHA are probably the least partycentric but there are always exceptions.
In the hostel itself, you'll share the kitchen facilities etc and have to label your food in the fridge. I wouldn't go mad and do a weekly shop because a lot of times, those drunken individuals will raid the kitchen in the early hours after the pub and your food may be decimated. It's a reall p**ser to come to your food stash in the morning and there's bugger all left.
You'll watch whatever TV the majority want to watch or be drinking goon/cheap wine before heading out and getting blotto yourself.

colman1212

I spent 6 months backpacking in 2011 in oz/nz/asia and have never had anything bad happen.

lg123

read the reviews as suggested, and you will be fine. all up, i probably spent 4 months in various hostels and never had any problems. Flinders Station Backpackers on elizabeth St in Melbourne was probably the worst i have stayed in.

+1 on everything cooperspale said. be careful with your stuff and you wont have anything to worry about.

c0rk3r

Cooperspale wrote: »

If you have not stayed in a dorm situation before; be prepared for little personal space, partying 24/7 and associated drunken antics, being woken up in the early hours because of this drunken carry-on, being woken because a dorm mate is sh**ging a stranger in the bunk above or below you, being woken because a dorm mate is spanking the monkey, being in the vicinity of or catching bedbugs yourself.

I was not prepared for this when i arrived. Second night im awoken by my roommate humping some girl on the bunk below. Didnt know what to be doing with myself. In the end i just stuck on the ipod and rode the rocking boat until it was over. The whole time i was thinking, "this isnt ok, your man is bang out of order here". How very niave i was.

Having spent a good deal of time in a Hostel doing regional work things which i considered completely unacceptable intially became normal then routine. hah. The stories i could tell

Safety wise: Never had a problem but as others have suggested, have your witts about you and be vigilant. Take on board what copperpale said, some solid advice there.

astonaidan

790 on George street in Sydney, I would 100% recommend here, stayed there eight months and not a thing moved on me

sparklyEyes111

What hostel/s would you reccomend for staying in in sydney??! One that's a great place to meet other irish people expecially at the beginning when you've just arrived in sydney?? Thanks

Susie120704

Stayed in a few hostels in Oz and worst was in Sydney. It was on George's Street right opposite Paddy's Market which is the beginning of Chinatown. It was smelly, dirty and dodgy but all we did was sleep with our cash and passports in the sleeping bag. Other than that any other was a grand experience. Sorry I can't remember the name but I have given you the best description. It was only something like 45 dollars for four nights though which was a plus

Jfoy

I've stayed in hostel in oz for two year and I found them really safe. The likes off westend is a big one and very friendly staff. I've never had any bad things happen

astonaidan

sparklyEyes111 wrote: »

What hostel/s would you reccomend for staying in in sydney??! One that's a great place to meet other irish people expecially at the beginning when you've just arrived in sydney?? Thanks

Like I said above dude 790 is a great place, plenty of Irish stay there aswell.
I know the hostel the other guy is talking about, just cant think of the name but yeah a dump

markymark21

Kiith wrote: »

Getting enough money for a bond + months rent up front isn't easy unfortunately, which is why I've been in this current hostel for almost 2 months

There are plenty of landlords which don't ask for a months rent upfront or even a big bond. If you're in Melbourne and are in the St Kilda area you should hit up Jackson apartments. They just ask for a weeks rent upfront as a bond and that's it. If you want to leave they just ask for a weeks notice.

By the way we are paying $340 for the room per week - all bills included. Which ain't bad.

murphym7

Kiith wrote: »

Getting enough money for a bond + months rent up front isn't easy unfortunately, which is why i've been in this current hostel for almost 2 months (2 weeks searching for a job, 3 weeks till i got paid). Especially after being as broke as i was when i got to Melbourne. It's grand if you are in a room with other people who are working, as they tend to be more respectful of others.

There are people who have been there for 6 months though, and drink like nutters every night. Not sure how they do it.

It’s been a long time since I lived in Sydney but this post got me thinking of whether a place I lived for almost a year still existed, and it did. I was sharing a flat in Randwick and the flatmates were moving on, so I got my bond back and drank it! Found this place as a stopgap, and loved the place. It was cheap as chips, my own room, TV, Microwave, linen & towels, room cleaned etc….. for peanuts. It was around a hundred bucks a week when I was there, its $180 now. Only downside was shared toilet/Shower, not that that is a big deal. Eventually about 6 of us had rooms in the place, Aussies I worked with too.

It was a pure laugh, pub and bottle shop next door, a stroll from CBD or Kings cross. Excellent location. The other tenants were a little on the interesting side, but harmless. I had an Aborigine cross dresser living across from me called Bethel (aka Harry) taught me how to play the didgeridoo. Good times.

I would recommend as a permanent place to live or as a stopgap.

Linky: http://www.museumlodge.com.au/

butters.scotch

lg123 wrote: »

read the reviews as suggested, and you will be fine. all up, i probably spent 4 months in various hostels and never had any problems. Flinders Station Backpackers on elizabeth St in Melbourne was probably the worst i have stayed in.

+1 on everything cooperspale said. be careful with your stuff and you wont have anything to worry about.

I stayed there for a week. It wasn't great! Although the worst I stayed in was The Globe in Perth.

allic

has anyone any experience of hostels in melbourne? could you recommend any please?!

Glowla

Sorry to jump into your thread but I'm going to Oz for the summer and clueless about hostels! Does anybody have knowledge of Discovery Melbourne?

CatFromHue

I stayed in the Greenhouse Backpackers in Melbourne and that was grand.

butters.scotch

allic wrote: »

has anyone any experience of hostels in melbourne? could you recommend any please?!

I stayed in YHA Metro. Thought it was the best hostel I stayed in over there. They do (did) a weekly rate - stay 7 nights and pay for 6 if you become a YHA member. Think membership is $40 for a year.

lg123

habitat HQ, st kilda road.

NinjaK

Is the best way of going about things to first move into a hostel then when you get a job move into a house/flat?

Lucifer-0

NinjaK wrote: »

Is the best way of going about things to first move into a hostel then when you get a job move into a house/flat?

Probably, and this was my plan. But after 2 weeks in a hostel I realised I was spending way too much money as I couldn't resist going out drinking with the travellers. I soon moved into a house where you could rent a room by the week. Thankfully I got a job a week later and soon moved house.
I wish I moved to a house sooner, wasn't a fan of Sydney hostels.

mannequinhands

QueenBee1 wrote: »

I'm thinking of taking the plunge but I am worries about staying in hostels. I would like to hear other people's stories. Is it realy safe staying in a room with 4/6 other strangers?

apart from the possibility of either getting a std or pregnant of the shower floor there pretty safe hostelworld is prob the best website to do your research on them just make sure they have lockers and exercise normal caution e.g I would usually leave my wallet in my pillow case while sleeping

p.s you might wanna invest in earplugs

frozengal

get reviews from the people living there before stepping into it