Backpackers In Paradise Resort - Hostel

Me and my partner were very apprehensive about staying here after seeing some of the reviews, but we can honestly say that our stay was fine. First of all, the outdoor social areas were pretty good, although it could do with a few more seating options as it does get busy. The bar was fantastic, tons of games to play, plenty of seating, lots of drink choices and often free pool on a good pool table. Really want to commend the bar team for doing a great job over the Christmas period too, it’s not an easy job and they made it a good experience. Jack, you were lovely during our stay but your pint pulling skills were questionable… just kidding, thanks for Christmas Eve, you did a fab job. We stayed in room 17, which was a room of 8. First of all, it did have air-con which worked very well. There was a lot of space between the beds too, and they were pretty comfortable. There were some cupboards to store stuff in, but unsure if they had lock capabilities or not. The location is fantastic, a walk away from the trams, plenty of buses, so many bars and restaurants nearby, and the beach doesn’t take long to get to. There is food that you can buy too, it’s a limited menu but it’s a very reasonable price. We want to thank the lady who served us as she was so sweet and friendly. Now, the not so good stuff. Our bathroom wasn’t the best to be completely honest. The toilet had a lot of limescale, and the shower was constantly leaking, meaning the floor and bath mat were soaked the whole time we were there. Although toilet roll was replaced, and bins were emptied, it didn’t seem like much cleaning took place from what we saw anyway. The beds don’t have curtains, which is annoying but a fairly normal thing in Australia we’ve discovered. Additionally, we didn’t see anyone clean the room either, not even a sweep of the floor… My partners bed was on the top bunk, and there were a few storms whilst we were there. The ceiling was leaking on his face, making his bed soaking wet through and the ceiling was starting to bow significantly. He did move out of this bed, but despite telling three different staff members, they were still putting people in this bed to stay. The ceiling will cave in one day, so it’s a massive hazard that we felt was not taken seriously. Speaking of staff members, unfortunately there were some very rude individuals which was such a shame. The lady who checked us out was so rude, she didn’t even acknowledge we were leaving and said ‘you just have to put your key in that box’. When we said thanks, she just ignored us. It’s not difficult to ask paying guests how their stay was, or even to say thank you or goodbye. Basic manners are important. The kitchen was thin and there wasn’t much room for manoeuvre. Some of the utensils such as pots, pans, knives and cutlery were so sparse or ruined they were unusable. For the sake of guests staying here, please invest in a knife sharpener and a few more pots. Also, there was never any clean/dry tea towels, or hand wash at the hand wash station. I will say though, the worst thing about the kitchen were other people. A lot of the guests don’t wait until you’re finished, will ask to borrow equipment as you’re using it and stare at you until you’re finished with it, and we also ‘lost’ a few items from our bag in the fridge. There definitely needs to be an emphasis on manners and kitchen etiquette as it made it really difficult and uncomfortable to use. There is also an issue with people not staying in their allocated rooms, swapping beds, and bringing random people in too. This kept happening in our room, so staff may need to keep an eye on this as it made us feel uncomfortable not knowing who was in our room at any given time. This also increases the chances of petty theft too. Although we didn’t use the pool, it didn’t look the cleanest. I know this is a very long review, but overall this is not the worst place we’ve stayed at by far, and it’s been absolutely fine for a 6 night stay. There are some very basic changes that would go a long way.

I'm going to reiterate other reviews on here and say that a few simple changes would make this place so much better. We stayed in a mixed 14-bed room and there was one toilet and shower for the whole room, which as you can imagine meant people waiting around in the morning and was not the most comfortable setup. There was also not enough plug sockets for the room so people couldn't easily charge devices. The kitchen is gross and tiny, not enough space for the amount of people staying there and not enough cutlery or plates etc provided. There also needs to be water taps freely available and displayed. We asked at check in where we can fill our water bottles up and the receptionist filled it up with cold water behind the bar. But then we felt awkward having to ask behind the bar everytime we wanted water and some staff were a bit unapproachable. Positives, the location is great, close to everything and close to the coach station. The room didn't get too hot and bed was fine. Some basic amenities needed to make this place more comfortable for everyone!