*These reports are done in the order I stayed in them, and have nothing to do with their ranking. Read through to see what I thought and information on the hostel.*

Surf n Sun –

Located 20 paces from the beach, has been dubbed the #1 hostel in Australia by HostelWorld. While I am unsure of their criteria to reach such a status, I know my reasons for putting them in my review, and saying they made my list to the three way tie of hostels in Australia.

1. Customer service
****
While its not easy to “keep the customer happy” while still keeping that upbeat vibe, they do it in spades. While some hostels draw the line between staff and guest, here it all melds together into a friendly melting pot of nationalities and personalities.

2. ‘At home’ feel
****
Perfect. The kitchen joins with the TV room and turns it into a giant hangout. Roommates aren’t just “those people you have to share a bunk bed with”, they are the the people you hang out with while getting ready for the club. I do have to caution you, I got comfy enough to hang up all my clothes around the room, and I had a jean jacket nicked. (As with all hostels, keep an eye on your stuff. But there wasn’t a bad problem with it. After mentioning it, we wished her bad karma, and I had a little more room for souvenirs.)

3. Night Life
*****
This is a party hostel! With that being said, it is hopping every night. Don’t feel like going out, but still want to have a beer and meet people? Before going into town, everyone gathers by the pool/bar area and the fun begins. The hostels lively atmosphere makes it hard to resist going out with the lively group. Being a 10 min walk from the city center and a minute from the beach, can you expect anything less?

4. Cleanliness
****
The dorm rooms have their own bathroom, and are cleaned daily. The kitchen is always tidy, and (other than having to shake sand out of your sheets from going to bed straight from the beach), you get a nice clean, comfy bed when you arrive.

5. Location
*****
I’ve mentioned this a couple times now, because it is so wonderfully located. Its just far enough from town to be quiet, just close enough to be a quick walk, and no distance to the beach.

Surf n Sun

Overall

**** $$

07 5592 2363