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5 Hostel Report; Aquarius Backpackers

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Aquarius Backpackers,
Located a 10 min bus ride outside of surfers, the quiet hostel provides a relaxing atmosphere.

1. Customer Service
****
The owner prides herself in customer service, and the staff do everything they can to accommodate. (Not going to go to far into this because I worked here. Don’t want to be biased.)

2. “At home” Feel
****
More restricted on cleanliness reasons, but the weekly sausage sizzle and pool competition help pull people out of their room to meet others. The manager also makes a point to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

3. Night Life
***
Further from surfers, going to town usually means a cab home. While its not too expensive (~$20), going to town twice a week on the big nights out can add up.

4. Cleanliness
*****
Very clean. (While this may be biased, as I was one of the people cleaning it for a short time, I can attest to the high level of clean that the manager sets as a standard.) Everything is washed, swept, mopped multiple times a day. Everything is freshly painted, there’s a plasma TV on the wall, surround sound, and a really nice pool.

5. Location
***
Better located for shopping than night life, its just down the street from Australia fair, one of the largest shopping centers in the region. Its a short walk to a small park, and neighboring cafes have sidewalk seating (whose atmosphere I have always loved).

Aquarius Backpackers
Overall
**** $$$
07 5527 1300

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5 Hostel Report; Surf n Sun

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*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