Melbourne Hostels

"Melbourne City Backpackers is a top pick for solo budget travelers like me exploring Melbourne. Centrally located near Southern Cross Station and Queen Victoria Market, it's perfect for hopping on trams or the SkyBus from the airport, and just a short trip to Phillip Island penguins. Friendly staff shared insider tips on local cafes and sights, while the free breakfast kickstarted my days. The spacious dorms came with lockers (bring your own padlock), power outlets, and decent cleanliness—common areas stayed sociable without feeling chaotic. Kitchen facilities were well-equipped for self-catering on a student budget. Only minor downsides: street noise at night (earplugs helped) and no elevator, so pack light. Overall, unbeatable value at ~$30/night—highly recommend for backpackers wanting convenience and vibe! 9/10."

"Pros: Amazing location in the CBD. The hostel is very new and modern. En-suite bathrooms (toilets and showers inside the room) are very convenient. Privacy curtains on every bed. Cons: Staff is not always friendly or helpful. Cleanliness really needs to be improved. Very early, loud construction noise makes it hard to sleep ( at least in January 2026) Unable to set or control the A/C in the room. The door access system is frustrating and doesn't always work effectively."

"Definitely not the best hostel I've been too but not the worst either. However I wouldn't recommend as a female guest. First, they take a photo of you upon check in. I don't know if this is customary in Australia but if it was up to me I wouldnt be willing to provide it (it is stated on trip.com upon booking though, I guess I just missed it). Second... I'm not making any claims here but inside the female bathrooms, there are tiny holes on the walls and doors. They could totally be harmless, but as someone living in Korea where those holes in public bathrooms mean something harmful to women... I wouldn't risk staying at such a place ever again now that I know. Now for the facility review... There was 1 working bathroom with 2 toilets & 2 shower booths on my floor, but it probably wasnt too crowded, I never had to wait to shower. Hot water came out just fine. Would give a 7/10 for cleanliness... There were 2 hair dryers only 1 of which was working. The location is very good, walking distance to all CBD landmarks (very near South Cross Station & tram station right outside the door). Which also means that it gets noisy at night with the noise from the train running. You can either close the window (which I heard is very heavy) and live with the stuffy smell, or leave the window open and live with the noise. Cant do both. Amenities... what do I say? I got a key to enter the room & the bathroom. The beds werent numbered so you just get your room number and hop on whichever bed that seemed... fresh. A bed with a blanket, pillow, and curtain for privacy. That was all. They did provide free towels when I asked later. Inside the shared bathroom, there was 1 gel provided inside the shower booth, not sure if it was shower gel or shampoo... I do believe there is plenty room for improvement. Starting from the holes in the shower booths.."

"Highly recommended! We had a great stay in a comfortable and spacious room. Location is also great and public transport is close. Staff is friendly and helpful. Value for money, the price is unbeatable for Australia."

"The staff at help desk and helpful, gave clear info. Checked in at 6pm no issue, great having the help desk be open 24/7. The entry/cafe/front desk area had a small smell of cigarettes. Bed was comfortable and clean, only carpet was a bit dirty and the room smelled on mixed scents, primarily body odour, mixed shared room so not hostels issue just individuals different smells, ventilation was ok but would not recommend a windowless room with the scents issue. Guests seemed of a young adult demographic: Lots of young, foreign, Door Dash/Uber Eats workers. Bathroom/toilet amenities were sufficient but shower stream was changing from warm to cold water, which would be terrible if it was in the winter, but only slightly uncomfortable in the warmer month of December. Good option for securing luggage you don’t want to keep in the shared rooms."

"The shared bathroom and the room were simple and clean. The room was a little dusty but clean. The heating was on and we could use it freely, which was nice. Sometimes there were all kinds of smells (smoke outside and the delicious smell of cooking in the shared kitchen), but I was fine with it."

"Reminiscent of English pubs and Australian country pubs. Perfect for a solo traveller needing somewhere for a night to restock and recharge. Staff are can-do and will communicate everything you need to know without being invasive at all. The pub is busy downstairs and with good reason. The menu is diverse enough for most appetites. The common room absorbs sound and sports channels on. Sticks to basics and succeeds. Other guests clearly get it too as all shared areas are kept clean and safe without any need for posting rules everywhere. Definitely on my Melbourne list."

"The location is good but other than that I would not call it a pleasant stay. Rooms and bathrooms are pretty dirty. They clean regularly but apparently not thoroughly. Power on my bunk did not work. The room has a 'temporary' AC which has collected dust like it has been there for a while already and it is unbearably loud. The exhaust air of this is routed to a closed window, therefore all the air stays in the room. Luckily I figured that out and opened the window the 2nd night but the AC still was loud. For $80 a night I do expect more."

"The manager was very nice, the hotel rooms are located at 2/F but he is willing to help with the luggage carry even without request. The hotel location is fantastic, only 20-30 mins to Melbourne central (one tram only after you get the skybus from airport as well). supermarket, restaurant, cafe, gelato shop around as well. Clean, big room, nice toilet&restroom, nice kitchen, nice laundry. Highly recommend that hotel, definitely my priority choice if I come to Melbourne again. The only bad side is the room at 2/F that you have to carry your stuff up and down if you buy lots of things. And watch out especially in rainy day as it’s a metal stair."