Hostels aren't supposed to be glamorous--you're lucky to find one that's clean, affordable, and comfortable--but Bunk in Brisbane is easily the worst hostel I've ever had the displeasure of visiting. From the moment we stepped into our undersized, humid, and dimly-lit room, we were greeted with a nauseating sulfuric scent seeping from the shower closet. The beds were squeaky, their frames rusty, and the bottom bunk was inhabitable for guests over 5' tall without hitting their heads when getting in or out. The elevator to access each of the five floors was tucked away in a dark and musty stairwell, and the lift itself had a broken ceiling covered in stickers and being held together by pieces of splintered wood--a very unnerving sight when entering the building in which you'll soon sleep.
As for the kitchen, you'll have to first wander across the courtyard, down yet another stairwell that only M. Night Shayamalan could design, and into a basement kitchen that reeked of rotten food. False advertisements also seem to be Bunk's specialty, boasting free wifi and free drinks at its adjoined bar each night.
What they fail to mention is that only your first 30 minutes of internet access are complimentary (you'll need to whip out a credit card if you want to scour the internet for new sleeping arrangements), and the "free drinks" are pre-poured, limited-in-quantity beverages that are only available right at 20:00 on the dot for the first handful of patrons to enter the bar. Oh, and if you want to catch some sun, you're better off skipping their 15-meter pool--which only has one lounge chair for the entire building to compete over--and heading to the nearest patch of grass you can find in a city park.
Their staff, albeit friendly, have a habit of entering your room at all hours of the day to change back-of-door signage and using the building's intercom system to ask car owners to move their vehicles to avoid being towed. If you can make it out of Bunk Brisbane with a smile on your face and a clean bill of health, you're a winner in my book. read more