Landing pads is a pretty new hostel in Mel. Located just few kilometers away from CBD in a cool…read morearea of Brunswick with all its tiny cafes and restaurants. Found this hostel through hostelworld and though initially only booked 2.5 weeks here- it's now my 2nd month starting here. It's a great place that feels more like a shared house vs a hostel. Partially due to its small size- only about 20 ppl here and the biggest room is only for 6 ppl. But also most of the ppl end up staying here longer than intended so you get to know them better. The manager of this place Matt - also lives in the premises and is a super fun guy. He organizes events for the guests and is very helpful in general. To add to that: WiFi is included into the price of accommodation and always runs smoothly from anywhere in the building (incl backyard) and there is also lots of kitchen space. This is definitely a great deal! And amazing people:)

Conveniently located hostel in the CBD with a great bar and outdoor area! Rooms were clean-…read morealthough my water pressure was a bit off, but other than that it was a great stay at Nomads.

* Please note that this review relates to the bar and lounge area only…read more Nomads Backpackers is definitely one of the most well hidden, energetic and fantastic spots to grab a drink in the city. The building itself is bright orange and superbly clean and well maintained. There are bright lights and friendly people at the counter when you first walk in. Accommodation is upstairs so to get to the bar area you want to walk in the big front doors and make a sharp left. After passing through another set of glass doors - you're in! There is a long bar running down the right side of the rectangular room and plenty of couches, benches and stools to rest upon. The end of the room opens up into an outdoor area with a couple of tables and large sun umbrellas. On sunny evenings this is a great spot to sit if there are no smokers present, otherwise there are a heap of great spots indoors. The decor is pretty modern and the bartenders mostly foreign. When I went there recently I had to wait about ten minutes to get a Lemon Lime Bitters because the girl serving me had no idea what it was. It was a little annoying but at least I got to teach her something I guess. The atmosphere in here is amazing. There are all sorts of cool and interesting people and if you come when there's a big game on - no matter what the sport- don't ever, EVER walk in front of the projector screen. All hell might just break loose. Amongst all these great people are groovy machines like a video jukebox that plays music videos on screens around the room for just $1. There is also this weird gaming machine that allows you to play scrabble, deal or no deal, cluedo and more. It was totally awesome....except for when I lost about fifteen dollars trying to figure out if it was Colonol Mustard in the library with the wrench. (It wasn't). I'd recommend this place for casual drinks with friends or an after work get-together. It is very chilled and relaxed.

We stayed at the Melbourne Metro YHA for its convenience to everything you want to do and see in…read moreMelbourne. The Victoria Markets are a short 5 minute walk. This way my second visit and chose to stay in one of their ground floor self contained apartment which was basic but sufficient for our requirements. We can recommend using the on site parking for $10 per night as the local parking inspectors are out in force if you go overtime when parking in the street. I'll definitely be staying here again in the future... Happy days :-)

Australia is a whole bunch of firsts for me as I made it one of my goals to try as many things as…read morepossible even if it made me step out of my comfort zone. In alignment with this goal, I wanted to try and stay at a hostel by myself despite never having to share a room before; I skipped the whole dorming experience in college because I enjoyed my own space. To be honest, I was prepared for the worst - I expected disrespectful/party roommates, to have my belongings and food stolen, and dirty beds and communal areas. However from the very first day, I felt very much at ease. The employees working at reception were incredibly friendly and were so personable that I even felt comfortable asking them for advice about my work situation. I stayed for 6 nights in a 4 female dorm, and for the most part, the girls kept to themselves with the exception of a lady who I had enjoyed frequent conversations with. The kitchen was being constantly cleaned although I picked up the occasional dirty plate/bowl/silverware and had to wash them before use. The restrooms and showers were acceptable. The beds were bug-free! I was even able to borrow a couple of the books to read in the room when I was tired; the individual lights in each bunk was a nice touch. The lockers provided a little bit of security because I needed a place to store my valuables, and luckily I bought my own lock before I checked in (although you can purchase it from the hostel if needed). The only inconvenience was that some of my food in the fridges had been taken, but it was no big deal considering it was only bread. If all hostels are like Melbourne Metro YHA, then I'd have no objections to staying at another instead of at a hotel. It was clean, had all the necessities, affordable and located conveniently near the Queen Victoria Market with the added bonus of meeting other travelers.