YHA Melbourne Central

Great location, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. I’d definitely recommend staying there.

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..

I just needed a bed to sleep in the city while exploring what the Melbourne CBD has to offer. To my amazement the YHA exceeded my expectations. The shared bathrooms were clean with toiletries and hair dryers. Loved the concept of shared kitchen to prep your own food while there’s barista made coffee and cocktails in the lobby for purchase. While hanging out, I met other travellers and made friends too. I checked out early to explore more before leaving, luggage storage was convenient and I even got a towel to shower before I left. Point to note, ask for a room away from the side alley as you will be able to hear the rubbish truck early in the morning and smells coming through if you leave the window open. There’s no ventilation if you don’t keep the window open. I took a four bed sharing and the air can be stale if the windows are closed.

I had a nightmare stay at YHA Melbourne Central. This is not about expecting luxury service; it is about basic safety and hygiene, which they failed miserably. • Severe Injury & Safety Failure: The lift was out of order for days. Because the hostel lacked the basic ability to manage the situation or provide solutions for guests on high floors, I had to carry my heavy luggage down the stairs myself. This caused a severe strain injury from my right hand and shoulder down to my entire right back. The pain is so intense that I am currently on medication to manage the injury and have difficulty sleeping. • Ridiculous Hygiene Issues: Their inability to handle simple requests is laughable. I went to the front desk three times over two days just to ask for toilet paper, yet they never provided it. • Incompetent Management: They hid behind the 'short-staffed' excuse. There is a difference between being a budget hostel and being completely incompetent. Their negligence directly caused my physical injury, required medical treatment, and ruined my trip. Do not stay here if you value your health or basic hygiene. The management has zero sense of responsibility for guest safety

Overall is friendly staff and clean environment is suitable for backpacker and friend