Review: YHA Sydney Harbour

A perfectly located five star hostel that generally delivers on facilities but misses in terms of value.

Finding somewhere to stay in Sydney on a budget is a pain. Generally prices are high, so the aim is finding somewhere that offers value rather than finding somewhere cheap. I’m not really much of a hostel guy, but on my visit to Australia, my budget dictated that I ought to become one. So, I decided on staying at YHA Sydney Harbour. Described as a 5 star hostel, would it offer a hosteling rookie the comforts of a hotel with the value of a hostel?

The Good

• Brilliant location. Probably couldn’t be better actually. On a quiet street in the historic (for Australia) Rocks area. Plenty of smart places to eat and drink nearby and a short walk from the harbour bridge, the opera house and the main drag, George Street.
• Purpose built and still fairly new. The place has a tangible modern and contemporary feel.
• Unbeatable rooftop terrace with incredible views of the opera house, harbour bridge and city centre.
• Rooms and public areas are very clean and well kept.
• Comfortable TV room with plenty of channels available. DVDs available to hire from reception.
• Night’s out, barbecues and other events organised every day. All seemed good value.
• All rooms and dorms have ensuite bathrooms. Nice fittings and locking doors.
• Good security. Public doors are locked at night and dorms are accessed via key card.
• Large, well-equipped kitchen. One of the fridges may still contain a carton of milk I bought. You’re welcome Australia!
• Nicely furnished and comfortable common area with plenty of computers to use.
• Reasonably priced laundry room facilities.
• Dorms beds have reading lights and power sockets. Lockers have power sockets inside too. Very handy.

The Bad

• Horribly expensive! You pay for the location and rooftop terrace. You may as well pay a little extra and get your own private room elsewhere.
• Bored, cheerless staff. They were generally helpful, but begrudgingly so.
• Rooftop terrace is locked at 2200 each night. Rather early.
• Not very social. Despite a daily event being organised by staff, no one really spoke to one another. Perhaps the size of the place or the decor didn’t lend itself to being particularly sociable.
• Not particularly cosy or welcoming. Sparse, basic decor.
• Expensive internet. There were plenty of computers available and also wifi but it wasn’t cheap. This is perhaps due to Australia not being as wired up as the rest of the world.
• Expensive breakfast. I suppose they didn’t have to offer breakfasts, but they also didn’t have to charge an arm and a leg for it.
• In-room temperature is controlled by reception, by key card activation and whether the window is opened. Rooms are either too hot or to cold. Never spot on.
• Similarly, the temperature in the tv room is also controlled by reception. If you want the air-con on, you have to walk down 2 floors to get it sorted. Ridiculous.
• Hardly any seats on the roof terrace.
• Announcements made over building-wide public address system regarding forthcoming events lended an unprofessional and holiday camp feel to the place.
• Snoring! Oh, the dreaded snoring!
• Sheets and bankets! It’s 2011, Australia! The rest of the world are using duvets. Join us, please!
• Despite paying a fortune, you still have to strip your own beds and take the sheets down to reception on departure. Pretty poor.

The Verdict

It’s difficult summing up YHA Sydney Harbour without getting tangled up with my impressions of Sydney and hosteling in general (both rather poor). There were elements of the hostel I really, really liked. The rooftop terrace for example could quite possibly be one of the best in the world, offering stunning views of the harbour and the city centre. The location was perfect, a short walk from everything Sydney has to offer (that is to say, not very much) while the rooms, bathrooms and public areas were functional, clean and modern.

The claim is that this is a 5 star hostel. In global terms, if you average everything out, it probably is. It’s the fact you end up paying for the terrace and the location that just sours the deal for me. I expected more for my money. Throw in some wifi at least!

If you can’t quite afford your own room in Sydney but you don’t want to stay in a flea pit, YHA Sydney Harbour is probably your best hostel option in the city centre. While, in my opinion, you don’t get good value for money, at least you’re assured of somewhere clean and secure to sleep and you get that amazing view. Steer well clear of the private double rooms. They’re nothing special and are definitely not worth your money. Look elsewhere.