“jolly swagman...”

good bang for your buck...but the rooms are small and if you get a messy/smelly roommate, you're hooped, All the little extras, like lockers, locks for your lockers, internet, are a bit pricy...laundry is au$6 a load...breakfast is not much but what can you expect for a hostel... toast, coffee/tea & cereal... They don't store your luggage while you wait to go to the airport and they charge you per hour to buy a locker to hold your stuff. they don't have televisions in the room as seen on the website. The room was a bit out dated and the fan didn't work. the only other thing i will note is that they only have 2 sinks and 2 toilets and 2 showers on each floor. The showers are right beside the toilet so if someone is going #2 while you're in the shower, it can be rather uncomfortable. I believe they should have 2 separate rooms for showers. The staff was friendly and they do post a lot of discounted tours and budget deals on their boards.

“Red light district disaster!”

I wasn't satisfied with the service at all. The site said it was only suppose to be with 3 beds but there were 4 beds in the already cramped room. The bed wasn't comfortable. I wasn't given my free wifi service upon checkin and when I asked for it the following morning the lobbyist said I was SOL. The food was ok and the location was close to the station. Overall, I don't plan on joining the Jolly Swaggman ever again nor recommending it to others.

“If you're OK with roughing it a bit”

The staff here are very friendly, prompt and informative. They helped answer all my questions about the area, places to go, local hot spots. They also had nightly features for anyone interested, paintball, bowling outings etc. which was nice for anyone looking to make new friends. It was a very relaxing vibe in the common areas downstairs. I wasn't expecting much (less than $30 US per night) but I thought a room for 3 would be a bit bigger. My closet here in CA is just about as big as the 3 person room I shared, so be prepared for that. I had a top bunk too, which was comfortable enough once I got up on it. But as far as roominess, I got my clothes organized in the hallway each morning and dressed in the bathroom down the hall. Just no space with my 2 roommates' things already in the room. Also, the roommates were fine, but they both worked full time, two jobs each. They were friendly but not social, and didn't make any room for me or my backpack when I arrived. I would probably stay here again. The location is great for getting around, and staff here again was top-notch, but I would NOT recommend a 3 person room, unless you're comfortable moving about in a shoebox. Happy travels! sj

“not bad for the money but not grat either”

was a normal hostel with few free amenaties and often folks comming in drunk at all hours.

“Basic accommodation but good value for money.”

I'd never stayed in a hostel before so was a bit apprehensive when I booked this one. We had booked a female dorm with just 3 beds and when we checked in we were given a twin room so this made a real difference to us. We called the hostel when we landed into Sydney and were met in arrivals shortly after, we arrived at the hostel around 9 am and were checked straight into our room. The facilities were basic but clean and we found the stay v.affordable. The area was pretty central with good transport connections but I probably wouldn't go out alone in the evenings. Every day the hostel held events which was quite nice, particular if you are a single traveller. The only downside was that we each paid a $20 refundable deposit for our room keys and a $20 deposit for each towel, we would have preferred to leave card details with reception. Overall a good stay, I wouldn't hesitate returning here.

“Fine backpackers hostel”

Firstly, this is a backpackers hostel, so don't book if you are expecting a hotel. So saying, it is a perfectly good place to stay and an excellent value option for Sydney accomodation. It also, unlike most hostels, offers breakfast. We stayed in a double room, which was small but adequate, although would have benefited from a/c as the fan was wholly inadequate for keeping the temperatre down. The facilities were pretty good for a hostel, with a laundry and a public kitchen (the kitchen isn't the largest we've come across and it can get crowded at times). Wifi is available (at a cost except fo the free 1 hour you are given upon check-in - this is a bit cheeky given that they advertise free wifi...) All in all, we were happy with our experience. Kings Cross is a lively district, but at no time did we feel at all nervous, even coming back to the hostel from the underground station well after midnight on a couple of occasions.

“Jolly Good time for really cheap”

Nice location just outside of the main centre of Sydney, only a 15 minute walk to the opera house, and downtown. This place is great for the money you pay. The staff are pleasant but not in your face, lots of stuff to do if you want to join in, but also no pressure. The only down side is the internet, its kind of expensive, I feel you should also be able to pay per 24 hours, instead the maximum is $5 for 2 hours which adds up. Close to supermarkets, bars, restaurants and a train station.

“Works if you are poor”

Decent motel for fairly low prices. Red Light district surroundings. Kind of noisy people living in the hotel, staff not always supporting.

“Good Location with Friendly Staff”

I arrived like 9am & the staff let me check in. They help me w/ maps and tried to answer all my questions. I stayed 2 nights in a female only dorm. It's convenient to have a fridge in your own room to share w/ just 3 other persons. I guess the cleanliness of the room highly depends on your roommates, so my advice is do not expect too much. I stayed in winter so having no a/c doesn't affect me. But those staying in summer, I don't think that small fan would help much. The common area & kitchen are well maintained. Free 1 hr internet was enough for me since I only spent 2 nights. But it would be nice if they can give you like an hour per day or every other day for those staying longer. Free breakfast is a plus though it was just pretty simple...hey, what do you expect? The shared bathroom was quite clean. There were only 2 sinks, 2 toilets & 2 showers on each floor but I never had to wait. I guess girls don't shower much :) Kings Cross train station is only a few minutes walk. There was a free shuttle from the airport but on the way back to the airport, you have to pay. And I wouldn't recommend the shuttle (that the staff tries to sell to you) as they are not very reliable; I was waiting for almost an hour for my ride - in fact, that was the only thing that really upset me. One last thing, the check out time was 9am, sharp! If you plan to come get your stuff later, you'll have to pay for the locker. Overall, I think it's worth the price & I enjoyed my stay.