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Hostels Guide > Australia & Oceania > Australia > Queensland > Airlie Beach Hostels > Reefo's Backpackers Resort Arlie Beach

Reefo's Backpackers Resort Arlie Beach

Airlie Beach (Cannonvale)

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Hostels in Airlie Beach

Address

147 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach (Cannonvale), Queensland, Australia Map

Location/Contact

Details

Online booking is not offered for this hostel, contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed above).

Their Description

Features

Kitchen
Phones (public or in room)
BBQ
Travel information provided
Swimming Pool
Currency Exchange
Bar
Washing Machine (laundry)
Food/Restaurant
Lockers
Lounge / Common space
Nightclub

The Hostelz.com Review

Reefo's is a huge resort. It's very nice looking and it has everything you need. Reception is open 24 hours, offering booking service for sailing tours, and they will help you with every issue you have. Next to reception there is the Reefo's Bar and Restaurant with a real wood decor. It's a great place for fun in the evening and night. The variety of drinks you can order and the events they organize are really outstanding. They also have a huge screen for TV sports.

Accommodations are in many small houses spread over the area. Thus it can be a walk of 7 minutes between reception and your bed, but it's a great atmosphere. Dorm-huts are have a maximum of six people in each.

The resort also has a small supermarket, laundry, pool, and beach volleyball. Not far away is a shopping center and some cafes/take-aways. Because they are not located in the heart of the city, they offer a free shuttle service every half an hour to the middle of Airlie Beach. Moreover, they bring you to the Coach Terminal and Marina as well if you have to catch a bus or a boat.

The only drawbacks are that there is no breakfast included and it is not so easy to find a good place nearby if you want to have a really good morning meal. They also want you to give a $50 bond for the key (really a little much, isn't it?) in cash. But they do offer a calm, clean, and comfortable accommodation, with a stylish bar on the spot, and very well organized shuttle service.

How to get there: From the middle of Airlie Beach there is a free Shuttle Service departing from the central carpark every hour at about 5 minutes after the hour. Otherwise you find Reefo's next to the main road about 2km before Airlie Beach in the western direction. There is a big sign next to the road on an area full of palm trees. You can't miss it.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2004

Ratings & Comments

2.7 Average from 29 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by tez... privacy, sorta, oz

January 2009

Better than sharing with ten other people
stayed there in '06 i think it was. yes it's dirty and the neighbours are fried bogans! but it is good in the respect that you can go to sleep knowing your shits not gonna be stolen from the random backpacker sharing the bottom bunk!

Comment by disgusting, Australian

November 2008

Disgusting, unsafe, and unfriendly
stayed at Reefo's back in '05. the staff were rude and cabins were disgusting. The cabin that i stayed in was filthy -- the sheets had stains on them (looked like they had no been washed), there was dead rodents on the floors (geckos, lizards, bugs) obviously the cabin had not been cleaned for a while. The small bar bridge was old and rusted and did not shut properly so nothing was kept cool. The cabin was also advertised with a television and it did not have one. When I asked about this, the lady at the desk was rude and said there was none of those cabins available and when i sad it was advertised that all cabins had TVs so i expected to have one and that it it was false advertising. She bluntly said oh better fix that. Overall my stay at reefos was not enjoyable, the male staff were creeps, hung around me and my girlfriends trying to flirt but it was actually just quite freaking. I felt unsafe all of the time i stayed there. And would not recommend this place to anyone. and for what the place is worth, it is overrated and overpriced. Do not stay there.

Comment by Huw jones, british

September 2008

Amazing
i worked in the internet cafe and shop for about two months and loved every minute of it. i made some good friends and the security guard rico was funny as hell plus being nearly seven-foot tall. i would tell anyone to go there. i wish i could live there. the staff are brilliant and the swimming pool is great. go there -- you will love it

Comment by Liz Boleyn, Australian

September 2008

Be warned
Stayed at Reefos last year for a few weeks. Had my drink spiked. Went to police, "Sgt. Sweeny" asked me when i was leaving Australia. (I am Australian.) I was so bad, ended up in Mental Health Unit in Mackay. I learnt from the nursing staff at Mackay base hospital that drink spiking is very common in Airlie Beach, many tourists end up there for this reason. I have a really low intolerance to chemicals and was extremely ill. i guess i could have been killed. it was very frightening! The police will do nothing! So be warned single travelers, especially women, you are at risk. And Reefo's is alright if you surround yourself with a gang of caring men.

Comment by unhappy camper, australia

December 2007

Unsafe
i moved up to airlie for a few months and had and experience of staying at reefos. first i ran into the cleaner, who asked to borrow our newspaper and broom to clean the next cabin. after handing over the items i got to see just how clean they are. spit on the window and use our newspaper to clean it off. then a quick sweep with our broom and the job was done. After complaining about not having a fire alarm i got told that if i want one to buy it myself! soon after that i was plugging in an electrical appliance and blue sparks and a zapping nose is all i got as far as power went. after complaining about that nothing happened! i also found the police were regulars and you could often hear domestics. there were a lot of weird and wonderful people about at all hours. i also got asked to clean my room before i was to leave! overall it's not worth it! stay somewhere else!

Comment by Richard, UK

April 2007

Stayed there four months back in '01. Yes the rooms are a bit dingy, yes there a few bugs, but it's really only a waystation for a few nights before and after your Whitsunday sailings. If you stop there, then work there. Simple as that. We all had a hugely entertaining time running the bar/laundry/restaurant and the place was nuts. It's a nightly social spot so if you want it quiet then go elsewhere.

Comment by Elizabeth Flynn, Irish

April 2007

I worked in the internet cafe and lived on site, all in all not a bad spot. I had a great time there, yeah its not the ritz but as far as I remember it was £10 per night. I loved it. Only thing watch your drink in the bar girls I had my drink spiked and I wasn't the only one apparently -- by a aussie guy who said he lived on Hayley Island? not a nice experience so be careful!

Comment by anonymous

February 2007

geez seems like things not changed then, im going back nearly ten years when we checked in here, got dorm number, paid for beds, and went to dorm to leave stuff in. Open door to find small dark room with absolute crap everywhere from the current tenants and the place absolutely stunk and not of drink from night before. We immediately took one look through door said not staying here here and asked right away for money back.

Comment by now suffering mental pain

January 2007

i would rather drag my face on the concrete than stay at this disease-ridden dungeon.

Comment by anonymous

May 2006

I stayed at this hostel for five months! But not out of choice, I was seeing a guy who worked there. I worked there for a couple of months and the pay was crap, although you did get free accommodation, there was no way you could save your money to move on the the next place. (But that's like most places in Australia, ripping the backpackers off becuase they can.) I was lucky to move in to the double cabin. Very spacious, the air con worked, had a lovely big kitchen and the most comfortable double bed. Unfortunately for other backpackers they weren't so lucky, bed bugs being the main problem. But backpackers should stop complaining as they are not a native animal, its backpackers who brought them into the country so if you come across them you can only blame yourself. Besides that's part of the fun, you dont go travelling to be in five-star accommodation. Overall I had a good time at this place, met the coolest people but five months was a bit too much! Enjoy the place as best you can, relax, and chill the f**k out!

Comment by Lucy

May 2006

Stayed here for one night as that was enough. Dark, damp, grotty rooms- revolting bathroom- was cleaner before I went in. Bar does good well priced food though!

Comment by leapinglee

March 2006

You either love or loath the place, the place has a very good atmosphere and bar for socialising with various partys, footy, volleyball games going on. most of the general jobs around (cleaning, bar, shuttlebus driver) are filled by backpackers, not exactly well paid but if you're looking for work you may be lucky. The rooms generally aren't top notch but cheap, yes its a bit of a way out of town, but there is a regular hostel run bus. So basically if you want to meet people, party a bit or take a bit of time out and chill somewhere for a bit its Reefo's all the way.

Comment by Jan

January 2006

Worked there and was a guest before, love it gonna visit it this year had a absolute blast and would never check in another hostle in Airlie! Party 24/7 and if you wan't quiet time just stay home! To beeing dirty and what ever! It's OZ you have 30 degrees and perfect weather who the f*** is going to stay in the room? i stayed only in my room to get layed or sleep and for that it's perfect! So check out reefos it's a absolut blast!

Comment by Dan From Schoolies 04

September 2005

Absolutely wonderful! Staff are excellent... all schoolies [school students on holiday] head there, honestly, ay! Save your dosh for an awesome time! Everyone else gets kicked out... but they (reefos) let you rock on! Love it!

Comment by Anonymous

February 2005

NOT COOL! I only stayed here because a lot of people from my boating trip were staying. They made it fun while at the bar but back in my room I was scared! It was just me (a petite female) and a bunch of other guys (I requested girls only) and they weren't too cool. The rooms were so dark, dingy, dirty, smelly and bug-filled. I'm glad I only stayed a night. It would be ok if you were drunk 24/7 and didn't notice the grime.

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9 of 12

Hostels in Airlie Beach

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