Travellers Rest Backpackers Hostel

Worthwhile!
The Travellers Rest is really one of the best hostels in Sydney (and I have seen a lot!). It is near all the hot spots and pubs in the Kings Cross and only a short walk to Woolloomooloo. Bondi Beach (great place to celebrate the New Year) and Rose/Double Bay are also nearby. The rooms are quite big and most of them have their own kitchen and bathroom. I stayed in the Travellers Rest twice. When I lived as a backpacker in Oz in 1990/1991, I stayed there for five months and when I came back to Oz in 1998, again for a couple of nights. I remember the fun I had cooking together with my roommates and all the great parties with the other guests. Disadvantage of sharing a dormitory with four Kiwi's and scottish guys is that you might have to watch cricket test matches the whole day, but after a couple of days you might even enjoy that! Definitely a place to remember!

Dirty Room/Backpackers, Stubborn Attitude of Manager
I paid for a bed in this backpackers for one week just before I went on holiday on 21 June 2008. When I came back and got the keys on 10 July 2008, I found the room to be extremely messy and dirty. There was a huge wet stain on my mattress. I asked for it to be changed. I found bathroom dirty, the sink (inside the room) and cupboards dirty, and rubbish was everywhere. I was so unhappy I decided I couldn't sleep in this place. I went and found a clean hostel/backpacker just down the same street. I went back to Travellers Rest and spoke to Peter the manager. I explained my reasons for being unhappy to stay there and asked for a refund (I paid for one week $125). He said sorry, no refunds. So I thought I would just put a bag, some clothes in the cupboard in my room, and also use the laundry/washing machine. No washing machine where I ended up. Two nights later, I came back to this room, found my bed slept in. I told one guy in the room, I have paid for this bed. Please do not use it. The next night, I came in again, saw someone's bags and things on "my bed." Since office was closed, I came back next morning and spoke to Peter. Why did he rebook my bed? He said, after I complained about the dirtiness, he thought I had left. So he sold my bed to someone else. I asked for a refund for those nights he resold it. Again, he refused. I said I had not returned the key to get back my key deposit. Why did you rebook my bed? He said I had taken off with his key! So I returned his key on 15 July 2008, got a receipt as proof. That morning, I made a complaint to Dept of Fair Trading and also made a complaint to NSW Health Authorities. On the internet, we cannot see the room. I was shown one room (to get idea of the set up of the dorm) but the actual condition of my room was terrible. You must ask to see the room before you accept it. Staff at the other hostel I went to told me that normally in such circumstances or if they have double booked a bed/room, they give refund without arguing. Peter was manager was not willing to consider my rights and was quite happy to sell my bed twice! I did not get what I paid for, a clean bed in a clean room!

Poor
bedbugs!

A great and relaxed place! great for those who love privacy!
We've stayed at Travellers Rest for almost a month during July 2006. The place was great, even for a long stay as ours -- we had a private room with the cutest balcony to bustling Victoria street, with a small fridge, TV, phone, a table to eat, heater. We really felt (and still remember the place) as it is a true "home away from home." Since we aren't the partying type of travelers (one of us had to do some research in Sydney Univ after a long trip), we were very happy with the fact that the social happening was all downstairs, and never heard any late night noise or anything. Though we didn't have a private bathroom, the one ten steps away felt clean and almost private -- never had to wait for a shower. The kitchen is well equipped, especially since people have their food stored in their own fridges. Last but definitely not least, Derek, the manager, is the nicest person we've met! Not only he helped us with information, he also took phone messages, helped with payment arrangements, and did everything he could think about to make our stay there a great experience! As we promised Derek, we will come back!

I moved into the T.R. just before the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and left to go on traveling on the 4th June 2002. I stayed all that time and if i had the choice between the T.R and the Waldorf Astoria, Derek and Bob would win hands down every time. To me it was my home and i have never had a better landlord than Derek. Courteous, helpful, a go-out-of-his-way-to-help-you kind of guy. I can't sing his praises enough. Because the Hostel isn't some five-hundred-bed superstructure, it has that homey, family kind of feel. Everybody gets to know everyone else and when you're living out of a backpack it's good to make friends and settle down for a wee bit.

Me and my girlfriend stayed at the travellers rest about four years ago and can honestly say its one of the best hostels there. Derek's the dude! And his insane alter ego bob also made it a memorable stay. Well worth a stay!

My boyfriend and I stayed at 'The Travellers Rest' from March to July '05 whilst we were working in Sydney. The fact that it is a quiet hostel suited us, as we were working and so you're not likely to have the usual drunks rolling about at three a.m. on a Tuesday morning! If that ever does happen, you can be assured that 'Bob The Night Watchman' will be on the case! After living out of a backpack for four months in Asia, it was nice to unpack and call somewhere home for a good few months. If you get a double room, be sure to ask for one of the ones with a balcony as you can see a little bit of the Sydney skyline from these. Derek (the owner) is like a surrogate father to all within the hostel and is a genuinely lovely bloke. We returned to 'The Travellers Rest' the following September after driving around Oz and were really sad to have to leave. If I ever find myself backpacking again in Australia, I'd be straight back to the 'Travellers Rest.'

I stayed in the Travellers Rest way back from January until April 2006, and I can honestly say it was one of the best times of the whole year I was away. Apart from making great mates who I still stay in contact with, Derek was a top bloke. Because of him i got a job on The Australian Golf Club in Kensington for three months where i met a lot of crazy colleagues. An incredible experience. Most nights half of the hostel head out for free beer at the O'malleys, and even though it was meant to be a dry hostel we always had a box of wine chilling in the fridge -- keeping it away from mad Bob. I loved the place and i'll come back for sure.

Nice people, not a bad place -- minus the bed bug infestation -- that sucked. I got more than a hundred bites on my right arm alone, looks great in all my vacation pics! Quiet and affordable but bring your bug spray!

Derek is the heart and soul of the place. He is as helpful and friendly as it gets, he really helped me out and made my journey in Sydney a great one. Thanks Derek!!

I first stayed at the T.R. back in 1995 as a terrified 21 year-old, away from home from the first time. I needn't have worried. Obviously things haven't changed, with rave reviews with Derek and Bob running a tight and tidy ship as ever. I made more friends in my six-month stay there than I ever did through school or work, happy memories! Hope to come back in 2006/7 for the Ashes tour — it's a wonderful home from home.

I am back here for the second time this year; other hostels just don't cut it! If you like hostels that have a real homey feel this hostel is for you. It's cheap too, which is always a bonus! Derek, the owner, is fantastic and actually cares about his punters, which is a breath of fresh air compared to other hostels in Australia. It's not really a party place and is, as it states, a backpacker's rest. So if you are working and you don't want brats waking you at three in the morning, this is great. It also has a security guard named Bob. He's a bit scary but keeps the place secure!

I first arrived at the Travellers at the beginning of July 2004 with a friend who had stayed there three years previously and highly recommended it. After a long flight from Thailand, Derek warmly welcomed us and remembered my friend immediately. He helped me to settle in quickly and find work. It soon become my 'base' for travels. I have fond memories of the friends I made there and of the helpful and friendly staff that make it such a great place. Definitely not to be missed. Next visit to Sydney and I know where I'm headed.

Last Christmas we arrived at Sydney and were looking for a place in the Kings Cross area so we could sell our car in the car market there. Horrified at the high seasonal prices (since it was Christmas) and low quality of many backpackers around, we came to this little spot — Travellers Rest. Hosted by yourself and your great staff, we were lucky enough to stay in one of the BEST backpackers in Australia, and at a very reasonable price (a winning rate at this season). Not only were there nice and clean rooms, showers and kitchen, but also a very nice and airy balcony, and of course the rest of the basic facilities. One example of the quality of the service was that once it started to rain they took our clothes off the washing line so they wouldn't get wet. The bottom line — we stayed there for two weeks and enjoyed every minute.

I was here for two long stints during 1994. I just got very nostalgic for those days on discovering this site. The Rest was the perfect place to stay and work from. I made all my friends at or through this place, including the wonderful Lynn (with whom I've sadly lost touch). I shared the balcony room at the front overlooking Victoria St. with my brother. We used to sit out there in the warm evening sand and drink boxes of wine and listen to Van the man. People would drop in all the time; there was a very open-door friendliness about the place in my time. Then shared a double off the courtyard with Lynn later on. You had to be careful you didn't get Bob's back up. Derek was a decent sort; he would always help you out (but don't mess about with the money).