The Hostelz.com Review
Mooloolaba Beach Backpackers is a hostel located in the small beachside town of Mooloolaba, a short walk away from the beach and transport links to major attractions in the area. These include Australia Zoo, to which the hostel offers discounts to guests staying for two nights or more.
The Location
The hostel has its own stop on the Greyhound bus route which makes it very useful for guests traveling in this way, preventing the need for a long walk with heavy bags or transfer arrangements. This bus stop is also a stop on public transport services in the area, so guests wanting to access the hostel can use it. This also proves to be very useful for catching a bus to the nearest large town -- Noosa (however, it is an hour-and-a-half, somewhat expensive bus journey, so for anyone looking to explore Noosa in detail, this hostel is not ideal). Mooloolaba is, on the other hand, much closer to Australia Zoo (a great day out) with the zoo itself running a bus service from a local bus stop (two minutes walk) for just a small fee for the return.
The hostel is also located just five minutes' walk from the local beach, which is very spacious, with plenty of space for surfing, swimming, or just sunbathing at all times during the day. For those wishing to surf, this beach offers good conditions for both beginners and more advanced surfers, with the hostel allowing guests to borrow suitable boards for free (you can also get bodyboards or a paddle-board lesson for free).
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms in the hostel are very large compared to those in others we have stayed in, with lockers available to guests (your own padlock is required). Dorms as well as private rooms are available at fairly cheap rates with the option to have ensuite or shared bathroom facilities, depending on budget. These bathrooms are very well kept, with plenty of showers, sinks, and toilets for all guests even at the busiest times.
Common Spaces
The main area that lets this hostel down is common spaces. Although internet use is available at a price, the hostel only has two computers that are in use most of the time. The hostel also has a pool table and table tennis available, however, the condition of these is not the best! They are free, though, so this can be overlooked to some extent. The main area for eating and drinking is also located here, but there are only two tables, which prove to be very cramped at meal times.
Each floor of the hostel has its own kitchen, which is kept in a very good condition by hostel cleaners. Each kitchen also has two fridge/freezers, which offer plenty of room for the food and drink of all guests.
Summary
Overall, this hostel is very well kept and rooms are spacious and very clean. As a result we would definitely use it again if we were in the area. This, however, is the main issue with a lack of things to do Mooloolaba itself (besides the beach), which caused us to rely on public transport to visit other areas. If Mooloolaba and the zoo is on your itinerary, we would certainly advise using this hostel -- but if not, find somewhere in nearby Noosa, where there is much more going on.
The Location
The hostel has its own stop on the Greyhound bus route which makes it very useful for guests traveling in this way, preventing the need for a long walk with heavy bags or transfer arrangements. This bus stop is also a stop on public transport services in the area, so guests wanting to access the hostel can use it. This also proves to be very useful for catching a bus to the nearest large town -- Noosa (however, it is an hour-and-a-half, somewhat expensive bus journey, so for anyone looking to explore Noosa in detail, this hostel is not ideal). Mooloolaba is, on the other hand, much closer to Australia Zoo (a great day out) with the zoo itself running a bus service from a local bus stop (two minutes walk) for just a small fee for the return.
The hostel is also located just five minutes' walk from the local beach, which is very spacious, with plenty of space for surfing, swimming, or just sunbathing at all times during the day. For those wishing to surf, this beach offers good conditions for both beginners and more advanced surfers, with the hostel allowing guests to borrow suitable boards for free (you can also get bodyboards or a paddle-board lesson for free).
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms in the hostel are very large compared to those in others we have stayed in, with lockers available to guests (your own padlock is required). Dorms as well as private rooms are available at fairly cheap rates with the option to have ensuite or shared bathroom facilities, depending on budget. These bathrooms are very well kept, with plenty of showers, sinks, and toilets for all guests even at the busiest times.
Common Spaces
The main area that lets this hostel down is common spaces. Although internet use is available at a price, the hostel only has two computers that are in use most of the time. The hostel also has a pool table and table tennis available, however, the condition of these is not the best! They are free, though, so this can be overlooked to some extent. The main area for eating and drinking is also located here, but there are only two tables, which prove to be very cramped at meal times.
Each floor of the hostel has its own kitchen, which is kept in a very good condition by hostel cleaners. Each kitchen also has two fridge/freezers, which offer plenty of room for the food and drink of all guests.
Summary
Overall, this hostel is very well kept and rooms are spacious and very clean. As a result we would definitely use it again if we were in the area. This, however, is the main issue with a lack of things to do Mooloolaba itself (besides the beach), which caused us to rely on public transport to visit other areas. If Mooloolaba and the zoo is on your itinerary, we would certainly advise using this hostel -- but if not, find somewhere in nearby Noosa, where there is much more going on.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2011
Their Description
Mooloolaba Beach Backpackers Details
|
|
(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map Location/ContactHow is Mooloolaba Beach Backpackers rated on other websites?
Not listed.
Mooloolaba Beach Backpackers Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Love it Best hostel i have stayed in, ended up staying for five months. Found some really good friends here as everyone's really friendly and open, plus working in the strawberry fields (more like slavery work) really brings people together! The large common area is great, it closes at 11 p.m. but you can still hang out inside and watch movies from the big screen. Also every floor has a common area and a balcony. Pool is really nice, and the the beautiful beach is only five-minute walk, and renting surfboards, bikes, and kayaks is free. Free breakfast (toast and tea/coffee) every day. Activities and dinners are organized almost every day, Goon Pong is a legend! Mooloolaba is a tiny place with only three good clubs, but thats fine since most of the time you just end up drinking in the hostel. Entertainment and cleaning staff are nice, most of the reception staff are bitchy but they do help with what they can. Nice newly renovated rooms. A must-stay place if you're heading to Queensland! — Nora (2009-12-14) Good place, don't trust the staff. Up side, Good location. Fun activities. Good atmosphere. Good rooms and common areas. Definitely like the ride to surf beaches in the mornings. Downside, Little bit expensive per night for what it is. ($28 per night) The free breakfast is just toast. Even thought it looks like it says wireless internet is free, it's so not free. Just conveniently worded to look like it is. Girl at the check in not only conveniently tried to forget to give me change she also charged my card in Canadian dollars without giving me an exchange rate! So ya. The place is good, but the office staff will rip you off for any little bit any chance they get. Too bad, otherwise it could be awesome. — Cam , Canada (2009-07-24) Had its ups and downs but overall pretty good The room was average, pretty clean but the lockers were falling apart in my room. The bathrooms were pretty disgusting (but not unusable) and the kitchen was tiny and lacked a microwave. Had a four-person dorm to myself for two of my three nights there. They had free breakfast in the morning (just toast and instant coffee) and had free surfboard, boogie board, and kayak (i think) rentals. Each day of the week they had something special going on. If you go on a Wednesday take advantage of their day trip. For $5 one of the guys from the hostel took us out to the Big Pineapple, a swimming hole in the forest, and to some good lookouts. Good way to see more than just the beach without spending the cash on a bus tour for those of us traveling without a car. Everyone was very friendly. Amenities weren't top of the line but I'd stay here again. — Maureen , USA (2007-12-18) Great friendly atmosphere We had the best time here! The walk to the beach is far shorter than the twenty minutes listed in the review above. More like five to ten minutes. This was the friendliest hostel I've stayed in. Everyone was laid back and sociable. Our room has cinder block walls which kept out all of the hall noise while sleeping. It was pretty stuffy in there in the fall (May '07), so I imagine the fan would have trouble keeping it cool in the summer (our window didn't open). We had a TV in our double room that got the network stations and had one cable or satellite station that showed whatever was being watched on the big screen down in the lounge. Odd to suddenly have the TV change channels while you're watching. The en-suite bathroom in the double room was fine. The kitchens were pretty messy. Pool was very nice. — JD , NZ (2007-07-16) We stayed in dec 2000, and we had an excellent time. didn't want to come home. Very clean, lovely friendly staff, and a great pool. Thanks for the hospitality. — Laura, Leanne and Sarah , South Wales (2007-04-11) I stayed at this backpackers for 6 weeks — April 05 to May 05. I had the best 6 weeks of my life there. I met some of the most amazing people in my life and hated the fact I had to leave! I will definitely be going back. I only saw a snippet of Australia but if that is anything to go by then I can't wait to go back out there!! — Joey Crabb (2005-05-19) This is the worst hostel I stayed at in Oz (sorry)! The room we were in had no air-conditioning — it was so hot I thought I'd die. There was a rickety old fan in the room that made so much noise in the night no one could sleep at all. The room was like a broom closet, with the fan positioned right at the top of one of the bunk beds. I could barely get down off the top bunk without thinking that I'd get eaten alive by the fan! There were only two shower stalls for the entire floor and the kitchen looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months. — Miriam (2005-01-27) I visited this hostel in August 2002 with my son. We stayed five days. It was raining outside, but we still had a great time. Great music, playing pool, chess and air hockey, and good company made it fun for both my son and me. The food was quite good, also. Everyone was friendly and made us feel very welcome. — Anne Monroe (2004-10-04)