Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge

Good atmosphere here, but the place is very overrated. Everywhere you go over Australia you meet people who tell you to stay at the Arts Factory when you go to Byron Bay. I stayed here for four nights, but by the third night the obsessive requests for ID and deposits got really irritating. You will end up paying a deposit of about 30 bucks for various things (blankets, key, pots and pans just for the time you are cooking), plus a ludicrous 1 dollar charge for use of a bed sheet. They also appear to have very little concept of time -- a notice by reception claimed that it was open until 9 p.m. every day, but it was always closed by then when I stayed there. Went one night at 8 p.m. to get a mug to use (yes, you have to leave a deposit even for that) and it wasn't open, so I had to hand in my driving license to have a cup of tea -- how ridiculous! If you want to use the internet (which is really expensive) you have to leave ID as well. The Arts Factory also claims to be eco-friendly, yet runs a bus to and from town all day, plus every ten minutes or so at night. Now that's an interesting one.

Everything you read about this place is true -- it's huge with everything to offer the only problem is the people who stay there. It's very cliquey and the staff encourage this. It's a simple five-minute walk to town and Byron bay is a beautiful place so who cares!

F***ing awesome! this place is the best ever. I'm going back in summer. Oh my god. Best backpackers in Australia by far.

I love this place! when I got there ( all the way from holland) I thought, oh my God, what have I done?! But when I had put up my tent, I was thinking that it wasn't that bad at all! I made a lot of friends over there, and the hostel is great! free bus from ten in the morning till four in the morning! Cheap food and it's very cheap for someplace in Australia! I really liked it there, and Byron isn't that far from the art factory! it's a five-minute walk to byron! I recommend this hostel to everyone!

I've been there last year, it's one -- maybe the best hostel in australia that i've been to.

The Arts Factory has a campground, a pool, cool main lobby, cinema, bar, and restaurant. They have shuttles that run into town hourly and the walk is only about twenty minutes -- we're backpackers, we walk a lot anyways. When staying in Byron around the Blues and Roots Festival time it's best to camp. But usually the hostel books up fast and in advance. Byron is an amazing town, the beaches are beautiful, Check out the local artists and photography. Take a walk to the lighthouse, take lots of water. Mainly chill out relax and check out the ever popular Cheeky Monkeys, you can't stay in Byron and not get up on those tables for a dance!

When my bus dropped me off at this hostel I wanted to grab my bags and run... I didn't realize how far out of town I was and I was the ONLY person dropped off here, probably for obvious reasons... this hostel was dirty and disgusting, there were only 2 rooms left one in a tent with a dirt floor and even dirtier mattresses and one in a 12-share dorm. I took the dorm only to find the bunks are wood (definite bedbug hideout) and the last bunk was 3 stories high near the roof. I accepted this because I had not made a booking... but when I laid down for a nap I found a huge spiderweb complete w/ spider right above me and a cockroach at my side... both alive... not to mention there was risk of bedbugs. Vans go to and from each night but with an hour between trips I ended up taking a taxi at a rate of $9 into town. I am not eclectic nor a hippie or so I didn't enjoy all the bongos and didges and dreads. This was just a big expensive mistake! I wish I had stayed in town!

definitely a scene. especially the kitchen. sprawling grounds (beautiful and unique land). But overall it is a memorable experience. we stayed on the tent island, woke up to a huge lizard staring me in the face from the pond. some good entertainment at night. when not in the kitchen, most people were actually friendly and its not hard to strike up a conversation with all of the communal activities and spaces. great breakfast. some staff animated and helpful. not really a clean place, but not too dirty. A Byron Bay production done well. a ten-minute walk into town, like many of the hostels.

If you want a small hostel that makes you feel instantly at home, this is not remotely the hostel for you. The A.F. is huge and it will take people there a little time to warm up to you. I found the rooms to be a bit smelly, but the staff were fun and pretty helpful. The campground is more of a tent city with many permanent residents, but despite the crowd, it was surprisingly quiet at night. Staying at the Arts Factory is like entering a new town, with lots of things to explore and lots of people to meet. So if you are into that kind of a thing in a hostel, then this is definitely the place for you.

If you enjoy incessant didgeridoo playing and juggling and being charged thirty bucks a night by an "alternative" managment you'll love it. This is easily the most commercial hostel I've stayed in.

Man, this place has changed. I stayed there in 1992 when it was a normal-looking hostel (albeit with teepees on the grounds) run by one of the mellowest hippies ever to grace the planet. When I went back in 2003 it had turned into an uber-hostel, a huge industry trading on its hippie origins, which are now long gone. Despite this, it's very good at what it does. Give it another ten years and "Arts Factory" will probably be a big brand name, with franchises and merchandise!

The showers are gross and if you didn't look like a hippie people didn't really want to talk to you. Other than that, it was cool though a bit out of town. Definitely a unique place and a cool idea.

I could never say anything bad about this place. My best friend and I stayed in a tent there for a month, and she's still there too. A certain staff member showed me an amazing time at the lighthouse in town that I will never forget. The entertainment is beyond good and the atmosphere was the most amazing part. We were all a big happy family.

I stayed here two years ago, and I still can't stop thinking about what an amazing time I had. I stayed here for one month in the pentagon. The staff were fun and friendly, and there was always something unique to do. I never wanted to leave. It was an experience through and through. Brilliant!!!

We checked into the arts factory for one night, but ended up staying for a week. So laid back and mellow, we didn't want to leave but the funds had the better of us. The staff were top notch and the entertainment was to shout out about. If you are looking for a chilled out time then here's your place.