Cape Byron Lodge

My boyfriend and I stayed here last October (2004) and I can honestly say this is the filthiest accommodation I have ever come across. We arrived in Byron after a 13-hour bus journey from Sydney and just wanted to put our heads down and have a shower. We booked a double room and the minute we walked in we were absolutely disgusted. The bed hadn't been changed since the previous occupants and it looked like they'd literally got out of bed and we were given the room. There were cockroaches everywhere and the bathroom was absolutely foul. The staff were not one bit helpful. The pictures on the Web site are great but that is not what you get at all. The pool was filthy along with everything else. It is also very far out of town. I would advise people to steer clear of this place, there are far better hostels in town.

Firstly, I have to reiterate many times, the two things that personally are most important to me: this place is clean and safe!!! Repeat. Clean and safe!!! I can handle just about anything as long as I feel clean and not in any immediate danger of being mugged or robbed. It ISN'T a hotel. If you're looking for posh restaurants, room service and a minibar, then go stay in a hotel. But if you want good budget, clean, safe accommodation with friendly staff, a relaxed atmosphere and the guarantee that you won't wake up with some horrible bedbugged disease, then this is a fab place to stay. The guy who runs the place is fab; he's friendly and helpful and always ready for a chat on where is good to visit. And NOT 'after your money'(pfffft!) It's about a 15-20 minute walk to the main town but there are little shops and funky places all the way there which you wouldn't see if you were right in the middle of the town. And lets face it it's not an enormous town anyway. After a day exploring Byron Bay you're ready to branch a little further out. There's a good sized kitchen next to the chillout area, not shoved away somewhere as so many hostel kitchens are, and it adds to the friendly atmosphere as you all cook together. There's a great chillout room with sofas and a tv, and the bathrooms are basic but clean and roomy (enough room to take your clothes and everything in and get dressed after your shower without it all being soggy and damp) and the water (thank God after a long journey!) is HOT. There are powerpoints and massive mirrors in the bathrooms well away from the shower to avoid explosion ;-) which is a Godsend for those of us who can't survive without hairdryers and straighteners... The bedrooms are comfy and the top bunks not hard to get into (my worst nightmare) You get clean sheets and even a blanket if you smile sweetly :-P There are no sinks in the bedrooms. But there are bathrooms for both sexes very close to wherever you sleep. And last but not least the guy who drives the minbus is GREAT - he's in a state of permenant hype, and definitely makes you feel at home. Oh - and you get a free bicycle on your first day if you want it. This place is great. It's a hostel. But it's a flippin good one. (PS. No drugs allowed. It's on notices everywhere. So i don't know what that guy was smelling, but it wasn't cannabis, unless he happened to arrive at the same time as some secret potheads!!)

Don't bother!!! It's miles out of town and filthy. I met some really cool people there, though!

This place absolutely rocks. I've got to admit that it's been a while since I stayed here, about two years by now, but I had a couple of really great weeks. It's cleaner than lots of other places I've stayed at, and the staff were pretty cool back than. The common area is just perfect to meet people to go out with, and if they still have that free boogie board offer you should stay here because boogie boarding at Tallow Beach rocks. Max and Tim doing it right for Cape Byron Lodge. ;-)

Not only is this the furthest out of town hostel but it's also unreliable. We made our booking by phone and provided the credit card details. A request for an e-mail confirmation was never answered. Two days prior to departure an e-mail was received advising us that this place is fully booked out. Thank God this place is for sale; it could only get better.

I guess it depends on what you like in a hostel, but if you're after dirty, noisy, and clouds of cannabis smoke, then this could be for you! The staff were just after the money and did not offer any help with where to go or what to do in Byron. The photos make the place look great--in reality it's very different. The hostel looks to have been originally decorated/kitted out very well, but the high standards have not been maintained. We stayed in one of the double rooms. On arrival, our room was dirty and smelt of damp and the previous occupants. Yes, this hostel is probably one of the cheapest in town, but we now know why and don't intend to stay there again!