Walkabout Backpackers

Brighton

9 of 10

Address	79-81 West Street, Brighton East Sussex, England Map
Price	From £15 pppn during the week. £20 Fri& Sat, and from £80 pppw (dorms). Booking from £17.50 (groups of 6 or more only).

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).

Description

Features

Kitchen
Lounge / Common space
TV
Movie Library/Rental
Book Collection/Exchange
Washing Machine (laundry)
Clothes Dryer
Travel information provided
24 Hour Free Hot Showers

Ratings & Comments

2.3 Average from 20 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 ilonaweir, UK

August 2009

A bit like a hostel in a horror film
I had to leave a review here, because this is the worst place I have ever stayed in. I can't believe it's still open and charging £25! Our bedroom smelled terrible (a combination of cheese and possibly urine -- or perhaps just dirt) and the mattresses were filthy -- we closed our eyes and tried not to think about what we were sleeping on. The whole place gave me the creeps -- I'm not sure I'd like to stay there alone. I would never go back. In fact I think I'd actually prefer to sleep on the beach than have to spend another night there. Stay away!

Comment by Leon, US

August 2008

Stay away
The place absolutely stinks of dampness and piss. I nearly gagged when i walked in. Besides from that the price is a total rip off. At £25 a night you would expect some sort of a breakfast and not an expectation to bring your own bedding. The staff also leave a lot to be desired. Sneaky about sums it up! This place gets one star only because there is no option of giving it zero.

Comment by K, Poland

August 2008

Horrible
It smelt, it was disgusting, and was expensive. my advice, never ever stay here. waste of money. should be shut down.

Comment by Julie, Irish

August 2008

Terrible
The worst hostel I have ever stayed in. I only gave it one star because there was no zero-star option.

Comment by lin, english

July 2007

Grotty
Has to be the worst place i have ever stayed in in my entire life. the carpets were stained with goodness knows what, the walls were stained with goodness knows what, the curtains were held up with cellotape, shower doors would not lock, toilets disgusting with very little toilet roll, and they did not even offer soap or hand towels. You will not get any sleep in this place as the music downstairs goes on until 3 a.m. and the street is really busy with sirens going up and down most of the day and night, you also have to leave a deposit to cover any damages. Damages! i am not sure what there is to damage in this place. Would not recommend to any human or animal!

Comment by ozy, australia

June 2007

good hostel
i stayed for a week, and moved on to my own place, but during that week i had a fantastic time. the rooms were noisy but if you are a traveler, you will need to accept the fact that not everywhere is going to be like home. the bathrooms were cleaned everyday and even some showers had been redone while i stayed there. the kitchen was small but good, the lounge was perfect, lots of people spend their time to chat, party. staff were very friendly and helpful, i would return there if i need to in the future or tell my mate back home to come and stay there.

Comment by robski, ireland

April 2007

We took a spin to Brighton on Good Friday on motorbikes and decided to stay and have a few pints so we went looking for a hostel. It was still early in the day so we decided to ask at the Walkabout if there were any hostels nearby. The bouncers at the door (at 3 p.m.?) were giving grief to a group of people who they wouldn't let in because one of them had no ID but after behaving in the obligatory knobend way, told us to try upstairs. There was a sign of the door of reception saying reception closed for fifteen minutes, please wait in the lounge. The lounge? Surely they meant the cesspit. There were two middle aged blokes who looked like junkies watching soft porn on a flickering seventies TV that you could barely make out the picture on. After waiting more than the fifteen minutes we went looking for someone to tell us if there was a place or not. We were finally told that it would be £40 per person per night in a sixteen-bed dorm and we were expected to pay for a minimum of two nights on those urine-stained, flea-ridden bun beds. Needless to say we didn't take them up on their kind offer.

Comment by gege

March 2007

i was there two weeks ago. they have increased their prices compared to last year. the shower was a very old one, only with three taps next to each other, without any door or curtain to separate them. we had a room on the first floor, just above the pub. it was as if we were in it. we got back at the hostel around 1:30 so we thought they would close at 2. actually the party finished at around 3 a.m. my bed was moving with the bass of the music. so that place is not the nicest one to stay in brighton but is still quiet well situated in the city. if you don't party until 3, it's worth asking for a room on the second or third floor.

Comment by TED of Brisbane,Australia

June 2006

The Walkabout hostel is an average hostel but it is most suitable for short stays. Ths staff are most helpful and its location is great. I did not find the hostel any noisier than others and at sixty-six years of age I am well aware of noise problems. Its ust a short walk to workers cafes up at the train station with their value meals (and their forty-pence cups of tea!). I recommend this hostel.

Comment by balfur and baldy

June 2006

Came down here for a stag weekend and the hostel was amazing. We arrived early doors on the saturday morning to be greeted with the residents of the hostel in the cental lobby point who were still trying to work out what they were wanting to do with their life! I asked one of the nice girls how she was getting on and she replied that she has made some "wrong choices in her life" and was working in a nearby jazz bar! The hostel itself was all right and pretty much what i expected! The rooms were clean and so were the toilets. There were no locks on the showers which gave me some false hope that some darlin would walk in and catch me when i was showering and want to join in! Although after a good night home me an my home boy were talking to these lovely french birds outside and then the night guard came out shouting that I've just had a phone call, the hostel's shut, mate -- the hostel's shut! At first i thought a terror attack was just around the corner but it didn't come and we went inside to the lobby and then we were told that was shut! Lobby's shut, mate, it's shut. Me and my homeboy were ready to experience first hand the non stop party atmosphere of the walkabout lobby but was cut short cause the night guard took a phone call. All in all if you are going to brighton for a laugh and aren't too bothered about yer digs i would strongly recommend this hostel. Its seemed to be pretty clean and safe and the wee bird behind the desk messed up my booking and charged me less than what I thought I was going to be charged so i cannot complain with that!

Comment by Zaz

June 2006

We stayed here for just one night, and used it basically just as a place to sleep. we totally didn't feel that the lounge area was cool at all. Also the place has this stupid rule about taking your ID off you, and if you want it (i.e., you need as proof of age in clubs) you have to hand over your room key, which you cannot get back between nine p.m. and midnight. We thought this was pretty daft, and upon arriving back to the hostel just after midnight, there was nobody at reception who could give us our key back. The whole place was grotty, unorganised, and a little overpriced considering the rooms are not ensuite and breakfast isn't available. The only bonus is the location -- a stone's throw from the beach, in the middle of all the clubs, and right near the shops too.

Comment by lawrence

April 2006

Great hostel. Friendly and helpful staff who try hard to make it a nice place. Lounge is pretty clean and recently painted. Kitchen small but reasonably clean. Good atmosphere in hostel and long term residents make new people feel welcome. Hostel does have noise from pub underneath, but obviously it would -- being right above bar and being in the centre of bBrighton. This is a party hostel -- don't whinge about noise. If you want quiet, stay somewhere else! Pub is great too, especially if you like sport, and the staff are cool -- particularly the manager.

Comment by Vic

February 2006

This place was horrible. Didnt feel comfortable enough to sit in the lounge and glad I didnt as it was filthy. The bedrooms were ok although the mattresses were grim - we took our own bedding. The showers were actually surprising clean and tidy and the locks did work - there only downfall being you have to hold the button down to keep it running. The only bonus of this place is being central for beach, clubs, bars and shopping. The downfalls being that on the Saturday night we stayed there - I could here every word of the music downstairs and had 5 police vans parked below our room at one point!

Comment by Louis Thomasset

September 2005

One month there was one of my best holidays! Parties every night in the lounge! Such a good atmosphere, a lot of Spanish, Italian, French.... a big melting pot. And "going to the beach!" Enjoy!

Comment by Nele

July 2005

I thought the place was very nice, if you don't mind easy accommodation. The rooms were mixed, but the boys I got to know there were very nice. Although the mattresses were too old, I enjoyed the three nights I spent there. From our room I had a good view over the sea, which was marvelous in the evening!!

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