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Please see Denver for other available Denver hostels and accommodations.
Please see Denver for other available Denver hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Melbourne International Hostel & Hotel, the second-floor, all-brick hostel is located in a slowly gentrifying neighbourhood called the Five Points at Twenty-second Street and Welton Street. It is right beside the streetcar/LRT/tram line but the closest station (Twentieth/Welton Street) is two blocks away. As a result, those traveling by bus or train can simply take or follow the streetcar line northbound to the hostel.
The hostel office is hidden at the back of what looks like a laundromat/Latin American bus line establishment on the ground floor. Fortunately, the condition of the ground floor offers a huge contrast to the actual hostel. The hostel is well kept and clean. The common facilities such as the spotless washrooms, showers, kitchen, and sitting area are cleaned by hardworking staff daily. The fact that the owner and a more mature crowd living in the hostel might also contribute to the upkeep.
Pay phones are in the hostel and a free Internet access computer is beside the ground floor office. The good-sized kitchen offers all the typical amenities with sitting area. The hostel smoking section is along the hallway, so it is high recommended for non-smokers to close the door behind them when venturing out to the kitchen or washroom. For those who are sensitive to street noises, make sure to bring your earplugs because locating beside a streetcar line and a long distance bus station does have its disadvantages at 6 in the morning. Otherwise, prepare for a restful stay with a mature crowd in a location that is twenty minutes' walking distance away from everything. It might be a good idea to rent a car with other hostelers who are interested to experience the true beauty of the Colorado mountains -- there is not much to do in the city on the weekend.
The hostel office is hidden at the back of what looks like a laundromat/Latin American bus line establishment on the ground floor. Fortunately, the condition of the ground floor offers a huge contrast to the actual hostel. The hostel is well kept and clean. The common facilities such as the spotless washrooms, showers, kitchen, and sitting area are cleaned by hardworking staff daily. The fact that the owner and a more mature crowd living in the hostel might also contribute to the upkeep.
Pay phones are in the hostel and a free Internet access computer is beside the ground floor office. The good-sized kitchen offers all the typical amenities with sitting area. The hostel smoking section is along the hallway, so it is high recommended for non-smokers to close the door behind them when venturing out to the kitchen or washroom. For those who are sensitive to street noises, make sure to bring your earplugs because locating beside a streetcar line and a long distance bus station does have its disadvantages at 6 in the morning. Otherwise, prepare for a restful stay with a mature crowd in a location that is twenty minutes' walking distance away from everything. It might be a good idea to rent a car with other hostelers who are interested to experience the true beauty of the Colorado mountains -- there is not much to do in the city on the weekend.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2006
Their Description
Melbourne International Hostel & Hotel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 607 22nd Street, Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Website | www.denverhostel.com |
| Telephone | +1 (303) 292-6386 |
| Fax | +1 (303) 292-6386 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Private rooms are a good deal Paid less than $30 for a single. Room had a small fridge and ceiling fan, as well. Location is dangerous, especially at night. Recommend taking Light Rail or cab to downtown. Bathrooms and common areas are filthy. Owner seemed like a jerk. Upside is low cost of room. — Deepak , Pakistan (2010-08-02) Denver's not the place for hostels but this place is alright! Denver was my last stop on a long trip, and I was shocked to read through hostel reviews and find that pretty much everywhere sounded awful. I wrote down the phone numbers of a few hostels (including this one) and called when I arrived in town. This hostel was the only one with reasonable office hours -- one of the hostels was closed from 10AM-5PM!! So I decided to go, figuring nowhere would be any better anyways. The place is a short walk from the train and downtown, which is a great feature. The neighbourhood isn't nice but it's fine. The clientele are not your typical hosteling crowd -- many are semi-permanent residents and everyone I met was American. But they're friendly and respectful -- just not the place to make a whole bunch of friends to share stories with (like at so many other hostels). The dorm was very nice and spacious, with an en-suite bathroom. Kitchen was sufficient. All in all it was a fine place and I was happy to have stayed there. You need to recognize that hosteling in Denver is a sad, sad thing -- nowhere is very nice but this place is absolutely acceptable and a fine place to spend a couple of days. Plus, at only $14/night, you really can't beat the price! One of my roommates was a long-term guest and she had developed a friendship with the owner. Apparently somehow the hostel ended up on a list of homeless shelters so for a while they were getting some undesirable clientele. The manager is now very gruff at the front desk because he's trying to read people to make sure they're not going to cause a ruckus. So the rudeness is actually for your safety. All in all -- don't be afraid and don't believe everything you read. This place is fine. As a single, female traveler, I felt safe and comfortable during my stay. — captainwinter364 , Canada (2010-06-03) As good as you can get for a hostel The hostel was not as bad as some people make it out to be -- if you keep in mind the fact that this is a hostel. This was about the same caliber as the Houston International Hostel down in Houston, Texas and I paid $29 for a dorm room ($10 of that being a deposit I received the morning after). And the place didn't look run down with the homeless, but there were all sorts of people who looked like tourists -- including a couple of people who spoke chinese. I walked to a chinese food place with a guy from Tucson and it wasn't that far -- at about 9 p.m. at night, there are chinese places and a little ceaser's open in the Safeway shopping complex. Sometimes in Denver weather, it is just better to find someone else to order delivery with you and get it delivered for free. — Jessica Sideways , United States (2009-04-19) A Good Deal in a Funky Part of Denver I was in Denver for a conference this June '08 and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on accommodations. The Melbourne offered very reasonably priced rooms ($34 per night) with excellent proximity to downtown. The hostel is within two blocks of the RTD Street Car H Line and eight blocks from the convention center. The Melbourne is an old school hotel with private rooms and common toilets/showers down the hall. The facilities are clean. The neighborhood is funky, but it is not Cherry Creek. If you stay at the Melbourne, check out the Mercury Café down Twenty-second street for Vegan Food and dancing on the second floor. — John , USA (2008-06-23) It's a tomb for the living dead I thought it looked like a nice place online so last summer I went to Denver and stayed here. It's filthy and rundown with a lot of careless people running around in a state of desolateness. The owner was mean spirited and a lot of drunks seem to overburden the place. — ANDY , USA (2008-06-16) Rude and insulting I was looking for a place to stay in Denver, hitting the slopes, and didn't have much cash. So I found this hostel online and was excited to call and reserve a room, based on the price, location, and information on their website. The guy who answered the phone, who was one of the owners, could not have been more rude! I politely told him when I would be visiting, said I was interested in a private room, and asked him to describe the hostel to me. He started off by making a number of sarcastic comments about caviar and wine tasting (as if I was a complete idiot for asking about his hostel). Then he went on, with a presumptuous tone, about how I should stay in a shared room, not a private room, because it would defeat the purpose of staying in a hostel otherwise, and that he would have to move me to a shared room if an older or married couple asked for a room after the fact. When he finally gave me a chance to talk, I told him that I was still interested in a private room, not a shared room (which it states clearly on the website as being available). He asked me if I was married (what business is that of his?), then immediately became hostile (pun unintended) towards me when he realized that I was a single guy but didn't want a shared room. He then said I should just stay in another hostel, instead, and added that the other hostels were not nice, expensive, and in bad parts of town. He was talking so fast that I honestly can't repeat some of his other insults. I listened as he continued on, didn't get a chance to say a word back to him, then in midsentence, he hung up on me! I could not believe it. I haven't been treated that rudely in as long as I can remember. I'm actually really glad he was rude to me, because it forced me to do more research online about his hostel, and now I absolutely believe the other bad reviews. I mean, if he's this rude over the phone, just because I asked for information about a private room, what would he be like in person if I had actually stayed there? If you like to be insulted, and don't mind wondering if this guy is going to totally screw you over somehow at the last minute, then by all means, reserve a room. I do not feel like you could trust anything he tells you, especially over the phone. I'm sure other people have had nice stays at the hostel, but I'm not taking a chance based on how incredibly insulting and rude he was towards me for really no reason. — sean , usa (2008-02-06) Rubbish This hostel is located in the middle of a wasteland. It's bordered on three sides by car parking, which on the weekend are deserted and only add to the desolation. Just before I checked in there was an incident in the check-in room (which is actually downstairs and in the back room of a Mexican Bus Depot) involving someone who had left their bags in the office for the day. They had checked out and left their bags where they were told and during the day someone had come in and stolen one of them. Right under the nose of the stonehead on the desk! The same stonehead who, when asked about the area, told me "Don't walk that way. Don't walk that way either. Don't wander down any of the dark alleys at night. Pretty much just walk that way to the city." The steel "gates" are not that secure at all. I could get my fingers behind the mesh and up to the lock to open it from the outside. The wooden door on the inside of the gate has no lock on it at all. It just closes. No security. Smoking is allowed in the hallways and common areas, so the whole place smells like smoke. The window in my room didn't have a lock on it. And the owner, he's a piece of work. The grumpiest, most unhappy person working in hospitality ever! He really does treat you as if he wishes you would just pay him the money and f*ck off. From what I understand the other hostels in Denver aren't much better. Avoid the Melbourne Hostel. — JJ , Australia (2007-12-14) Was robbed by some homeless person living there! First it is dirty, and they allow alcoholics and others shadowy characters to live there. There are barely any tourists staying there more than one day. There are some very violent crazies living there full time, and the major problem is one of them took off with my backpack and when i told them who it was they informed me stoically that they do not take IDs of the people coming in, so no way to trace that thief. This place has roaches, and if you doubt this, look at the place for yourself! — J.P. , England (2007-08-31) I made reservations on their website, which I recommend. They are cash only, but really, it isn't a big deal. The front desk for the hostel is located in the back of the bus office, and I had no problems with customer service. The private room was very very clean, comfortable, and quiet. The bathrooms were also very, very clean. I often saw the cleaning lady tidying up. The kitchen is fully functional, and everyone does their part to make sure it stays clean as well. I kept my food in the kitchen fridge (there are also smaller ones in all the rooms), and I had no problem with people taking my food. I felt very at home here, and very safe. The staff was very polite and gave great advice for things to do. The hostel is within walking distance of Downtown, and the bus stops, and the light rail. Parking is not free during the day ($2.50 max in the parking lot across the street). I felt pretty safe walking around but I wasn't alone. The buses downstairs were not noisy, but if you are a light sleeper, then request a room away from the bus area. I had no problem sleeping at night and I am a very light sleeper. I would highly recommend this hostel as a clean and cheap place to stay downtown! — R & Z , Dallas (2007-04-08) Clean and warm (in spring) with sturdy beds. Not in a great area -- just be cautious. wear shoes you can walk quickly in, and don't carry purse or skis. keep your wallet in a zippered inner pocket. However it is warm in the colder months and very clean. The grid doors inside are a bit odd, but better secure than not. You can visit the Mercury Cafe in the evening -- excellent vegetarian and vegan foods, dance lessons, events. Also you can walk to the Sixteenth street Mall, and the Market Street bus station (on the Mall, which has a free bus running up and down) and catch the bus to Boulder, or take the #16, Colfax Avenue bus out to Golden for kayaking (get a rental), or fishing in the summer. — JT , Canadian (2007-04-07) I stayed here in September for a couple nights. The building itself was very different from hotels but by far very intriguing too. I stayed with a friend and did not feel unsafe at all. The room itself was very worth it. There was a sink and bunk beds and a double bed. There was even a refrigerator too. The bathrooms were a little strange because they were not labeled for men or women. We used them both. The bathroom was ok too. There was a little kitchen too that had everything you would need away from home. I would stay at this hostel again if i needed too. — L? (2006-12-04) Stayed for three nights in March 2006. The room was fairly clean, but it was at the end of the building next to the light rail tracks -- somewhat noisy. The sheets were clean and the bed was comfy. I felt safe at the hostel, even though the neighborhood wasn't the best. I talked to the owner and one of the staff for awhile, and both seemed to be fine folks. — TVS (2006-11-20) Some of the things I experienced during my stay there in December 2005 : not very safe location, homeless camps nearby; unfriendly staff with an attitude makes you feel uncomfortable; they don't accept credit cards and don't have an ATM machine,so to get cash you need to walk 6 blocks to the nearest bank ! their travel-tour bus business they operate comes first ! hostel customers later, so you have to wait for service ! the noise from those bus passengers and the lite-rail ! the weird long time residents there ! no airconditioning and because they needed to keep the hostel and the old residents there warm you are not allowed to open windows to get fresh air so all kinds of smells and stinks !and cockroaches everywhere !!!unfortunately - for a very short stay -still better than this other hostel/dumbster in denver !!! — anonymous (2006-01-27) I stayed two nights during August and many of the things I have read here are true. There is no air conditioning and it was very hot. I had a room next to the train (light rail) and it was noisy. I was not able to locate the other hostels in Denver even with the help of a local and was, as well, told by one of the long term guest at the Melbourne that the other hostel did not welcome women. I checked in at the wrong time. This hostel also has a travel-tour business for Spanish-speaking folks. I tried to check in while the tour bus was being loaded. I had to wait 30 minutes before they would talk with me. They do not take credit cards and if you make a reservation by e-mail, print the e-mail and have it with you. The rooms were clean enough, however there were roaches in the bathroom.
On the upside, I had roommates that were from Scotland and China. We had dinner at the Mercury, which is a restaurant at the end of the block. The food at the Mercury is fabulous and they have dancing lessons. The staff at the hostel allowed me to store my luggage in the office, for which I gave them a tip. I hope I made the atmosphere nicer for the next visitor. — Peggy (2005-09-27) There maybe only two people at a time staying in the whole building. You can't meet anyone, there are no TV's, no microwave, and no phones. The place is a dump, and if your not Spanish, the staff hates you. And it's $25 a night now!!! — Anonymous (2005-04-17)