The Hostelz.com Review
HI - Fremantle Hostel - Backpackers Inn - Freo YHA Hostel is huge! Housing up to one hundred-forty people, YHA Freo is one of few hostels in Fremantle, just twenty-two kilometers from Perth. Fremantle is a popular summer destination due to its beaches and coastal character, therefore booking and planning ahead are vital during the summer months.
The Location
The hostel is on a quiet side street, Pakenham Street, but still only minutes away from town centre, one hundred-fifty metres from the train and bus station, and five minutes' walk from Coles. It's easy to find and if you arrive by car you can park right in front of the hostel.
Rooms and Bathrooms
YHA Freo offers singles, doubles, twins, family rooms, and three- to eight-bed dorms. The three-bed dorms are tiny but the eight-bed dorms are already a reasonable size. Dorms have bunk beds and lockers big enough for a rucksack (bring your own lock). Under the beds are big plastic boxes that can fit a whole backpack, although these cannot be locked. All linen and bedding included in the price. Toilets and showers are plenty and reasonably clean throughout the day.
Common Spaces
The hostel offers complimentary tea and coffee, table tennis, and surround-sound cinema. Communal areas include internet/TV room, laundry, two kitchens, outside courtyard, and a joint sitting and dining area where you can watch movies every night or just chill. YHA Freo has a chilled and laid-back feeling. Especially the outside courtyard -- it provides the perfect setting for enjoying a hot summer's night as there are tables set out to have a cold beer while getting to know other travelers.
The two kitchens seem a bit too small to cater for one hundred-forty people especially in the evenings. It's also lacking in some basic crockery like bowls and spoons. Fridges are permanently full and leaking with condensated water. The hostel is built on a minimal budget inside an industrial property. There's a big open space which creates a lofty feeling but the walls are paper thin and in the dorms you can hear all the noise coming from the common areas.
Summary
All in all this is guaranteed YHA-style -- not the best but also not the worst. You know you're getting at least basic amenities and a clean bed. The price after the YHA discount is ok, but the regular price seems a bit high for what you get.
The Location
The hostel is on a quiet side street, Pakenham Street, but still only minutes away from town centre, one hundred-fifty metres from the train and bus station, and five minutes' walk from Coles. It's easy to find and if you arrive by car you can park right in front of the hostel.
Rooms and Bathrooms
YHA Freo offers singles, doubles, twins, family rooms, and three- to eight-bed dorms. The three-bed dorms are tiny but the eight-bed dorms are already a reasonable size. Dorms have bunk beds and lockers big enough for a rucksack (bring your own lock). Under the beds are big plastic boxes that can fit a whole backpack, although these cannot be locked. All linen and bedding included in the price. Toilets and showers are plenty and reasonably clean throughout the day.
Common Spaces
The hostel offers complimentary tea and coffee, table tennis, and surround-sound cinema. Communal areas include internet/TV room, laundry, two kitchens, outside courtyard, and a joint sitting and dining area where you can watch movies every night or just chill. YHA Freo has a chilled and laid-back feeling. Especially the outside courtyard -- it provides the perfect setting for enjoying a hot summer's night as there are tables set out to have a cold beer while getting to know other travelers.
The two kitchens seem a bit too small to cater for one hundred-forty people especially in the evenings. It's also lacking in some basic crockery like bowls and spoons. Fridges are permanently full and leaking with condensated water. The hostel is built on a minimal budget inside an industrial property. There's a big open space which creates a lofty feeling but the walls are paper thin and in the dorms you can hear all the noise coming from the common areas.
Summary
All in all this is guaranteed YHA-style -- not the best but also not the worst. You know you're getting at least basic amenities and a clean bed. The price after the YHA discount is ok, but the regular price seems a bit high for what you get.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2008
Their Description
Backpackers Inn - Freo Details
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Backpackers Inn - Freo Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Bad Bad security. Lots of drunk backpackers making lots of noises in the middle of the night. 2 drunk guys even went to the girl's bathroom, doing some indecent thing. I dont feel secure staying there. Only a thing that I like is the spacious kitchen with sufficient utensils. — Anonymous (2010-05-30) Shabby and ill-equiped. Miserable! We stayed two nights out of our eight-day trip. It is the worst of all the places we stayed and over-priced! Avoid! We had to put on our own sheets and they didn't fit well, the toilets are dirty, toilet tap leaks, and the shower room more chilly than the corridor. The pillows were stained and flat, carpet grubby, and there is not a single powerpoint in the room. We could not charge our phones or camera late at night, but had to sit downstairs with noisy people just so we can charge them! Waste of precious holiday time and sleeping hours! It was so depressing that our moods grew sour and only revived after we left. Avoid if you want a fun holiday. — Ann & Vi (2009-10-15) Filthy dirty, smelly, and not safe - lock hanging by a thread on door. Shame on YHA allowing such low standards in their hostels, this really is a flea pit. It's managers with such low expectations of hostels that give backpacking a bad name, but I've stayed in some fantastic hostels, there's no need for this. Very tempted to challenge on Trade Descriptions law. — Kay , Kiwi (2009-08-08) Loved it, Very Clean, Friendly. Freo rocks. Love the place the building has character. Was very relaxed, so spacious -- a very big hostel. Clean bathrooms and bedding. Staff were great, very helpful and friendly even when I asked many questions. Close to everything. Will be coming back. — Annika M , Germany (2009-07-09) A bit basic but the location makes up for it! We stayed for a night in December '08. Our double room was very basic but that was fine for a short stay. The location of this place cannot be beat, and the staff were helpful with all of our questions. It was clean enough, there was plenty going on, but it was also quiet around our rooms so no problems there. — Kylie , Australia (2009-01-17) If you go to WA, you must stay here! I and my family stayed here two nights during our seven-week odyssey Down Under, and found it to be one of the best hostels in Australia. This was a delightful village, almost rural, type of hostel. We loved it. Very close, quiet, clean, comfortable, funky, communal. My kind of place, though a bit "hidden" and we had to walk a bit to find it. But that is not a negative comment -- finding hostels is part of the exploration and learning about an area. — Juanito Hayburg , USA (2007-11-13) I stayed here in March, 2002. There was a television blaring right outside my bedroom door day and night. When I asked to move rooms I was told I couldn't, so I moved on. — Tricia (2006-11-23) This is kind of similar to the Perth Britannia YHA in that it isn't the best-kept hostel. It's in a very convenient location but the staff were really bad and seemed to run the place by threatening people. — Monkey (2004-12-30) This was the dirtiest room I have slept in during my trip in Australia, and the showers are also just as bad. The staff are assholes, and I will never be back. I will be sure to tell everyone else on my travels not to stay here. — Shree (2004-07-23) It has a very good internet place (AU$4 per hour), but really poor double rooms. Showers are grotty, toilets barely acceptable, but worst of all the YHA staff are unhelpful and don't give a damn. I only stayed 1 night and quickly moved on. My advice: find somewhere else. — Marcus (2004-01-25) Fantastic! Huge warehouse that has been renovated, so it has really high ceilings with big coloured sails, and is on several levels of mezanine. Clean, friendly, great atmosphere. Best I've stayed in. — Jess (2003-12-27) Really nice. I spent more than a month here just because I loved the vibe. The rooms are good and clean, communal areas very airy and atmospheric, excellent internet cafe, reasonable cooking areas, and perfectly situated in Freo. What more do you need? — Martin Jones (2003-03-11)