The Hostelz.com Review
A former cinema situated in the centre of Alice Springs, YHA Pioneer has a fantastic location, just seconds away from the main shopping street, Todd Street Mall.
Most of the dorms are arranged in a motel-style setup, with access from the outside to each room individually. Communal facilities include a fairly small, basic kitchen with a larger dining area and TV / common room. There is also a swimming pool which is quite small, but great for a quick dip to escape the heat!! The dorms are air-conditioned during the summer months and security is very good. Each dorm can be locked and there is a security gate into the hostel itself. This hostel is quite popular with older travellers and lacks the 'party' atmosphere found at others in the area.
Access to the hostel is ok - it's around 10 minutes walk from the bus station (Greyhound) and 20 minutes from the train station. Alternatively, there are plenty of taxis. There are also shuttle buses from the airport. Being so close to the shops, the hostel itself doesn't really sell supplies (except cold drinks), but there are three large supermarkets within a five minute walk of the hostel. The reception area has internet access and will also book tours in the local area or further afield. If you're heading off on a trip to the outback and returning to Alice, they will store your luggage while you're gone.
The only complaint about this hostel is the price. Although not extortionate, there are many other hostels in the area that are much cheaper and just as good, but also offer added incentives such as free pick-ups, etc.
Most of the dorms are arranged in a motel-style setup, with access from the outside to each room individually. Communal facilities include a fairly small, basic kitchen with a larger dining area and TV / common room. There is also a swimming pool which is quite small, but great for a quick dip to escape the heat!! The dorms are air-conditioned during the summer months and security is very good. Each dorm can be locked and there is a security gate into the hostel itself. This hostel is quite popular with older travellers and lacks the 'party' atmosphere found at others in the area.
Access to the hostel is ok - it's around 10 minutes walk from the bus station (Greyhound) and 20 minutes from the train station. Alternatively, there are plenty of taxis. There are also shuttle buses from the airport. Being so close to the shops, the hostel itself doesn't really sell supplies (except cold drinks), but there are three large supermarkets within a five minute walk of the hostel. The reception area has internet access and will also book tours in the local area or further afield. If you're heading off on a trip to the outback and returning to Alice, they will store your luggage while you're gone.
The only complaint about this hostel is the price. Although not extortionate, there are many other hostels in the area that are much cheaper and just as good, but also offer added incentives such as free pick-ups, etc.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2004
Their Description
HI - Alice Springs Pioneer YHA Hostel Details
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HI - Alice Springs Pioneer YHA Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
All you need good, clean hostel with nice pool and TV area. — Ben , German (2009-02-25) Excellent stopover! I and my two teenage children stayed here for two nights on 16 & 17 June 2006 during our seven-week odyssey Down Under. This was a perfect two-night rest up after a tiring train ride down from Darwin on the Ghan. A fantastic beginning to our incredible eight-day Wayward Bus tour to Adelaide. I highly recommend this to anybody wishing to have an excellent kitchen/dining area, sleeping, pool, responsive reception, and location. The only downside might be the close overhead/step bridging the dining/game room. — John "Juanito Hayburg" Eyberg , USA (2007-11-12) Very average I have stayed at the Pioneer Youth Hostel four times. This is only for its location and not its service -- unhelpful and unfriendly. — MJ , Australia (2007-06-27) Good big kitchen. Other than that it was clean enough and quiet enough and pretty unremarkable. I istill think from what I have seen and heard that is one of the better options in town, especially if you want to avoid the people trying to push their tours on you. — Dobie (2006-04-14) This hostel was fairly basic. We booked a twin room and got a bunk bed. Everything was clean and the pool looked nice although I didn't use it. I found one of the staff members to be really rude and had an awful attitude (I later learned that the Manager was away on holidays so maybe that explains it). I left something behind on the washing line and was told it was probably stolen! Not very helpful. — AP (2006-01-26) This is a good, solid, reliable hostel. It was clean and secure. The swimming pool is a good bonus though I never used it. I would stay there again. — Stu (2005-02-06) Good place to stay for a day or two as a base to see the sights, but I couldn't imagine people staying in Alice for much longer. This hostel is right in the center of town so it's very convenient. It has good security and the staff were helpful, too. — Monkey (2004-12-30) Clean and safe are the two best qualities of this hostel. There really is not that many choices out there in Alice, so I would rank this as one of the best ones. The central location is a big plus, being only down the block from Toddy Street, which is one of main areas in town. YHA will not push their tours on you like other hostels in the area because they do not run any, although there are many brochures of other companies in the area. The managers are very helpful. It's a little worn down on the interior, but you really do not come to Alice for anything other than a base to the see the rock in the first place. If you're looking for a bed for a night or two, this is the place. Others might be cheaper but they are further from town and will be probably be about the same on the inside. — Anonymous (2004-07-23) This is a bit old, as it has been ten years since I was there, but it is one of my all time favorite hostels with the swimming pool. — Eric (2004-03-06)