The Old Swan Barracks

Hard to say
we were both really looking forward to staying at this hostel and booked via phone two months prior to date of arrival and they took our credit card details. however, upon arrival we were told that they had no booking for us. after a long trip and arriving at 8:30 p.m. we were mega pissed off. the only thing we will say is that after phoning around and finding us alternate accommodation, and paying us the difference in price, that helped a lot. i'm sure this hostel is as brilliant as everyone says it is but we were unlucky to have this happen.

Not impressed
well I have booked in for one night and am ready to leave after ten minutes! there is no atmosphere here and the place is so rundown and s**t!

Unhygienic
Never, ever stay there. It is absolutely disgusting and rundown. On arrival the receptionist didn't know what she was doing and actually charged me twice for the room. On site parking during the day is not free as advertised -- it is actually $5 per day. I was lucky to have this fee waived as I insisted to the manager this is what I saw on their website. The room was dirty and had no phone as advertised and luckily we brought our own bed linen as I found a tick on my pillow and the place is infested with bedbugs. I found one on my bed the morning we left and there was a girl staying there who laid in her bed for only twenty minutes and she was attacked by them from head to toe. Apparently more people staying there were also bitten by bed bugs. The toilets and showers were filthy -- there is no way they were cleaned by anyone. There was no soap in any of the toilet soap dispensers. We did not bother eating the free breakfast in the morning with fear that their kitchen would not be clean and full of creepy crawlies like the rest of the place. For $68.80 a night (or double that in my case) I did not expect luxury but I did expect this place to be clean and hygienic, which it clearly was not. This place needs to be shut down and fumigated. I am going to report them to the Health Authority.

I stayed here for just a night but that was enough. While the recreation area and kitchen are very spacious, the overall hostel is rundown. The room we booked into had two broken beds and the linen was absolutely filthy. Would not recommend this place.

This hostel was basic. The sheets were clean but that was about it. Carpets were dirty and worn in the room, with bits of paper litter scattered about. The furniture was fit for the skip (that's probably where it came from). I was there in the winter and it was cold with the room having a broken window, and this was in one of the more expensive single rooms. The guy who seemed to be in charge and worked at the front desk had a real attitude problem, and was completely unapproachable and wasn't worth talking to. What's more he seemed to bully the other staff. The atmosphere was ok with a few friendly travelers about in the big recreational room. This was more or less a big hall with table tennis, pool tables, internet, some old gym equipment, eating in it -- it was just too cluttered -- you wouldn't want to use the gym stuff with other folk eating for example. Wouldn't stay here again.

This is a really spacious hostel, with pool tables, table tennis, and a TV/lounge area downstairs. The kitchen is a good size, unless there are lots of people cooking at the same time. There are lots of crockery, but only a few pots/pans, so you have to be quick. The microwave doesn't seem to have been cleaned for a while, but at least it works. The breakfast that's included is bread, which you can toast, with butter and spreads. For a little extra, you can have a TV and fridge in your room, but our TV reception was really bad, and we could only watch one channel, even when we got a different aerial. There are a lot of students there, as there is a college next door, so there's always people to talk to. The toilets/showers were only cleaned a couple of times during the week we were there, but they were never particularly dirty.

This place was lacking a few things, as it is only just being converted into a hostel. The gym, although advertised, isn't available, and the walls between the rooms are as paper-thin as the ancient, single-pane glass that lets in all the traffic noise. The rooms are clean and secure enough. It's ok for a cheap night or two but at least it's well located.

This is an excellent budget accommodation in Perth. I have not come across one with such spacious common areas for lodgers. There are pool tables, a gym, big sitting area, and TV lounge. Great value for money. Very clean and excellent location, within walking distance to a lot of amenities.

Great place to stay. It's very clean and fresh, the best place in town.

Its OK here, but lacks a lot of atmosphere, and there were a lot of locals staying here. I'd stay here again if I was working in the area, but there are better places in Aberdeen St. if you're on a holiday.