The Hostelz.com Review
Nomads Maze Backpackers is in a great location, just past Pitt Street Mall, in the heart of Sydney. It appears dodgy from the outside, but is actually well organized and cozy. Maze Backpackers will amaze you!
The Location
Located near Pitt Street and Goulburn, you can walk twenty minutes to reach the highlights of what Sydney's tourism has to offer. Chinatown and its cheap eats, Darling Harbour, and The Rocks are only a five-minute walk. Street parking is available, but with such a great transportation system, who needs a car?
Rooms and Bathrooms
Double bunk bed dorm rooms are most common, but private shares are also available. Shared bathrooms/showers are plentiful down each labyrinth-like hallway that leave you a bit confused about where you are. Rooms come with fans and windows that open and sheets and pillows, but little else. No soap in the bathroom, bring your own!
Common Spaces
Maze is a fairly lively party hostel -- if you're looking to hang out, this is the place. Tons of common areas abound in the kitchen, upstairs DVD rooms, and more. Drink coupons are handed out freely as are free BBQ tickets and free breakfasts. DVDs and board games are available to borrow at the front desk and movie/computer rooms are on each floor.
Summary
Maze is a good hostel and affordable for all its comforts. Don't look at the walls and floor and wonder they were last washed! Just marvel at the size of the kitchen, common eating areas, comfy couch chairs, and flat screen TV room!
The Location
Located near Pitt Street and Goulburn, you can walk twenty minutes to reach the highlights of what Sydney's tourism has to offer. Chinatown and its cheap eats, Darling Harbour, and The Rocks are only a five-minute walk. Street parking is available, but with such a great transportation system, who needs a car?
Rooms and Bathrooms
Double bunk bed dorm rooms are most common, but private shares are also available. Shared bathrooms/showers are plentiful down each labyrinth-like hallway that leave you a bit confused about where you are. Rooms come with fans and windows that open and sheets and pillows, but little else. No soap in the bathroom, bring your own!
Common Spaces
Maze is a fairly lively party hostel -- if you're looking to hang out, this is the place. Tons of common areas abound in the kitchen, upstairs DVD rooms, and more. Drink coupons are handed out freely as are free BBQ tickets and free breakfasts. DVDs and board games are available to borrow at the front desk and movie/computer rooms are on each floor.
Summary
Maze is a good hostel and affordable for all its comforts. Don't look at the walls and floor and wonder they were last washed! Just marvel at the size of the kitchen, common eating areas, comfy couch chairs, and flat screen TV room!
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
February 2011
Their Description
Maze Backpackers Details
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Maze Backpackers Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Good for the price i stayed here for one night when i didnt want to spend much. for $45 i got a single room, with single bed. for one night it was perfect for me. i spent very little time in the hostel or room because i was out in the city and it is right in the middle of the city, really good location, only downside is that it was a tiny tiny room and you could hear construction going on, but it was good for the price. also no powerpoint in rooms. i couldn't stay here for weeks, but i definitely recommend it for a night or two. — el cheapo , australian (2009-07-31) I wouldn't stay here for free! This hostel was bloody disgusting! The bathrooms are probably cleaner in prison. The kitchen has a couple hotplates and microwaves for hundreds of guests. The rooms don't have electrical outlets. The staff suck including the security guard who is a huge d*ckhead! I hated every minute of this hostel, I would not stay there ever again even if you paid me! — Canadian girl , Canada (2009-07-27) Lots of fun i stayed at this hostel for two months. Although it may not look the nicest, i didnt see one cockroach and didnt come across any bedbugs and i slept in several different rooms! The kitchen is the worst part, not enough rings for all the people, at one point there was only two for the whole hostel. What i loved about it was the people staying there and the nights out, free goon and food, and cheap deals in good bars. You get what you pay for and i have friends and memories that will last forever! Plus i found the staff very friendly. — scots gal , scotland (2009-06-01) Terrible This is the worst hostel experience I have ever had. The staff are unfriendly, the lock on my dormitory door was very dodgy, and the whole place was really dirty. Do not be tempted by the cheap prices and proximity to the city centre. — kitkat , UK (2009-02-27) The worst hostel ever! I have absolutely nothing good to say about this hostel. on the first night, the room my mate and i stayed in was a four-bed dorm, which on entering was very smelly. The next morning i noticed a few bite marks on my arm and mentioned it to reception staff and was told it just mosquito bites. made feel stupid for even asking, however the following day noticed more and was told close the windows it only mosquitoes. the following day we were told to pack all our belonging -- a deep clean was being done. as i had work this week i got up early packed my stuff and left on bed as instructed. however no deep clean took place as we later found out, as the other roommates were in bed and the man could not clean with them there. he told us this directly. that night we again asked to move and had by this stage more bites. we got $6 each to wash our belongings on the Thursday (four nights of asking before we even got moved) and we also had to put an extra $12 of our own money towards the washing and drying of our belongings, so after a long hard days work we then had to spend whole evening cleaning. on friday evening we were both in agony itching and so went to chemist had to purchase lotions costing $30 each. sat morning woke to find that every part of my body was covered in huge welts -- went straight to hospital, confirmed it was bedbug bites (a severe case) and that all bites were infected. had to get antibiotics, antihistimines, and creams. mentioned to staff that wanted a refund and an apology and money to rewash clothes, as got infection in their place. the staff were very rude, very unprofessional, and basically didn't offer anything to help pacify us. the manager whom i spoke briefly to -- Mick -- was very arrogant and rude and basically said you will get no refund from me and you can do what you like. the whole experience was terrible. i have pictures, which i will be bringing to the paper and environmental health. when we went back to the room we had originally moved from on the Thursday on the Sat we went into room and actually saw the bugs on bed and sheets, so after we complained and they saw the bites they didn't bother to remove mattress or clean the room they actually let others stay in the room. even on the sunday when we were checking out the room was still being used by people. they didn't do a single thing about it. we refused to leave without a refund and when people entering saw me and my bites they too left. the staff actually threatened to man handle us out of building as we were losing them customers. they tried to say we were harassing customers. however we had no need to even speak, one look at my bites and people left. thats how bad they are. i am still very angry and will not be letting the matter drop. i will take legal action as i found the staff and management very rude. I wish I had read these forums before i booked. please do not book into the maze unless you want an infection of bedbug bites, cold showers, and basically the grubbiest accommodation ever. filthy carpets, rooms never cleaned, and even when you tell staff that there is bedbugs in the bed and the cleaner accompanies you and you see first hand the extent of the bugs in mattress, they still just rented the room out. it wasn't looked at by general managers. totally money grabbers and absolutely no people skills. if you like grubby, dirty things you'll like this place. horrible, horrible experience which i wont let lie. will be taking them to court over this. — Jennifer , IRISH (2009-01-26) Disgusting and filthy Huge cockroaches everywhere as well as other bugs, dead rats, no security, broken beds, showers that flood, washing machines/dryers that don't work, dirt and grime everywhere, a putrid smell that hangs over the place. — maria Sansalone , Canada (2008-07-31) Basic and Dirty I stayed here in late August and stayed for a month. It's pretty cold then and the place doesnt have proper heating in the rooms. There are windows missing in the bathrooms so when having a shower you have this ice cold breeze on you all the time. There are no power points in the rooms but they do in the hallways which you have to stay with whatever your charging. The kitchen is a joke and isnt that clean, the dining area is ok at best if you get a seat. Fridges smell and not clean. It does have a few good points tho. Supermarket is only two minutes' walk away and near by banks and bars. Bus station is ten- to fifteen-minute walk away. And they have good nights out where you can meet lots of people. — Aran Sugar , England (2008-04-17) Worst place so far Dirty sheets, bed springs in the back. I actually slept on top of my comforter just to make the bed springs somewhat bearable. Dirty, musty, massive cockroaches in the halls. No ventilation, fans were on but were so dirty you couldn't feel any breeze. They were out of reach for me to clean and you couldn't turn them off. Fire alarm kept going off at random times. Place is just a disaster and by far the worst I've stayed at between New Zealand and Aussie. — Patrick Judson , USA (2008-02-21) Fantastically Fun Loved every minute of my stay here. This place doesn't pretend to be something it's not. This isn't a hotel it's a backpackers hostel, and as such it's cheap, basic but everything you need is there. Normally I like to stay in places with bars as I find them more sociable but the staff here organise activities for most nights anyway and take you out on the town. Some people were whining about this place when i was there, It really grates me that some people expect hotel standard accommodation but aren't prepared to pay for it! Stay at a hotel if you want that standard, stay at a backpackers if you're on a budget and want to have fun! that's what i wanted and that's what i got! — Jon , Welsh (2008-01-23) this place f***ing sucks. — Markus , USA (2007-04-27) Wost Hostel In Sydeny! It seemed like that yuoud would find a dead hooker in this place. Dirty, hot,dirty,dirty,unclean,. — Nathan , Canadain (2007-04-16) This has to be the worst hostel i have stayed in so far. the location is ok nothing special. the rooms are poor -- very warm all the time. they have a fan which does nothing. the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting -- they were smelly, unkempt, and dirty. the kitchen and dining room is ok but once again very warm and too cramped. the staff's attitude was blase at the best. whilst we were there was a situation with a man, which we have since found out has happened on more than one occasion going into the female toilets and looking under the showers and toilets at the girls. the staff's response was an absolute disgrace -- it was we know its happening but were not going to do nothing, which considering the amount the business they are in you would imagine personal safety would be high priority. but apparently not, as we found out the security is even more lacklustre than it appears. then on a couple of occasions food and drink was stolen and when reported to staff there response was get more personal security! so my advice do not go to the maze as it will be an unpleasant experience. — Matt (2007-01-30) Average hostel with large long-termers. It's a party-type hostel where rooms can get easily trashed. Bathrooms are freezing and can be a bit of a walk to them from your room. No powerpoints in the rooms. Bunk beds a little delapidated. TV room not too comfortable, but loads of Vids/DVD's to watch. I didn't see anything about them offering free internet access? Staff friendly. — DRW (2006-06-23) I stayed at Maze for two and a half months from November 05 to January 06. It wasn't the cleanest place or the best for facilities but it was the best for the social life and meet some great people. They had different things going on every night -- quiz night, bingo, free wine nights, free BBQ down Coogee beach and they made you feel part of the team. — Charlene Beale (2006-05-15) I can't recommend this hostel. Not a really nice place to stay. They say free internet but that was not true ... — Alex (2006-02-20)