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Ocean Island Backpackers Inn Details
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Ocean Island Backpackers Inn Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Great entertainment, staff, and guests I've been here for a while now and love it! Best place I've been to so far. I've become great friends with many of the guests and staff here but sad to say I'm leaving soon. I'll miss so many people already here, not to mention those I miss already that have left before me. The owners are wonderful and really keep this place cool, laid back, and inviting. The front desk staff are wonderful and from all over the world so it helps you feel comfortable here like a friend came with you on your trip (Sara, Tyler, Kat, Becca, Stephan, Sim, and Lisa -- Thank you!). You can save money by working for your room and food by either doing the Work for Stay or Woofing programs. And, the kitchen staff make the most wonderful food, it's great not having to run around town when you're so hungry (5pm - 12am). My hat off to Mouse, Neil, Tyler, and Colin for keeping me from starving! — Mishelle , Canada (2011-03-25) Good, affordable place to stay Just came back from there and have to say I did not regret. The place was clean, got fresh, clean sheets, no dust under the bed, the staff was always there to help. Heard somebody complaining about hair in the shower at 7am but nobody should expect the staff to inspect the cleanliness at 6am if some early birds don't respect some clear posted hostel guide lines. The beds were awfully squeaky which cost me some sleep. It is not supposed to be a 5star hotel. It is decent place for the backpacker without much money. I will recommend it! — Christian , Germany (2010-09-05) Cool, positive, attractive, progressive, well run establishment cool, positive, attractive, progressive, well run establishment. — Daniel Szeflinski II , USA (2009-12-01) Clean, fun, and well priced I have stayed here a few times and it has always been awesome! The staff are really nice and go out of their way to help you. There rooms come in all shapes and sizes -- their mini rooms really are mini but at $32 a night for one person in downtown Victoria you are getting amazing value for money! Since my last visit, they have painted the building and start renovating their bathrooms. They also have a licensed cafe on site and the food is actually really good! Try the chickpea and lentil curry. Ocean Island is by far the best budget accommodation in Victoria. — Kelly , United Kingdom (2009-11-30) Seedy location I stayed at this hostel a few years ago. It's near downtown Victoria, but in a seedy and unsafe part of town. Lots of homeless and drug addicts around the area of the hostel. When I was there, there were too many long term residents there, who were not friendly. There was a lot of bathrooms, but the water in mine was either scalding hot or ice cold. The people in my coed dorm room were friendly, but clothing seemed to be optional day or night as the room was so hot and the windows barely opened. Some girls also were not aware they were in a coed room until they arrived. Not a big deal for them, but be sure to confirm what you want when you book. — Don , Canada (2009-08-15) Funky, friendly hostel I've been at Ocean Island for seven months because I came to Victoria to go
to school, but I'm still at Ocean Island even though I graduated last month. Here is the best place to live, that's why. I had never felt tired of staying here because Ocean Island is so nice, funky, and cool. Front desk staff are so friendly, kind, and cute! The bar is always crowded especially Wednesday night! There is open mic on Wednesdays, it's one of my favorite weekly events. I can talk to somebody anytime, never feel lonesome, that's awesome! so I definitely recommend Ocean Island if you visit Victoria. Then you can understand why I've stayed so long. — YUMMY , JAPAN (2007-11-26) My home away from home This is a very good place, kept clean, and the staff were friendly (one gave me a piece of cake!) and helpful. It is a block away from the main street, and two from the grocery store. I really liked the vibe there. There was a lounge with real musicians. Lots of local artsy types came along and it was quite a positive experience overall. I would definitively come back! — JP , Canada (2007-11-22) Perfect -- especially for couples! My girlfriend and I have been staying at hostels all over Canada, and as soon as they told us we could get a private room cheaper than two dorm beds, we were like "say what?" You usually have to book way ahead of time to get your own room, but this place has so many, we just walked in and got ourselves hooked up in this awesome little room that looked out over the rooftops! Sunsets! Alone time! Sex! Thank you Ocean Island, for the Q time! — Quay , United States (2007-08-01) Good time for the money. Sounds like you either love OI or hate it. I didn't have any mix-ups with my room or anything, though it was smaller than I expected. Still it was great for the price. The bathrooms were perfectly decent, the kitchen was nice, and the bar was an unexpected bonus! I'd definitely go again. — Jason , Glasgow (2007-06-16) Very well done! This place is funky! And I loved getting a private room for under $30!!! It's clean, has a good atmosphere and has an in-house bar where meeting people is easy! The staff are really friendly and helpful. The kitchen was large, clean, and well equipped. They even had parking (which needs to be reserved) which is rare for a inner-city hostel. Ocean Island is located at the edge of downtown Victoria, but all of the bars and clubs are still within walking distance. I'm not sure if they have a length-of-stay limit, but in any case, they seem to be doing a good job of keeping sketchy people out. I don't know if I'd classify this as a "party hostel," but it was really social. I would definitely stay here again! — Steve , Canadian (2007-06-13) Very cool lobby and bar. There was an open session the night that we arrived.
We were too mean to pay for a double room so we got the discounted SMALL room that was (in my eyes anyway) an old janitors room. We were warned that it was very small and had no window in advance but it was still unbelievable to pay 44 dollars for a cupboard with a fold down bed onto the floor. Makethe bed yourself and lie alongside the cabinets and fridge. We could only laugh as we were so tired.
Anyway we were lucky, another couple had to pay 44 dollars and wait until we finished watching telly so they could turn the sofa we were sitting on into their bed. They were mortified as the television room became their bedroom. — Eadaoin , Ireland (2006-09-15) I am a forty-eight year old veteran of cheap travel. This old Victorian hotel reminded me of the hostels of my youth, complete with patchwork painted walls and fringe! There are lots of social areas -- to include a small café. The rooms, beds, and sheets were clean and the common areas are scrubbed in the early morning each day. I found the multi-bed rooms to be quieter than the smaller rooms. The Inn sits in the middle of a very exciting part of town where everything is within walking distance. They even have a secured parking area. Unfortunately, I opted not to pay the deposit and found myself scrambling for the meter every few hours! Next time. — Cynthia Letts-Jamais (2006-09-08) if this hostel was a musician, it'd be keith richards. — kenneth (2006-08-22) right off the bat, we were given a key to a room that was already occupied, (we wanted private room) so I immediately questioned the safety of my belongings in the hostel. the bathrooms were gross, and we always had to wait to get in. The bedroom was tiny, though not nearly as tiny as the first bedroom we were granted access to accidentally. The staff (aside from one sweet bartender) was uninformative, and could not even give us answers to simple questions that we would expect the staff to know. The vending machine ate our money, and the staff was so busy (and understaffed in my opinion) that we could not even let them know. The internet access is very convenient, and private, so that was cool. On the flip side, we met some awesome people from all over the place. — Sylvie (2006-07-04) Wow. I feel like I stayed at a completely different hostel than some of the people that have already rated Ocean Island. I've backpacked all over the world, and rarely have I ever felt so welcome, secure, and comfortable in a hostel. I stayed in a female only dorm and met some amazing girls from Japan, Australia, Korea, and the UK. They have a really neat program where you can pay for your dorm bed by doing some work. Since I'd already paid, I helped out with the laundry and got coupons for spending in the bar! How awesome is that? It was a really great night with a super busy open mic thing going on in the common areas. It was cool to see people I recognized as guests performing for all the other guests! Anyhow, I just don't understand all the negative comments on here... it almost makes me believe they've rated the wrong hostel or something...! — Jen (2006-02-28)