The Hostelz.com Review
Hervey Bay may not have much going for it (Fraser Island aside), but staying at the Friendly Hostel will certainly remedy that. The hostel is centrally located in the Scarness area of Hervey Bay. It's a good ten- to fifteen-minute walk to any decent shop and the beachfront, so a little isolated. Although the hostel is not within easy walking distance the hostel will collect you from the Greyhound dropoff point. Oddly enough though, they won't prearrange a pickup, you must contact them on arrival. [The hostel has told us that this is because the bus is rarely on time and this small hostel only has one person on duty so they can't have someone waiting at the bus stop for the bus to arrive. They also point out that it's a free call. -- Editor]
It's unlike any other hostel we've every stayed at to date. The hostel is divided into units -- each containing a kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and two or three bedrooms. All these areas are immaculately clean. The dorm bedroom we stayed in only had three beds. There are no bunks and the hostel is very proud to make this point known. The other two bedrooms contained a double bed each, so one makes the assumption that each unit can only ever hold a maximum of seven people. There's plenty of room for them too!
The kitchen is clean and well equipped, the bathroom also well looked after. The communal lounge contains a TV and DVD player. A large selection of DVD's may be rented for a few dollars each, which we felt was steep, considering the DVD we received was not a genuine version and most other hostels either ask for a returnable deposit or don't charge. An coin-operated internet facility is available outside on the upper floor, which costs a small fee for ten minutes. A telephone is also available here for eight-hundred numbers and can receive incoming calls. The owners at the hostel are very keen to book you onto a Fraser Island tour and offer you a 'free' breakfast if you do.
Our only gripe with the hostel is charges applied to using a credit card or the EFTPOS payment system. The hostel levies a two-and-a-half percent charge to standard credit cards and a fifty-cent charge to EFTPOS. We've never been charged this before. Your 'free' breakfast if you book a tour with the hostel will actually be paid for by the two-and-a-half percent!
These charges aside, this a top-quality, clean, and above all, living up to its name -- 'friendly' hostel.
It's unlike any other hostel we've every stayed at to date. The hostel is divided into units -- each containing a kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and two or three bedrooms. All these areas are immaculately clean. The dorm bedroom we stayed in only had three beds. There are no bunks and the hostel is very proud to make this point known. The other two bedrooms contained a double bed each, so one makes the assumption that each unit can only ever hold a maximum of seven people. There's plenty of room for them too!
The kitchen is clean and well equipped, the bathroom also well looked after. The communal lounge contains a TV and DVD player. A large selection of DVD's may be rented for a few dollars each, which we felt was steep, considering the DVD we received was not a genuine version and most other hostels either ask for a returnable deposit or don't charge. An coin-operated internet facility is available outside on the upper floor, which costs a small fee for ten minutes. A telephone is also available here for eight-hundred numbers and can receive incoming calls. The owners at the hostel are very keen to book you onto a Fraser Island tour and offer you a 'free' breakfast if you do.
Our only gripe with the hostel is charges applied to using a credit card or the EFTPOS payment system. The hostel levies a two-and-a-half percent charge to standard credit cards and a fifty-cent charge to EFTPOS. We've never been charged this before. Your 'free' breakfast if you book a tour with the hostel will actually be paid for by the two-and-a-half percent!
These charges aside, this a top-quality, clean, and above all, living up to its name -- 'friendly' hostel.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
June 2006
Their Description
The Friendly Hostel Details
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The Friendly Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Very nice place to stay!! The owner is very friendly, everything in this hostel is nice and it's incredible that you just have to pay a little money to have such a wonderful place to stay!! Highly recommend!! — TIFA Kuo , Taiwan (2011-08-22) Backpacker heaven It is the nicest and cleanest hostel that i have ever stayed in. I will recomend it to people! — Margit , norway (2009-04-26) Very recommendable This hostel surprises with its very friendly service and the good advice with booking tours. On top of everything are the very nice and clean rooms. Only the bathroom facilities are a little bit small. Otherwise there are no reasons for complaint. Well done Friendly Hostel. You really earn that name. — Michael , Germany (2008-08-11) Clean and homey A very nice, clean, and comfortable hostel. Not for those wanting a big night out though. — senz , Singapore (2007-08-05) The Friendly Hostel lives up to its name. Highly recommended place to stay -- you will want to stay longer. Great advice regarding Fraser Tours. And your reward for listening to this and then booking a tour -- a free breakfast. But the highlight (apart from clean, spacious rooms, beach within walking distance, free tea/coffee, etc.) is that they have a half price massage deal happening with a fellow friend. It is called Chamomile Massage. And lucky me got driven to the practice room, experienced a great massage and then delivered back to the hostel all for the grand sum of $35! I will definitely come back here -- August, me thinks, for the whales! — Mary (2006-05-30) Hands-down the best hostel I've ever stayed in. Felt more like home than a hostel. The details really come together here. For a very low price, you get spotless rooms with shiny new hardwood floors, real comfy beds with full bedding (no bunks), three people in a dorm room. Each bed has its own personal nightstand with a light and a five-plug power bar for charging stuff (yes!). Each unit has three bedrooms, its own clean, fully-equipped kitchen, TV/living area, and full bathroom and shower. Water and drinks are available on the honour system (pay when you check out) and there's free coffee and tea. If you book a Fraser tour with them, you get free breakfast, and I found their advice to be excellent and impartial. The owners are extremely friendly and helpful, just as the name of the hostel claims. If you go to Hervey Bay, this is definitely the place to stay. Highly recommended. If there was a sixth star, I'd give it to this place. Excellent! — Sarah (2006-05-25) You get so much more here than the other hostels - it really is fantastic value for money. Huge double beds, everything you need in the kitchen, free tea and coffee, lovely fresh linen and the beds are already made for you, great staff and it is nice and quiet while still being close to everything. It is also the cleanest hostel we have EVER stayed in. Very highly recommended. — best value for money - ever (2006-01-31) Clean, cosy, and fully living up to name friendly!! — Frank and David (2006-01-17) Great place, really homely. One kitchen and bathroom between 2/3 rooms and very comfy beds. The owners, particularly the man, were very friendly. It's like a home away from home. — FunkyMunkey (2005-11-14) What can I say — this is the friendliest hostel ever! The beds are fantastic — real beds, crisp fresh linen and proper kitchens with real ovens. I have been travelling for a long time in many places and this is definitely the best hostel in Australia if not the world!!! I really didn't want to leave it was so nice. I will be back. — Sarah (2005-10-01) This place has to be the best place to stay in Hervey Bay. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. They organized our trip to Fraser Island and even took our washing in. The teddy bears on the beds are a lovely touch. Being able to watch DVDs in the lounge room was just like being at home. I would suggest that if you are going to Hervey Bay stay there! You won't want to leave. We booked in for one night and stayed five. It is owned and run by a wonderful family who treats you like you're part of them. — Anonymous (2005-07-20) One of my favorite hostels ever! The staff are SO friendly and willing to help. The rooms are super clean and it is so nice to only share a room with two other people. The apartment-like set-up is great — very homey and relaxing. — Anonymous (2005-06-11) This is the best hostel I have seen. The facilities are great and the standard of cleanliness is outstanding. The owners and staff are so friendly, and they are clearly very special people. Anyone looking to stay in Hervey Bay should choose to stay here. — Richard (2005-03-27) This place is awesome!! The beds are fantastic, there is no overcrowding — only three to a room. You get your own kitchen, there's a comfy lounge with TV and DVD, and the whole place is spotless. The staff are really friendly and so helpful it really was just like a home away from home. It was the best hostel in the whole of Australia. — Sarah (2005-03-26) I really enjoyed my stay. As an older traveler I found the friendly atmosphere very relaxing. The king-size beds were a delight. The entire complex was spotless. I would recommend this place to all ages. — Mary (2005-03-19)