Surfside Coogee Beach Backpackers is in a good location and has an excellent common area. It is clean and tidy but has serious issues with security. Short-term stays could be all right but we would consider other hostels for longer term stays.
The Location
This hostel in in an excellent location. It is opposite the beach, with views from lounge area and room balconies, and is in the centre of chilled out beachtown -- Coogee. It is very easy to find, and cheap buses run from Coogee into town and most other areas of interest (Bondi Beach). The bus stop is just outside the entrance. A fairly large car park is available outside the front of the hostel.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms range from double rooms to six- to twelve-bed dorm rooms. They all have wooden floors and metal framed bunk beds, and some rooms open out onto the long balcony with beach views. Duvets, sheets, and pillows are given to you on arrival. However, some rooms have been known to have cockroaches and bedbugs. The room locks seem pretty secure, but the general security in the whole hostel is not great -- anyone can ring the doorbell downstairs to be let in without having to prove their identity. After staying here for only two days, our dorm room had been broken into and personal belonging stolen and searched by a stranger who had been let in by the staff.
The bathrooms are clean and the showers work really well. They have a hanger for your shower gel, sponge, and soap, but no hooks or changing areas. The downfall is also that there are only two showers and two toilets for each sex on each of the two floors, so when the hostel is busy, this could be a problem.
Common Spaces
There is a big kitchen, plus dining and lounge area with sofas and all Sky/Foxtail channels. The kitchen has all common appliances but crockery is only available from the reception -- this makes it hard to cook/eat when it's closed over lunch and for early breakfasts. The kitchen has serious issues with other backpackers stealing food, the hostel tries to prevent this by selling lockable food bags (but these are easily ripped apart so they don't prevent stealing). The dining table is very long so it seats many but there are only two three-seater sofas. There is a small balcony off this room with beautiful beach views. The reception is also here but is only open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Computers are accessible in this space too and you can pay as you go, so they are always available. There is no USB ports available, though so you can't upload photos here. Books can be exchanged from the bookshelf and magazines are normally on the dining table. It is a fairly busy hostel but quieter during the day. The laundry cupboard has only one washing machine and two dryers.
Summary
Surfside is a good place to stay in terms of location and views of the beach, but security is terrible and the staff aren't particularly friendly or helpful. They do offer travel and job advice but don't seem too keen to give it. The rooms are quite good and smaller dorms are the same price as bigger ones, which is good, but bathrooms should be either bigger or they should install more.
— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
August 2008
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