The Hostelz.com Review - Genuine, independent review you can trust.
iKhaya Stellenbosch Backpackers is one of the essential stops on the backpacker trail and an easy visit from Cape Town. It's one of the few backpacker hostel choices here.
The Location
iKhaya Stellenbosch Backpackers is located right in the center of town, about a fifteen-minute walk from the train station, where trains run every ninety minutes or so from Cape Town city center. The backpackers’ occupies the second floor of an apartment building, with a small shopping arcade on the ground floor. At the entrance to the arcade, iKhaya has a small bar/café, which acts as the reception.
Rooms and Bathrooms
All the units are self-contained apartments. The fan-cooled dorm we occupied and the one next door, have a nice, neat double room, plus the eight-bed dorm in the living room area. Both share the bathroom and the kitchen. On arrival, we were the first to check in to our dorm. If we hadn’t booked and paid in advance, we’d have left straight away. The room stinks, even after cleaning; it had been sprayed with air freshener, but still stank, so we had to sleep with the balcony door open all night. The flimsy bunk beds are not bracketed to the wall, so any tiny movement makes the beds sway alarmingly. The cheap, thin foam mattresses have seen better days; they sag prodigiously and you can feel the bed boards through them. Two other occupants of the dorm complained of bedbugs. The curtains are torn and can’t be drawn to cover the whole window. It’s a very, sad and neglected room. The bathroom has one toilet and one bath/shower and is clean, with twenty-four-hour hot water.
Common Spaces
There aren’t any common spaces. The nearest you get is a torn, dirty two-seater sofa out on the landing where you can stare at the firehose that sits on the wall three feet from your nose! As each unit is a self-contained apartment, you share the kitchen and the balcony if you have a room at the front, with the rest of the dorm, but there are no areas where you can socialize with guests from the other rooms. There is a roof terrace, but there is no furniture or anything up there, and the same goes for the balconies. Even just a couple of plastic chairs would make a difference.
The kitchens are the high point. They are very clean with kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge/freezer, and a two hob electric cooker/grill. There aren’t too many pots and pans, though.
Summary
This really should be the cheapest place to stay in the area, but it isn’t. You pay more or less the same as the other backpackers in and around Cape Town, but for much less. There is free Wi-Fi, but no free tea and coffee or breakfast here. This place really needs some love. Until it gets some, stay elsewhere.
Photos taken by the Hostelz.com reviewer — Genuine photos you can trust.
+3
LondonroadMa
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on May 25, 2018
Description
The most centrally situated accommodation in Stellenbosch. The major Pubs, Clubs and Restaurants are all on our doorstep.
All Dorm beds supplied with duvets and linen including towels. All rooms have full facilities i.e. Kitchens equipped with stove, oven, microwave, kettle, toaster, crockery and cutlery as well as bathroom in the room.
Private studio Flats and two bed roomed flat available.
Full Travel Centre on Site. Good deals on car hire and shark cage diving.
Coffee Shop, with Breakfasts and all meals available on site.
Roof top Chill area
Location and Contact
Location
Situated right in the centre of Stellenbosch at 56 Bird Street, right opposite the "Braak" between the two traffic circles.
Facilities and Amenities
Party Hostel
Solo Traveller
Bedsheets
Towels
Wi-Fi in Lobby/Commons
Airport Pickup
City Tours
Lockers in Lobby
Luggage Storage
Parking
Bar
Concierge/Info Desk
Credit Card Payments
Currency Exchange
Food/Restaurant
Hot Showers
Kitchen
Laundry
Max. Age:
All Ages
Curfew:
No Curfew
Lockout:
No
Maximum Stay:
Unlimited
Minimum Stay:
1 night
Open Dates:
All Year
Reception Hours:
08h00 till Late. Always some-one on the premisis