Locationwise, King Street Backpacker is on King Street only a two-minute walk from Spencer Street Bus Station/Southern Cross Train Station. So it is very handy for the Skybus from the airport. King Street itself is only a ten-minute walk to the main shopping area in the CBD and to the South bank and Crown entertainment complex. There are a number of small convenience stores nearby as well as coffee shops and fast food outlets. There is a large supermarket on Swanston Street next to the Bourke Street mall.
As the hostel is a reasonable size, it has decent facilities and is not too large to be impersonal. The reception and ground floor common area is usually quite busy and the friendly staff at the reception desk are able to provide information on tours and local events. The friendly group also has their own travel agent desk at the Greenhouse, so they can book tours and trips for you. The hostel also organises a pub crawl every week and this can be a good way to meet other people in the hostel.
Although the kitchen is reasonably well equipped, it is quite small and can be quite crowded at peak times when the hostel is busy. They do offer free breakfast every day but you will have to get up before 9 a.m. to get this. The hostel is relatively clean and the rooms have air-conditioning. However the bed linen looked quite worn and the rooms don't exactly jump out at you with character. They do have large lockers though for storing your stuff (you need your own padlock). There are a couple of small TV lounges on the upper floors but these are right outside the dorm rooms so they shut down at 11 p.m. and can be quite noisy up to then.
Overall the hostel has a good location and decent facilities with quite a friendly atmosphere, but there are cheaper hostels in the area if you are on a budget.
— Recensione esclusiva Hostelz.com
January 2007
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