Wake Up! Sydney

Big and impersonal, but clean with good facilites
I chose to stay at Wake up! after having been told about how fun and social it is -- i certainly did not find that to be true, and so I was disappointed on that angle. It's a huge hostel (eight stories, i think) and the staff seemed to be mostly locals, not other travelers. That said, it was decently clean, with lockers, an elevator, and two TVs in the two lounges. There is a big bar in the basement, and a little cafe on the ground floor. A ton of computers on the ground floor for internet access. You can find cheaper internet in the city, but for convenience factor, the price was decent. The other nice thing was the free city tours -- a good (but very basic) introduction to the city. Also -- most of the info/extras at the hostel seemed to be aimed at people who were in the process of moving to Sydney, rather than regular travelers.

Best hostel I've ever stayed in!
This is without a doubt the best hostel I've stayed in! Located near Chinatown in Sydney, but within easy walking distance (around thirty minutes) of the Harbour and other major attractions, short walk from the train station for visits to Olympic Park. Really good for meeting people, I was traveling by myself but quickly met other people and had a great time. The rooms are some of the bigger ones I've come across, and have comfortable beds. TV lounge is a great place to chill out and relax, and has a great setup for watching movies. Kitchen is a bit small and storage space is somewhat limited for the number of people staying in the hostel, but it's clean. The bar downstairs is a lot of fun and has some great theme nights and other events going on all the time, and the hostel organises a lot of trips and events out around the city for free or really cheap. Noise from the bar and street doesn't make it up to the rooms, so even if you go to bed early, you'll still be able to sleep well, which is fantastic. Overall, this hostel is fantastic, I'd recommend it to anyone traveling to Sydney.

Has the ability to be brilliant
I've stayed at wakeup before and previously raved. This time, while still happy, I wasn't as impressed. Overall, it's a very good hostel. It has brilliant atmosphere, and I'd imagine it'd be fairly easy to make new travel buddies in the dorms. I stayed with my Boyfriend in a private room. The room was as good as last time however, i wasn't as impressed with the maintenance. On arrival I noticed that both of the blinds in the room were broken, one was stuck half open and the other was stuck completely shut. I wasn't happy with this and so i approached the desk and asked them to have it fixed. They hummed over it for a while and then said they'd send someone up, no one ever came. My other issue was how small the beds are. Apart from those two complaints i was still happy with the hostel. This time around i also tried out the bar and the cafe attached to wake up! The bar was good in the evening but it seemed like every night without fail they cracked out the dance music, which just made it uninviting. As for the cafe -- I was mightily impressed. Cheap, tasty food and awesome service.

Average with helpless staff, unfriendly
i stayed there for one night and was going to stay longer because it looked nice and clean. then at night the bouncer of the hostel-owned bar wanted to kick a guy out. when i asked why, the "manager of the bar" kicked me out instead. i asked again why. he said in front of other people that i was drunk (i had one beer before) and i tried to fight with him! of course i wanted to complain about that at the hostel management next day. they didn't even think of taking the situation serious. there was no one i could talk to. therefore i had to wait in line twice to check out. in the end they dont have breakfast and internet costs extra (by the way it is more expensive than in the internet cafes around the corner).

A nice, modern hostel well located in the city.
I stayed at the Wake Up! Hostel for 2 nights in January 2005. There are plenty of positives about this place such as the relatively clean rooms with lockable cupboards, a large common area with TV, the Side Bar which is one of the best hostel bars in the city, and the electronic key cards for security. It has a good location near the bus and train stations, large communal bathrooms and staff who were pretty friendly and knowledgeable. The café also allows you to purchase filling breakfast baguettes with convenience. If you want to socialise then you have to go to the Side Bar (excellent) as the hostel itself is pretty sterile due to its size and design. Overall, a good place to stay but book well in advance as it seems to be a very popular place with the backpacker.

Stayed here xmas '06/New Year '07, at first seems really unwelcoming after a few days we felt at home, staff helpful, rooms clean, bathrooms clean. Kitchen not too good lets it down, as really small for the size of this hostel and guests. Got really busy during meal times people queuing for hobs and no shelf space for food. Side Bar has to be the best Bar, we had many a good nights down there, seems like everyone from around the City comes there from other hostels. Also the day trips the staff put on are really good for meeting fellow travelers, we had some really good excursions with them.

Wakeup might strike you as been a little unfriendly and alien when you first arrive -- many of the room residents have long-term jobs and are used to seeing people come and go, and so they can be initially a bit uninviting. Stick it out though -- i recommend going on a number of the free days trips organized by the hostel, their you will meet a whole bunch of people. In the evening you will go to the sidebar with them and consume too much alcohol. After one week, you will be having the time of your life and won't be able to drag yourself away from the hostel. Look around sydney -- you won't find a more fun or clean place to spend your time. Beware of the terrible jokes the guide on the day trips has to offer. have a great time! you will never forget it the people you meet here! wear sandals in the male showers.

I stayed here the night of 18 Sept 2006 in a four-bed dorm (A$31 with A$3 discount from airport rack -- about US$20). During the night, I got bitten all over my body by bedbugs. The staff was unsympathetic, saying that it takes seven to ten days to incubate and that it, therefore, couldn't be bedbugs [Editor's note: Bedbug bites are in fact noticeable within hours]. Or more logically, they have bedbugs, but they refuse to do anything about it. They demonstrated a complete lack of sympathy about the comfort of a guest. The fact of the matter is I didn't have any bites when I went to bed, and I woke up with about twenty bites in circular patterns on my lower back and thighs -- this is classic case of bedbug bites. The manager made excuses, saying it was probably mosquito bites or an alergic reaction. She only offered to change the sheets. I had to request to move rooms. This is not the way to treat your guests if you are in the hospitality industry. In the end, I decided to move to another hostel just down the street. I have been travelling the world for fifteen months and have stayed at over one hundred hostels and guesthouses around the world -- I would have expected better from a hostel that claims to be rated the best large hostel in the world for 2005. Also, this place is huge and has an institutional, sterile hospital-like feel.

I stayed here in August and December 2004 as well as August 2005. It really is one of the best hostels I stayed at, especially in Australia. I thought the atmosphere was great for meeting people. You can't beat the location or the astetics of this place. Everything is new and clean. There is one downside though, which is that each of the three times I stayed here there were these bugs in the bathroom showers, a lot of them, and I guess they don't care about fixing this problem. The bar underneath is wicked and in my opinion way better than the one under the YHA, but since they are so close its no problem to go to that one too (the resturant in the YHA is better though if you're looking for good cheap food).

I stayed at WakeUp! during the week of the fifth through the ninth of June. I booked from the States and got a ten-person room for the first two nights. I was happy to see it's conveniently located across Pitt Steet from Central Station. First impression -- I was really impressed with the condition the hostel is kept. The lobby looked like a hotel to me. The room was almost full when I arrived and I quickly blended with my roommates. Most were from the United Kingdom. The hostel has its own mini food shop and bar attached which was nice. After two nights I packed up and left the hostel to catch my flight. The flight got cancelled so I went back to WakeUp! Unfortunately all the ten-person rooms were full so they offered me a six-person room for the price of an eight-person room. Again the room was full of cool, interesting people and I enjoyed the rest of my stay. Personally I didn't buy a Day Tripper because most things are within a twenty to thirty minute walk. By the way, a great thing to do is to take a Matilda Cruise out of Darling Harbour to the Toranga Zoo.

I was my first time staying in a hostel in Australia and I think it was perfect. We had clean beds, the bathrooms were perfect and the situation is good. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The bar downstairs was also a nice place to get a drink and the chill out rooms were relaxing. Although we stayed there just for the weekend, we had a great time.

Not that great and overly expensive. Paid $31 for a bed in a six-bed dorm. Room was nice and bright but small and was not at all clean when we arrived. Didn't find the staff overly friendly or helpful either; in fact, I overheard them being overly rude about some of the guests. There's much better value for money to be found!!

Overall this is not a bad place. Has some longer term residents that have staked claim to the place and have not left much room for the short-term people. No storage room in the kitchen was a hassle. Good location. Would suggest staying at the YHA on the next corner, it is much cleaner, accessable, and more sociable.

A very good hostel. Clean, with a good kitchen. And the prices are ok for Sydney center.

The hostel is a great place to chill as well as being a great place to meet sound people who just want to party. Everybody is made to feel welcome and also there is the legendary Second Floor where all the best people stay. You stay for a couple of days and you are hooked and end up being there for weeks. Side Bar rocks and it's so convenient, which helps. For all those who are thinking of staying, I say do it and take this phrase with you, "keep loving the party!"