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Lovely staff and facilities but average rooms
We stayed here for just the one night but the facilities were decent (kitchen). And the staff were incredibly friendly. They offer a good array of trips you can go on. However, it was difficult to charge phones and beds were small.
The friendly Port Macquarie Backpackers hostel is a home away from home, with welcoming staff and a relaxed atmosphere. If you're planning on only spending a night or two in Port Macquarie, be prepared to extend your stay here!
The Location
It's located on the edge of town, but luckily it's a small town so it's a short walk to shops and the beaches. A free shuttle meets the afternoon bus and whisks you back to the hostel, where helpful staff give you a tour of the hostel and an overview of possible activities. There's a free (and definitely recommended) shuttle to the koala hospital (which has free entry) in the afternoons, and if you're feeling lazy, there's a free shuttle to the beach in the mornings. In the evenings, there's a free shuttle over to a golf course that frequently has kangaroos and this is a great opportunity if you haven't seen any yet. Sometimes they're pretty close! There's also a free shuttle back to the bus stop at the end of your stay.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Dorm rooms are basic, with ceiling fans and limited power points, since it's an older house. Beds are comfy and there's enough space in the rooms for all your belongings. There are no lockers (you can keep things in the safe at reception if you want), but it feels completely safe, since it's a small hostel and everyone gets to know everyone. Bathrooms are basic, separated male and female, with a large mirror and decent showers. There's not a lot of hooks but a small shelf to put clothes and belongings while in the shower.
Common Spaces
This hostel wins when it comes to places to relax and meet new friends. In the backyard you'll find hammocks that are still in great condition, tables and chairs, and a surprisingly clean pool. Then there's the free pool table inside, as well as the lounge with a bunch of beanbag chairs, a couch, and a TV. There's also the front porch, which is lined with chairs and can be very peaceful in the evening. The only problem is deciding where to hang out!
There's a couple free computers to use, and also free Wi-Fi, which is nice and fast. There's also a small book exchange shelf in the lounge room. The kitchen is small but manageable, and fully stocked with pots, pans, and utensils. There are laundry facilities, and plenty of space outside to hang your clothes out to dry. The staff does an amazing job at keeping the whole place super clean and interacting with the guests, making sure they feel welcome and everyone is getting along. This is a benefit of having a small hostel with staff living onsite full time.
Summary
This chill hostel is an ideal place to hang out for a couple days, regardless of the direction of your travel. From the beaches, to the koalas, kangaroos, and bats, this town is one of the best kept secrets of the East Coast and not to be missed!
Awesome stay!
We stayed for a couple of nights in this small an cosy hostel and had a great time in Port Macquarie! Everybody makes you feel welcome and you get greeted by name when you arrive. They have a great pool and everything is clean and the rooms are tidy. There are beautiful walks to do along the coast and the koala hospital was great too. We have made some good friends here and would always come back!!
Excellent, what more could you want
You get collected and dropped off from bus stop, free pool table, nice clean pool, free DVDs, bikes, nice coffee shop over road, nice owner, great atmosphere. Nice little town plenty to do, Camel rides, surf lessons, free koala hospital, and much more. Clean rooms and clean kitchen, veranda, bathrooms nice and new. Few days isn't enough! would recommend to all!
Chilled and fun
I stayed there forfive nights having come for an overnight stay en route to Byron via Coffs. There was a great atmosphere in the hostel -- really friendly owner and happy backpackers who had also extended their stay. The hostel offered free bicycles, free internet, and breakfast so I filled my days sightseeing found a vineyard and saw dolphins and Koalas in the wild. Having bikes made it really easy to see everything and then the weekend came so spent that out in bars and clubs so had it all. Is winter so swimming was out but man the beaches are something else here and plenty to choose from. Was worth the cancellation fees in coffs for the extra days stay! Highly recommend a stay here but make sure you spend at least two or three days.
Great!
The owner picked us up at the bus station and dropped us off there as well when we were leaving. There's not a lot of rules on this hostel. As long as you don't make a lot of noise, more or less everything is ok. Good! Free Pool table.
Free Internet. Clean and good kitchen. Pool with topless bathing permitted. Pizza hut deal -- large pizza for $4.95! Would stay there again!
Poor Management
Some of what is advertised is misleading. The internet is not free, the pool is only tolerable (and always dirty), and the manager (Tony) is completely full of himself. When I arrived I noticed that I had made a clerical error and double booked one night. I had planned to stay only five nights, but had reserved six. Therefore when I arrived, I told him that I would like to cancel for the sixth night. I figured that there would be no problem because standard business procedure for hostels is twenty-four to forty-eight hours notice for cancellations (I was giving him a hundred-twenty hours notice). I was told that "he would think about it." Of course, he never returned my money. This was completely mishandled and unprofessional. Tony showed no signs of following a protocol and made up his own rules.
Great!
Clean, fun, and friendly place, can't really fault the laid back attitude and knowledgeable staff. Highlights have to be the colourful dorms, plenty of bean bags in the TV room, free internet, and free breakfast, tea and coffee. Only drawback would be the army style corrugated iron bathrooms -- hand soap wouldn't go amiss. Thank you PM Backpackers!
I had a great time at PMB and would definitely stay again. The hostel is clean and the staff are lovely. The kitchen is well equipped with a big fridge to store food, and the showers were nice and hot. I appreciated the book of recommendations for things to do in Port Mac as well.
Gosh, what an amazing hostel! We can totally recommend staying there! Facilities including kitchen and bathrooms were clean and even the kitchen was well equipped with kitchen essentials.
Ben, the host, is amazing! He is willing to help out and tries to do anything for making your stay most comfortable. Thanks for having us, Ben!
Best hostel Ive stayed so far, it definitely was a 10/10 stay! You can get discounts from nearby cafes just by saying youre a guest at PMB as well. The hostel is clean and there are games and night activities on certain days to keep you occupied. Ben was so friendly and gave such good vibes that made staying there so enjoyable. Will definitely stay here again should I visit Port Macquarie again (do check out their booklet on things to do there)!
Thank you Ben and team for a wonderful stay!
Great hostel, great staff, % worth a stay!!!!
We will definitely be back on our return trip - a chilled out hostel which is clean and in a great location. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The facilities on offer beat the bigger hostels weve stayed in.
We enjoyed our stay, Ben our host was amazing and very helpful with our onward travel plans. Good facilities and a friendly environment. Would stay here again.
Great property, full of life, a true backpackers hostel.
The only draw backs we found was the lockers were quite small and there wasnt any plugs next to our bunk. This wasnt a massive issue as we charged them when we could.
Overall a great hostel.
Absolutely stellar place for backpackers to stay in terms of location, facilities and staff especially
We just loved it- especially the pool competitions and the pizza night. Such a familiar atmosphere. Well definitely come back!
Had an absolutely amazing time here!
Ben and the rest of the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Would stay there again!
The walls are very thin, and people made noise all night. I tried to get a refund for my 2nd night and just leave, but they refused to give the refund and said they would speak to the noisy guests and ask them to be quiet at night. However, the 2nd night they were also noisy. And so I just left at 7am, to be away from the place. Everything else about the place was fine, and everyone was friendly. Don't stay here if you want a full nights sleep.
Great little hostel. Great vibes. Pool was nice to use. Good facilities and clean rooms. Good location just down the road from the centre of town. Will Definately be back.
Only stayed the one night. Was a very mixed bag of people staying there, made for a draining experience. Staff were extremely friendly.
Came for 3 nights and ended up signing on to stay for over a month! Great little backpackers with in a great location with a good sized kitchen
Absolute best backpackers I have visited in the entire world. All expectations I had were extremely positively overdone by the amazing staff and conditions here!!
Could not have asked for a better place to stay. Ben is amazing! I would 10/10 recommend port Macquarie backpackers. Ill be back for sure
Im not one to normally write reviews, however we felt this was a must! This is the best hostel we have stayed in Australia so far! It is more like a shared house with a welcoming atmosphere. Ben is so professional in everything he does, & really made us feel at home. You are on a first name basis as soon as you walk through the door. Also thank you for the pancake breakfast in the morning. If we are up this way again, we will certainly be stopping for a visit!
Thanks again, Amelia & James
I arrived quite last minute to the hostel and Ben was so lovely and welcoming! The hostel has character and a really homely vibe. Simple, but clean facilities. Great shared spaces. A bit chilly in winter but Ill be be back!
This hostel is run and owned by the legend Ben himself.
He is very friendly, approachable and organised in all aspects. Socialising with the guests to create an atmosphere that makes it easy to meet and interact with other guests.
Pancakes cooked to order each morning are a hit and cheeky way to start the day.
Facilities are well maintained and clean.
Just visited for my second time and promise it won't be my last!
Address: 2 Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Solo Traveller
Bedsheets
Parking
Wi-Fi in Lobby/Commons
City Tours
Lockers in Lobby
Towels
BBQ Grill
Board Games
Clothes Dryer
Concierge/Info Desk
Credit Card Payments
Currency Exchange
Evening Entertainment
Gameroom
Hair Dryers
Hot Showers
Kitchen
Laundry
Lounge Area
Movie Library/Rental
Pool Table
Swimming Pool
Videogames
Wheelchair Accessible
Breakfast
Checkout: 09:00 (9 AM)
Curfew: No Curfew
Lockout: No
Maximum Stay: Unlimited
Minimum Stay: 1 night
Open Dates: All Year
Reception Hours: 8.00am - 11.00pm Daily
Size: Small (less than 30 beds)
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