Our first 4 nights stay in Sydney was here, Noah’s Bondi Beach Hostel – located just off the beach, it has the BEST location of all the Bondi hostels. We had a double room with a beach view priced at $70 – they had cheaper rooms for less of a view but the view was the greatest thing about the hostel after the location.
Upon arrival the staff were friendly to us in our jet lagged state and we were checked in by midday. After lugging our bags up to level 3 we were rewarded with one of the best views of Bondi and finally able to have a shower after 2 days of travelling. Our room was fairly clean and we even had a tv and fridge although they had left an old tv and fridge in the corner of the room.
Photo Courtesy of noahsbondibeach.com
Atmosphere
Over the days we were there I found the atmosphere to be mixed. At the weekend the place was very noisy all through the night with drunk people coming back to their rooms and not being quiet about it – they seemed to be a mix of friendliness but most had their own little group and wanted to stick to that. The weekdays seemed to bring a friendlier bunch of people.
Cleanliness
The hostel was cleaned every morning but by midday it was looking pretty dirty again especially the shower and toilet areas. Our room was nice and clean when we got there, however the kitchen was a whole different matter! Plastered in signs saying clean up after yourself but they obviously were having no effect as the sinks were piled high with dirty pots and pans and every surface was covered in grime. Now I might be being a bit too harsh here as I’m a little OCD but it still wasn’t the nicest place.
Communal Areas
They had a huge TV with sofas and a rooftop garden with another impressive view of the beach – at night this area was closed at 10pm to curb the noise which we were very thankful of in our jet lagged state. The lounge in the reception was filled with leaflets and had a notice board updated daily with jobs and cars for sale. However they had no organised activities in the hostel which we could have done with, being new to the area and not knowing what to do or where to go.
Overall it seems like a great party hostel at the weekends but a bit quieter in the week. It is in the best location and has beautiful views of Bondi Beach. The staff were mostly helpful and friendly to us and the reception desk was manned 24 hrs a day. The only really big let-down of this place was the state of the kitchen area and cleanliness of the bathrooms. I would recommend this place if you want to party, have a good time and be close to the beach – but if that isn’t your thing this place probably isn’t either.
