BUG Review
Holiday Village is a complex of brick and wood buildings tucked away off the main street coming into Byron Bay. It is a lively place, with bi-weekly barbecues, a volleyball court and a good swimming pool. They also offer free bikes, body boards, and surfboards. But the TV lounge is just a box with some torn couches thrown in, and the kitchen is spacious but rather empty. Dorms could use some work, and some of the linen is stained and needs replacing. Also, security is seriously lacking. But the potential for partying is high here since it is right across the street from the best nightclub in town and young backpackers revel in the streets well into the morning.
Price Dorm bed $25-33 Double room $75-100 Prices are in Australian dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
Credit Cards MasterCard,Visa
Reception Open 7am-9pm; 24 hour check-in with prior arrangement
Reviewer: Beckiwoo from East Midlands, United Kingdom
Pros:
friendly people, just across the road from cheeky monkeys, not far from the beach
Cons:
kitchen, bathrooms, very noisy, too hot in the rooms - need aircon, have to pay for cutlery...
Beckiwoo
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(3)
Ok so this is a very social hostels and I was with friends anyway but my god is it dirty!The bathroom and showers were nasty in the morning + the tables to eat your food on from the kitchen were placed right outside the bathroom - disgusting! kitchen not big enough for amount of people staying thereIf you want sheets, cutlery, crockery expect to pay a deposit for them! So in regards to sheet you use a sleeping bag liner which increases the risk of bed bugs (nice one holiday village!)The room we were in was in the roof and there was one fan for 8 beds and what with the skylights the place got pretty hot in the morning and during the day and the fan did bugger all - maybe think about getting aircon???? It could get noisy, the music in the hostel stopped at 10.30pm but cheeky monkeys was open till 3/4am which meant people came back at early hours it was even worse as it was schoolies week (damn kids!)Backbackers inn on the beach is much nicer and plus it easwier to rent surfboards from there cos even though holiday billage just wanted a $50 deposit, they were only rented from 2pm and had to returned at 5pm and then you have to carry the bloody thing all the way to beach in the sweltering heatSod it out Holiday village!!!P.S. oz Experience will try and promote this hostel as the bus driver stays here but sort your own accomodation out and that goes for everywhere along the east coast!
Thi s is quite a pricey hostel, but it is a good one. It's right across the road from Cheeky Monkeys for a start.The showers and the kitchen are very clean, although the kitchen is a bit small.The rooms are a reasonable size and are clean.I didn't come across a common area, so not sure if it has one. There are tables outside, and people eat there. I don't know where you go to eat if it rains.All in all, a pretty good hostel
Pros:
straight across the road from cheeky monkeys!
Cons:
none
somebaldyfela
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
thought this was a great little gaf!had to get a double room for 60 bucks because the schoolys had the whole town overtaken but cant complain real comfy bed to sleep in
Pros:
across from cheeky monkeys
Cons:
outside access
shellet
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(3)
I stayed here in June so it was pretty cold and the rooms got FREEZING at night. You could get blankets but you needed like 3. And you have to pay a deposit for everything (blankets, cutlery, key). Also, you have to go outside to get anywhere so that sucks when it's raining or when you have to pee in the middle of the night and have to walk outside to go to the bathroom. Bathrooms were pretty clean though and alright. Best thing was that it's right across from Cheeky Monkeys and you can get stamps to get in free every night. Plus they have cheap meals, although I never had one. It's also nice and close to the shops.Common area is pretty crap. Just a TV room with a few couches. And everything closes at 10:30 so you don't get much of an atmosphere after that. Makes it kind of tough to meet people.Overall, I wasn't a big fan of this hostel, but I've seen worse.
6 of
9 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8985)
Average and overpriced, January 30, 2006
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
Don't get too excited about this place. It is one of the most expensive hostels I've stayed in but not one of the best. Very few spaces to chill out and they stop you drinking in the main courtyard area by 10.30pm, thus killing the atmosphere there and forcing you out instead. Maybe they want you to head accross the road to Cheeky Monkey's as they clearly get kickbacks for advertising the terrible food (the cheap meals are seriously rank). If the 10.30pm curfew is supposed to be conducive to sleeping it doesn't work - many of the rooms are located around the courtyard so you are constantly woken by pissed people filing back through the night. Also it's not particularly close to the beach. And why do the bodyboards have to be returned by 5pm?? But it is clean.
1 of
2 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8986)
Such a well run place!!!, January 28, 2006
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
I stayed here six years ago for 5 months and couldn't believe how well mainted it still was. It's so clean!! The apartments are the best deal, fridge freezer, dining table, kithchen, tv, video you name it and it's all spotless. I'm so glad that we stayed here. This is my 2nd time in oz and this still is the best hostel in oz!!!!
1 of
3 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8987)
highly recommended, January 28, 2006
Reviewer:
helen
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
clean great hostel with great vibe and friendly feeling. We stayed in two other hostels in Byron and this was by far better and the cleanest. stayed in an apartment sharing with four others and they are very clean with own toilet and kitchen and not expensive either. Lovely place. Dont miss this one! Best in Byron!
1 of
2 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8988)
Sit back, relax and enjoy!!!, November 4, 2005
Reviewer:
Anthony
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
The place rocks. Its reasonable, though you do have to pay a deposit for everything - but I've come to expect this in Australia! The staff are great, the rooms were cleaned daily (hayley - cheers girl - you rock!), and you get free use of boards and bike. Booked in for one week and ended up staying two. The apartments are well worth the extra $3. It may not be the closest to the beach but who cares. With a vibe like this you'd be nuts not to stay here - and cheeky's is a stumble or crawl home! Add to this the only travel house in byron that doesn't feed you bullsh*t and tells you how it is upfront and i rate it as one of the best hostels in Aus I've stayed in - cheers guys!
3 of
5 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8989)
good place to stay, August 17, 2005
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
was booked through the oz exp bus, stayed in a 6 bed dorm for $69 (3 night package including free meal and drink, and unlimited internet). Very happy, rooms were ok, though not much storage, kitchen was one of the better ones on the east coast, especially for such a small place. Right across the road from Cheeky's. Definately recommend it.
3 of
4 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
(Review ID: 8990)
Time of my Life, April 5, 2005
Reviewer:
kent_blanchard@hotmail.com
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
I worked for the holiday village for 13 months. It totally made my Oz trip. I don't agree with anyone saying the village is no good. Everyone is nice. You don't get the advantages you get at the village at any other hostel in byron. Price in peak season is crazy. It's the second most expensive city/town on the east coast, next to sydney to stay in, during december, but that's because its the best town. and although expensive all hostels in byron are within 5 dollars of each other. There is a few more hostels that a cheaper. but they are also a good distance from town. Some of the best people i know today, are people i met at the village. and as far as one of the other comments about the rooms being dirty. Sorry i was probably hung over that day. but saying that, holiday village is much cleaner then most of the other hostels.
