33 Amelia Street, Fortitude Valley Bus 31, 310, 315, 320 Train Brunswick Street Tel (07) 3252 1397 Websitewww.aussiecolonialinn.com.au
BUG Review
This is an old house down a side street in Fortitude Valley that has been turned into a hostel. It really has no atmosphere, as there are not many rooms and the owners keep things very quiet. The kitchen is tiny, and the dining area doubles as the common room with just a small television and some tables. The bathrooms are very old, and the dorms are shabby and cramped. The place has some character, though, and they offer internet and a shuttle service.
Price Dorm bed $25 Single room $48 Double room $58 Family room $70 Apartment $80
Prices include breakfast Prices are in Australian dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
Pros:
No pros! price seemed too good to be true, and it was!
Cons:
Dishonest owners, totally apalling treatment!
flash
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I cannot explain how angry we were when in April this year (2006) we rang our accommodation, Balhouse Apartments, from the Brisbane airport only to be told our room was not available!! I had arranged for 6 nights via email several months previous, securing with credit card details. We, my hubby, myself and 2 1/2 month old bubs, were stranded without anywhere to stay, with no warning whatsoever, a pretty lousy explaination, and no assistance to find alternative accommodation. On the other hand, after a stressful afternoon carting our baby and our luggage around Brisbane and a fortune in mobile phone calls, we eventually booked in to Annie's Shandon Inn, a bed & breakfast in the city centre, and it was fantastic!! The absolute opposite with friendly and helpful staff, and a quaint little cottage feel.
Pros:
It is close to lots of things
Cons:
It it dirty, noisy, and dishonestly run
tuxcat1
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We had booked to stay at Balhosue apartments, a sister property to this one, and were told to go to Balmoral house to do our check in. We were very disappointed, upon arriving at Balmoral House, to find that our intended accomodation was not available for us, that there had been no attempt to contact us about the unavailability, and that we had been placed, instead, in the hostel. Since it was very late at night we were initially willing to stay at the hostel and prepaid $320 for 8 nights, however we soon discovered that we had been given a dirty, noisy, ensuite room that, bafflingly, was the same price as the self-contained "clean, quiet" cabin we thought we were renting. We were also disppointed to find that there was no safe, legal place to park our car at the hostel, since we had been assured us that there would be parking at the unit we agreed to rent.We stayed one night, realised that the situation was very different to the one that had been advertised, then checked out the next afternoon, a bare 19 hours after our check in. We expected to be charged two nights' stay ($88.00), since we checked out in the afternoon. Instead, we found that we were charged three nights' stay at the elevated rate of $50 per night, plus another $10.00 surcharge, and that there was no paperwork associated with the refund. It was done in cash. When I questioned the surcharges, which had NEVER been revealed to me by the managers of Balhouse apartments or the hostel manager I was told "that's we way things are". When we further questioned the charges the manager attempted to give us an extra $40 hush money "out of his own pocket", which we refused.I then contacted the owner of Balhouse apartments who washed her hands of the whole thing and told me she didn't own the hostel so she wouldn't do anything. Instead of taking the money and staying quiet, I am posting this review. Stay clear of this dirty, nasty place and also of Balhouse apartments.
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(Review ID: 159)
very badly maintained, very dirty, and evil management, February 22, 2006
Pros:
its near everything and cheap
Cons:
the management r very rude and its very dirty
Sophie smile
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this has to be the worst hostel in the whole of oz. there r two members of management, a semi grumpy/pleasant man during the week and the most evil woman to ever have walked the planet at the weekends. when he's here the hostel is semi clean, and run ok, but dont ask for any help with anything, its far too much trouble!
at the weekend wen the witch is here she has a disabled lady with her who she leaves here to run the place while she goes shopping, and two very scabby dogs who run around, scratch and stink the place out. the hostel doesnt get cleaned at the weekends, the bins dont get emptied etc. now if like me you plan on staying there for a while, dont expect your room to ever be cleaned or to ever be offered clean bed sheets, i had to hunt them down in the middle of the night and hoover my own room. which i dont mind doing but it does say "serviced rooms". there is also no "Free pick up" as mentioned, there isnt even a bus there! there r also bars on the windows and cockroaches in the room, but apart from that its luxurious!!
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