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Reviews of Big Backpackers Hostel

2 out of 5
Big Backpackers Hostel
212 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 107 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 128 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 64 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 10 out of 321 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 12 out of 321 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very comfortable. Age range higher than usual for backpackers, so not rowdy. Lots of books, board games, guitars(!) available for self entertainment. I am 81 year old female, and will certainly go back.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jacinta

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great backpackers in a great location. Everything in easy walking distance, or easy public transport options. We stayed in a double room, which was comfortable and clean. The common areas were also appreciated.

6/10 Okay

Krystle

I know I checked in after hours but still there should be a live person onsite to attend to customers. I called the after hours number and nobody was available immediately. Luckily a kind guy reached out to one of of the employees who was actually off duty to help me. The gentleman who checked me in was not supposed to be on duty but was kind enough to attend to my needs. The room I stayed in had plenty of items left behind by previous guests. It appears as if the rooms are not cleaned and maintained regularly. The bathrooms are okay. The hostel was convenient and okay for the one night. The rooms need to be cleaned regularly.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aiden

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The staff were very friendly and helpful, and made sure that they were always available. Luggage storage is available at the front desk which was very useful, even after checkout. The shared kitchen is fully stocked and the common area is well maintained. Rooms are basic but practical, beds are a good size and linens are provided. Overall great place to stay for short or long periods
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Emily

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good stay
Great stay although the bed frames could do with an upgrade!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Receptionist can be
A male staff had great smiling friendly service but 2 female were not. Lack of information were given for as a guest. Kitchen close at 23:00. No hot water to make a drink. Hope no one injure in slippery shower access.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Janice

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deanna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The renovated bathroom presented well for safety and cleanliness.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

2/10 Terrible

Yifan

Business traveler
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The reception staff was not well trained and caused inconsistent experience. The 4 person bedroom is very small and the air is bad. I have lived in different backpacker hostels in Sydney and it is the worst so far.

8/10 Good

Stephen

Liked: Staff & service
For a back packers it was okay
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

2/10 Terrible

Lucy

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

David

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Linda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

8/10 Good

Pamela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location was good as it's closed to public transport (train, bus & light rail) , walking distance to great areas of the cbd . The expected noise area as it's right in Central

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Had a great stay in a clean Hostel that is a few minutes walk from Central Station and not far to the Opera House and Bridge. The Staff were very friendly and helpful and they have a bbq every Friday for $5. The only downside was on the M floor there is only a disabled bathroom between everybody on the floor.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Dylan on Nov 7, 2022
Hey Robert,Thanks for the excellent review, we're glad you enjoyed your time with us.3 out of the 5 rooms on Mezzanine actually have ensuites, so the bathroom is only shared by two rooms, one of which is a double room :)Thanks Robert,Dylan

6/10 Okay

Natalia

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

GERARD FELIX

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Staff members were friendly and helpful. Appreciated the filtered water in the kitchen. Room was adequate but dilapidated, ventilation was poor.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Rhebba

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Big Hostel offers excellent value for money, it is well maintained, the rooms are quiet & warm (winter in Syney was not a problem here - we were toastie warm and comfortable) The staff were cheerful, helpful & pleasant. Thank you for making our stay in Sydney so easy
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

David

Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022

2/10 Terrible

Mukhamed

Business traveler
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was clean, and have awesome kitchen
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Derrick Anthony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything was good
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Belinda

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

2/10 Terrible

John Sylvester

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
excellent value, staff, location and setup.
Wasn't expecting too much for the price I paid. WOW - exceeded my expectations. Double with ensuite was clean an quiet. Excellent staff, location, airco, plenty of hot water and comfy bed. The communal kitchen is well kitted out and keep clean and tidy. The rooftop terrace is cool - even has a Sydney tower view. Luggage storage for a few hours after checkout - much appreciated Minor beef - no fridge in ensuite rooms - had to go down 2 floors to a communal fridge.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff seemed friendly but cleanliness and quality lacking. Bathroom needs a proper clean so the shower isn’t an off-brown colour. Lift needs service because it squeaks and bangs all day and night. ‘Continental breakfast’ not given, even if you can get a spot in the one kitchen I saw no tea/coffee making facilities. Tv can’t be switched on as it has no remote, it’s just decorative. Air freshener outside rooms beeped all night long, every 5 or 10 seconds. Not the worst hotel around but still not what was advertised.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021
Response from Big Management on Mar 2, 2021
Hi, Thanks for your review. This may have been a helpful review, if you hadn't made it anonymous. We are continually working on our cleanliness standards; for which we usually receive great ratings. The lift was serviced just last week. There are tea and coffee making facilities available in the kitchen 24/7. If you had mentioned any of these things to reception, we could have easily given you a remote, reset the air fresheners or shown you where the tea and coffee are. We are always aiming to improve, and to give our guests the best stay possible - let us know if you have any issues during your stay and we will do our best to address them. Safe travels!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great people, location and atmosphere. Worth twice the price 👍
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Plengsak

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect
All perfect so happy to stay here
Stayed 1 night in May 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Celebrity’s recommend
All perfect bcoz good service , good location, good condition and good price.
Stayed 1 night in May 2020

10/10 Excellent

Cerana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Chilled area to lounge in downstairs with free WiFi! The kitchen has recycling bins and compost bins which I haven't seen in any other hostels! The bathroom was really clean so 5 stars for that! John on the front desk was really friendly and helpful
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

JUNNENG

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Hellen Manager on Dec 19, 2019
thankyou for your great review! hope to see you back again soon! regards Hellen

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staffs were helpful, place was clean, free breakfast and use if the kitchen, price was great
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Clare

Business traveler
Liked: Staff & service
excellent service, friendly staff
Staff was extremely friendly. Thank you.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Marн

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I had a great experience staying there. Very clean and my room was very quiet. Very close to parks, stores and restarants. Stuff was very friendly and helpfull. Next time I am comming to Sydney- deffinitely going to stay there again and I will reccomend it to my friends.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Big Boss on Sep 19, 2019
thanks so much for the nice feedback, hope to see you back again :) regards Hellen

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was nicely kept, neat n tidy ...Everyday the Cleaners came n throw the rubbish
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

joan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hostel pity about the noise
Very good hostel in a good location. Room very cosy. Clean. Good kitchen and lounge area. Very busy when I was there. The only drawback was the terrible noise from the building work outside. 2 nights it started at 10pm and went on all night. Jack hammering right underneath my window. The noise was unbelievable. I got no sleep. Hopefully it will be finished soon but check before you book.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent little hostel, my son and I got a private room with en-suite, all was clean and friendly and the Sunday pancakes were good. A bit noisy at night, ventilation, trains but totally expected considering the location.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Big Crew on Jul 12, 2019
Hi there, Thankyou for your review. We really appreciate your feedback and so happy you enjoyed the pancakes.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 6 nights in May 2019

6/10 Okay

Srisuda

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

Lastari

Business traveler, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
really like the clean private bathroom, comfortable beds, spacious room and the position only 5 minutes walk from Central station
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Big Crew on May 13, 2019
Thankyou for your review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay at Big and hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good hostel in a convenient location, nice common space to use and people are really respectful in the kitchen. Helpful friendly staff.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Big Crew :) on May 2, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I stay with my partner for 1 night and its really good
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Big Crew on Apr 17, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The cleanliness and the pleasant manner of the staff as well as the choices of breakfast goodies. The closeness to Central Station is really great.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Big Crew on Apr 1, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Never stayed in a Hostel before but was happily surprised! Appreciated having a bathroom and room to myself.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Big Crew on Apr 1, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

8/10 Good

Hedy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Reception職員態度很好，找他們幫忙時很熱情，房間也不錯，但浴室水龍頭有些壞，不過仍能接受，整體感覺良好
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Big Crew on Apr 1, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Tash, Adelaide

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good area, with easy access to groceries, cafes and bars. Also close to Central Station. And a plus to the reliable Wifi in the common area.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Big Crew on Apr 1, 2019
Hi there, thanks for the review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to having you back at Big Hostel again soon!

8/10 Good

judith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value hostel!
Great location, friendly staff rooms was clean and breakfast was great. Good value, will stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019