Melbourne Central YHA Hostel Review and Recommendation

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8 Reasons Why I Fell in Love with Melbourne
My Favorite Moments in Sydney
Sydney Central YHA Hostel Review and Recommendation


Accommodations in Australia are relatively expensive compared to other countries. Since I was alone when I went to Melbourne, I decided to try sleeping in a hostel for the first time... I didn't regret it. Melbourne Central YHA (Youth Hostel Association) was a great choice. It was relatively new, the bathrooms were clean, and the facilities were great. Since then, I realized that staying in a hostel isn't a bad idea at all... I even miss the experience once in awhile. Here are what you can expect:

Reception - Get greeted at their cozy reception area by people who are young and energetic. The area has comfortable sofas, travel brochures, and an in-house travel agent. You can go to Australia without any ideas of where to go but still end up with a good itinerary with the help of their in-house travel agent.

Rooftop - This was a sweet surprise as it had cozy seats and convenient toilets (no need to go down should the need arise). Perfect place to lounge around. If I'm not mistaken, there are rooftop rooms which you can book. Suggestion: Buy food and drinks from the supermarket/grocery and enjoy the rooftop experience.

Internet Terminals and TV Area - Watching movies or tv is free. While the internet/computer terminals have a fee (relatively expensive), at least you won't get "disconnected" if you don't have a laptop or mobile internet gadget with you.

Barbeque / Smoking / Lounge Around Area - If you don't want to lounge around at the rooftop, this one which is located at the same level as the reception is a good alternative. The "receptionists"/hotel attendants usually hang out here so this a great place to get to know them as well as mingle with other guests. 

Hallways - Modern feel and will make you feel like you're staying in a hotel instead of a hostel.

Toilet - One of the cleanest, if not the cleanest, among all the hostels I've been to. I can guarantee that they are regularly maintained. 

Private shower room with personal changing area

 

Relatively clean toilet bowls and lavatories

Rooms - You have the option of choosing among: 6 share male, 4 share female, 3 share male, Twin, or Double Private Bathroom (as of Jul2011). During my time, I stayed in a 4 share male which seems to have been removed from the choices already. Expect personal power outlet, personal bed light, and personal lockers. Try to know your roommates, they're usually friendly. 

 

Location - Location has got to be one of the best selling points of the hostel. There's a tram stop in front of the hostel (also a stop of the City Circle Tram - a service that allows you to visit Melbourne's major tourist spots for FREE). It is also walking distance from the Southern Cross Station which is both a drop off (you can also have yourself dropped near Melbourne Central YHA itself) and pickup point for Melbourne's Skybus - an affordable bus service to and from the Melbourne airport. 

A hotel across the block where Melbourne Central YHA is (serves as a good landmark)

Facade of the entrance along Flinders St. - look for this spot across the tram stop

 

Location Map courtesy of Google Maps

Recommendation - Because of a good first hostel experience here (at a very good price of AUD35/night), I ended up booking hostels for some of my succeeding trips. If you want to save when travelling to Melbourne, I highly suggest you consider staying here. NOT ALL HOSTELS ARE CREATED EQUAL... Melbourne Central YHA is one of the best!

If you're keen on staying here, below are important information which you may want to take note of:

Address: 562 Flinders St. Melbourne 3000

Reception Hours: 24 Hours

Arrival Time: Check in from midday, check out at 10am.

How to go:

Bus - The hostel is located 1 kilometre to Southern Cross Station and Skybus Terminal.

Train - The backpackers hostel is located 1 kilometre to Southern Cross Station.

Nearest Airport - The backpackers hostel is located 28 kilometres to Melbourne Airport. Skybus operates 24 hours from Southern Cross Station and picks up at the hostel.

The entrance to Melbourne Central YHA Backpackers hostel is to the right hand side of Bertha Brown's bar. Take the lift or stairs up to reception on level one.

8 Reasons Why I Fell in Love with Melbourne (Great Ocean Road, St. Kilda, Old Melbourne Gaol, Melbourne Greeter Service, Federation Square and Flinders Station, Docklands, Street Art, and City Circle Tram)

Related posts:

My Favorite Moments in Sydney

Sydney Central YHA Hostel Review and Recommendation

Melbourne Central YHA Hostel Review and Recommendation

I had a lot of remaining leaves for 2009 and I felt like they will be useless if I won't use them for a trip. I then decided to take my chance on getting an Australian Visa. When my visa got approved, I realized that the direct flights from Manila to Sydney or Melbourne were already expensive. I explored a bit and found out that the cheapest way will be to do my trip via Singapore. I then booked a flight to Singapore via Cebu Pacific (expensive at PHP11,078) then a flight from Singapore to Melbourne via Emirates (cheap at SGD693 or PHP23k). The total cost of PHP34k was still relatively cheap. Upon arrival in Melbourne, I was surprised when I was informed that I would be interrogated by Australian Immigration. The interrogation has got to be the scariest experience of my life. Despite all the setback, I still feel that the trip to Melbourne was worth it because of the following:


1. Great Ocean Road - this place will make you appreciate the natural beauty of Australia. You can't help but think of how such rock formations were created. The beach cove as shown below was such a hidden surprise!

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2. St. Kilda - Going from Melbourne City Centre to St. Kilda beach is so convenient via tram. I liked the vibe of Acland Street, which is just near the St. Kilda beach, as it houses many restaurants and cake shops in a cozy neighborhood setting. The cake displays alone are such eye candies. There's also the Luna Park if you want to unleash your childhood carnival desires.

 

 

3. Old Melbourne Gaol - Attracting 140,000 visitors per year, the Old Melbourne Gaol is Victoria's oldest surviving penal establishment. Visitors get the chance to be treated as prisoners complete with charge details (i.e., charge, name, place of arrest, arresting officer, etc.). Remember to have your mugshot taken before leaving to make your experience complete. (Cost: AUD22 or PHP980)

 

4. Melbourne Greeter Service - 


"The Melbourne Greeter Service is a free two to four hour walking orientation of the city for visitors to Melbourne. Greeters are passionate, trained volunteers who share their local knowledge of Melbourne. Groups of up to four people can be accommodated and bookings are essential. Orientations are available in English 7 days a week (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day) and depart from the Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square at 9.30am." - www.thatsmelbourne.com.au


This service is amazing and absolutely free. The claim that, "Greeters are passionate, trained volunteers who share their local knowledge of Melbourne," is the perfect way to describe our guide, Fleur, who also shared some spending secrets (e.g., the cheap dumplings near the Greek area, the free topview of the city through a hotel's restroom, etc.).This experience made me fall in love with Melbourne all the more. If you intend to avail of this service, remember to book through the Melbourne Visitor Centre in Federation Square upon your arrival in Melbourne as you have to book several days in advance.

My tour group. (From left to right: Fleur, our Melbourne Greeter; A lady from Netherlands; A girl from Mexico; Me)

The free cityview from a hotel's restroom.

5. Federation Square and Flinders Station - This is where classical meets modern. The Flinders Station's design is very classical while the architecture of the Federation Square is modern. 

6. Docklands - The Docklands area houses several modern pieces that I personally liked including the ANZ Building and the Web Bridge. This area also houses a mall/factory outlet where you can buy clothes and other items at a cheaper price compared to those you can find in malls.

 

 

7. Street Art 

Melbourne's literal Street Art found in several streets near the Federation square

 

Melbourne's Other Forms of Street Art

 Restaurant Tram

8. City Circle Tram - The City Circle is a zero-fare vintage-designed tram that runs around Melbourne's central business district. Aimed towards tourists, the tram passes many Melbourne attractions including the Docklands waterfront precinct.