Name: St Kilda East backpackers' hostel
Address: 2 Tantram Ave, St. Kilda East, 3183, AU

4/10

Poor

25 Jan 2026

Dale

I’m not really sure what to say or where to start. I almost decided to sleep in my car. The people were friendly and sociable (aside from the host taking my phone off airplane mode when I asked for the wifi password; $20, kaching, for roaming!) but the home… hygiene was an issue from the kitchen to bathroom (bring your own toilet paper), the bedsheet was laid down, not big enough to be tucked, mosquitoes in the room all night, even a closed (?) door could not keep out the pot smell from the hallway. All for the low price of near $200?…Two stars instead of one because it was quiet at night. I could say more but will stop there.

2/10

Poor

08 Apr 2025

Andrew

St Kilda East Backpackers. We walked in, not one to book us in, not that that mattered, we couldn't stay there. smelt like dead rats, worse than if you pictured a hovel. We rang the owner, and Wotif rang the owner. Both responses were if people want a clean place to stay, they should go somewhere else. I would be very surprised if Wotif allow this hostel to book through them ever again.

Business Partner

2/10

Poor

28 Feb 2025

Hayley

Quite possibly one of the worst hostels I’ve stayed at in Australia. There’s no signage on the outside of it, so it is quite hard to locate. I wasn’t sent any check in instructions and check in wasn’t until 5pm, so that’s quite inconvenient.

The bed that I was put in was right beside the window with a screen that was broken, since the room is on the ground floor, someone could easily access the room. The lockers are also broken so you can’t securely store your stuff. At 2:30am I was woken up by a person moving stuff around right outside the broken window and it was a very scary experience.

The cleanliness of the hostel was abysmal. The whole place smelt like cigarette smoke. The bathroom smelled of urine and there was no toilet paper the entirety of my stay. For the price of the room ($100) I was extremely disappointed. Just get a hotel room for that price.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

30 Oct 2023

sam

I walk in n check leave in 2 minute with get refund for 2 night go sleep in the park instead

2/10

Poor

03 Oct 2023

John

I paid way to much for so little, no toilet paper or anything, grass over grown and everything just so discusting.
Id ask for a refund but i dont know how to submit for on.
Booked for 2 nights stayed for one and left on the second.

Business Self

2/10

Poor

03 Apr 2023

Kerry

When we first approach the backpackers, it looks so rundown. When we walked inside, it was disgusting crammed people sleeping on sofas in the hallways. When we arrive the host tried to get extra money for us because it was the F1 weekend. We paid for three nights Shuriken, it wasn’t enough I said no, she threatened to throw us out after the second night. I refused and showed her the paperwork what said we paid for three nights. After Air second night, they took a bookshelf out of the bedroom and put another stretcher for someone to sleep and made at seven in the bedroom. Your broken toilet you had to walk sideways into the toilet close the door. When you sat down your knees were touchin , and made at seven in the bedroom. Your broken toilet. You had to walk sideways into the toilet close the door. When you sat down you knees were touching the door. No hot water in the shower and also we had to bring our own toilet paper.
I wouldn’t recommend this place to My in worst enemies.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

07 Mar 2023

Aweke

Nothing

2/10

Poor

02 Jan 2023

anna

There was no photos online and no refunds for a reason please do not stay here waste of money no toilet paper and very rude owner

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2022

Porsha

This hostel is so cool! The people and staff are very friendly, rooms are spacious with very comfy beds and a funky outdoor area and a relaxed, chilled safe feeling environment! Would recommend!

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2020

Shehan

Great Facility & Service

Self

8/10

Excellent

04 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Was a very tidy room with a comfy bed. A little noisy though eventually the guest's went to sleep

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

01 Jan 2020

Anonymous

We arrived to not have the room allocated, owner was out and the cleaner was trying to get us organised but had no clue where to put us. I'd paid for a twin bed and a single, to find out after the fact that they only had single bunks, we were told we'd be in a room on our own, at 5am in the morning I had a man in his jocks staring at me and then he started screaming abuse at my son telling him to get out of his #@$&ing bed. He was obviously drunk and we were then afraid to go back to sleep. The owner had put him in our room without informing us.

The facilities were deplorable, sticky bathroom floor, ripped up linoleum, toilets were filthy with urine sprayed everywhere, on the floor cistern and seat, no paper, poo stains on the toilet, grimy walls. Thick layers of dust everywhere.cardboard where mirrors used to be but were ripped off the walls. The shared kitchen was falling apart from the sink being ducked taped to taps hanging on by a thread. Outside of the property was unkempt with a ripped mattress and couch being out the front. I didn't shower the as there was dirty undies in the shower, wet towels pooling at the base of the shower and the shower was grimy and black.

IT is by far the worst hostel/backpackers we have ever stayed at.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

My review is 5* based on its great value for money. There's good WiFi you get a sturdy bunk bed kitchen shower and communal area and ample fridge freezers. More importantly it's the people who make a hostel.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

I love the vibe this place gives. You get what you pay for. There's a kitchen a bed a toilet shower and WiFi. More importantly it's the people who make it. I've stayed here twice now.

2/10

Poor

22 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Disgusting beyond belief! People that were staying there were nice but owner was extremely rude and had no intentions of anything except cash !!! Give this place a miss

2/10

Poor

22 Nov 2018

Diego

Didn’t even check in due to other plans but it sounds horrible.

2/10

Poor

27 Mar 2018

Lewis

Stole my money

I didn't stay: they took my booking, then said they couldn't arrange for entry after 7pm. On their advertisement they say you can enter after 7pm, and give a mobile phone number. The person on the phone said no. She also said she would cancel the booking so they didn't take my money. She didn't do that.

2/10

Poor

12 Mar 2018

Billy

\nWould recommend to my worst enemy

The title says it all. DO NOT STAY HERE. HORRIBLE.

2/10

Poor

26 Nov 2017

Bo-Han

WORST HOTEL IN AUSTRALIA

This is the worst hostel experience I have ever had in my life!
The owner is such an awful person!
She should be prohibited posting ads on all the hotel booking webs!
It’s dirty, noisy & unsafe
Don’t even have a lobby & counter
The front door lock is just a password plate
The people stay at there often open the door in night time
Locker keys, she dare demand $30 deposit for that!?
Never checked passport
Only asked for show the detail of payment
The owner dared ask for additional $15 just because she didn’t accept Hotels.com have a big sale for her lodge
And when I tried to call Hotels.com customer service, she said can I get out of her property!?
Gladly, Hotels.com refunded me $15 that I didn’t need to pay more for the 3 nights.
There were two awful incidents happened.
The 2nd night, when I got back to the hostel, the owner changed my bed without notifying me. I needed to move my stuff to another empty bed.
The 3rd night, my stuff in unlocked locker had been moved to another one without my permission.
I called her, she said she had touched them, cuz there was a girl needed to use the locker, I couldn’t find some pieces of my stuff at the moment
I was very angry that she did it.
And she said swearing words to me on phone.

You can see my pictures of the hostel
Tiny shower rooms & toilets
Baggage are put messily on the floor
Each room has 7-8 bunk beds
And the bunk bed isn’t safe
I slept on an upper bed
And there was a hole I could fall into it

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2017

Alice

Happy and comfortable.

It is the best choice if you are not stay in the room for all times.