Brisbane City Backpackers is cheap and cheerful and it costs less than other hostels nearby, but this place is not for everyone. It's perfect as a base for staying long-term in the city.

The hostel is on Roma Street, the same address as the Transit Station where you'll arrive if coming by coach or train. The hostel will come and pick you up too, which is lovely, as although it's nearby, the hostel is uphill from the Transit Station. A walk into the CBD will take about fifteen to twenty minutes and so is the closest supermarket, although there is a garage nearby for cigs and soda.

There is a lot of choice when it comes to rooms, from twins and doubles to dorms of all descriptions. Bathrooms are often down the hall rather than en-suite, and sometimes on a different floor. One of the three blocks has only four toilets for over a hundred beds, but for some reason you never have to wait. There are also only about five showers for the same block, but they are lovely with good water pressure. There are hooks (and a dish) directly under the shower, but no hooks for your towel/clothes. There are only three sinks in the whole block.

Bedroom doors are self-locking, but the doors do not automatically shut and so in the larger dorms the room is often left open. Some people will even complain if you shut the door. There are no in-room lockers and cleaners will move your stuff. The largest dorm has over thirty-two beds.

There is a large common room with leather couches and a large TV with an area containing five PCs with free internet access (basically unlimited). Next to this is a terrace with picnic benches overlooking the city and it also has a swimming pool (which was drained for the full week we were there). Underneath this terrace is the hostel's bar, The Fiddlers Elbow, which also has a BBQ area and nightly promotions. The book exchange is basically a shelf and often contains only foreign titles, and as a consequence, a book left in the common room unattended will be taken.

The kitchen is huge but still isn't big enough for the number of people staying at the hostel. There is no space in the fridges and things are often stolen, moved, or "borrowed." Cutlery and crockery have a deposit but pans don't and so are often filthy. There are a limited number of lockers for food that can be rented.

The hostel can be very cliquey as there are a number of long-termers that keep their own company. And some people can be very anti-social, coming and going loudly at 4 a.m. -- if they are not working (public holiday) then no one else is entitled to sleep. In the larger dorm they will prefer to socialise inside the dorm rather than the common room and are very noisy. And although the hostel is smoke- and alcohol-free, people simply stand outside the fire escapes in order to circumvent the rules (often smoking illicit drugs). There is a job club on-site that will help you find work and there are often positions available in the hostel.

The Brisbane City Backpackers Hostel is a great place to stay if you are looking for somewhere close to the centre that's cheap and reputable. Unfortunately it suffers because of the large number of anti-social long-termers.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review