Ningaloo Coral Bay Backpackers — Hotel in Coral Bay

The Ningaloo Club is a conveniently located establishment, right next to the fantastic Bill’s Bar and Restaurant. Directly on the other side of Bill’s is the grocery store, an Australia Post, and two meeting places for the guided dives. As they’re typically an early start, it was great to be just a two-minute walk away. I did have a couple of issues with the Ningaloo Club itself. I found out quickly that the keys sometimes protest letting you into your room. I went down to the front desk (whose staff were happy to help answer my many questions throughout the afternoon) to see if I could get another key. Note here that I’m talking about a physical metal key. The lady at the desk was happy to give me another key and explained that because customers frequently lose the keys, they cut them on-site to save money on replacements. This is excellent for the business, but sadly it does mean that customers can spend up to two minutes outside their room, jangling the key back and forth in the lock, trying to get in. I would recommend getting the keys cut professionally and simply placing a deposit on them that would cover the cost of driving to Learmonth and getting them cut. Another slight issue I had was the allocation of room-mates. Hear me out here, I promise I’m not just whining. I stayed in a 6-bed dorm to save money because I was a teenage solo-traveller. Dorms made sense. I wasn’t quite expecting though, as a teenage girl, to be paired with two adult men. There were no issues, and the two Swiss men were lovely to talk to, but it seems like something the front desk should consider when organising the dorm rooms. All in all, I had an excellent stay in Coral Bay. The Ningaloo Club has its flaws, but it’s very conveniently located with a bar downstairs, a restaurant next door, all your touring and grocery needs two doors down, and the beach a...

Probably one of the worst hostels I’ve ever stayed in and unfortunately the only one in town so you don’t really have a choice! |Have to pay $10 deposit for blankets (which you have to insist you get returned to you when you give the blanket back) and good luck because they don’t have enough for everyone. Otherwise it’s a thin sheet only. |No alcohol as they are licensed but they stop serving drinks at 8.45pm. They open your drinks for you, I’m not overly excited at having someone touch the top of a can which I will then be drinking out of.|I got told I couldn’t sit in the lounge area as it closes at 9. Helps to be friends with the receptionist as she allowed herself and two others to sit up chatting until 9.30 the next evening…. |Have to ask reception for knives but don’t go cutting anything from 11-1 when the reception is closed. |Limited amount of kitchen stuff - only 4 mugs one morning and only 1 bowl. Probably other guests leaving things in rooms as there were only around 7 of us in the kitchen. |WiFi is only available 9-3… not sure why. I also had to ask for the password 3 times, I got the feeling they didn’t want me to actually have it. The receptionist was very excited to tell me the staff get to use the new and fast starlink. |Receptionists are not the most friendly, kinda seems like they don’t want to be there. Housekeeping staff were lovely though, as was the maintenance/grounds worker guy. |Bed was comfy, but you have to climb up the frame to get to the top bunk as no ladder. |Only two big storage cupboards in a 4 bed dorm. |Check out is 9.30am - earliest I’ve ever experienced.|Laundry is quite expensive at $6 a wash. |Coral Bay is a lovely little area but this hostel ruined it a bit...

Probably one of the worst hostels I’ve ever stayed in and unfortunately the only one in town so you don’t really have a choice! |Have to pay $10 deposit for blankets (which you have to insist you get returned to you when you give the blanket back) and good luck because they don’t have enough for everyone. Otherwise it’s a thin sheet only. |No alcohol as they are licensed but they stop serving drinks at 8.45pm. They open your drinks for you, I’m not overly excited at having someone touch the top of a can which I will then be drinking out of.|I got told I couldn’t sit in the lounge area as it closes at 9. Helps to be friends with the receptionist as she allowed herself and two others to sit up chatting until 9.30 the next evening…. |Have to ask reception for knives but don’t go cutting anything from 11-1 when the reception is closed. |Limited amount of kitchen stuff - only 4 mugs one morning and only 1 bowl. Probably other guests leaving things in rooms as there were only around 7 of us in the kitchen. |WiFi is only available 9-3… not sure why. I also had to ask for the password 3 times, I got the feeling they didn’t want me to actually have it. The receptionist was very excited to tell me the staff get to use the new and fast starlink. |Receptionists are not the most friendly, kinda seems like they don’t want to be there. Housekeeping staff were lovely though, as was the maintenance/grounds worker guy. |Bed was comfy, but you have to climb up the frame to get to the top bunk as no ladder. |Only two big storage cupboards in a 4 bed dorm. |Check out is 9.30am - earliest I’ve ever experienced.|Laundry is quite expensive at $6 a wash. |Coral Bay is a lovely little area but this hostel ruined it a bit...