Bunk Surfers Paradise — Hotel in Gold Coast City

Firstly, I have never been made to feel so unwelcome and uncared for in a hostel in my entire 3 years in Australia, both working and living in hostels (and years of travelling in other countries prior).

This is NOT a place for travellers to attempt to call a temporary home whatsoever. Party? Absolutely. But if you think anyone working here is going to help you in any way shape or form, especially the management (see below for 2 exceptions), you’d be very wrong.

However, I want to make a special mention to Dylan and the young girl with curly hair on The Island reception (who's name I never got) for being absolute legends. As for the rest, I have nothing in the way of good things to say.

Before I get into the numerous issues with this place, let’s be very clear, this hostel cares about one thing and one thing only—MONEY. This is very evidently at the expense of the guest experience, as shown by almost all of their actions.

Actions which I have specified below;

They chose not to seperate long term guests from short term guests in the bedrooms. This meant if you were staying there long term and working, you would be often sharing a room with people who were there for 1-2 nights purely to party, resulting in everyone else in the room being disturbed by their noise and woken up at 3/4AM from them having loud conversations in the room and turning the lights on, when you have work a few hours later.

One time I paid for a private room for several nights and they would not even provide me with an aircon remote for the room, even after I asked politely at the reception.

I also requested at the reception, to the Manager herself, that the cleaning staff be politely asked to not attend my room the following morning after I checked in so that I could sleep in and not be woken up. The following morning I was abruptly woken by the cleaners. I guess no-one cared to pass on the message? Again, a complete lack of care. Oh, but not for hotel guests of course. Above and beyond treatment when you’re paying top dollar. It’s interesting how the same management could not be more polar opposite in terms of their guest treatment towards those staying in the Hotel (The Island) and those in the Hostel (Bunk). I guess when you pay less you matter less?

There was not a single working drying machine for your clothes, despite their being a laundry room on every level. There is also nowhere to hang your clothes to dry and if you tried to hang them on the balcony you would be told to remove them. As a result, you have to take your clothes to a Laundromat (because apparently it's 1960) and sit there for over an hour while they wash and dry (unless you want your things to be stolen).

There is one TINY lift for the entire hostel. This means frequently waiting 5+ minutes to get from the reception to your room, the kitchen or anywhere else you're trying to go. The alternative? Well, the stairs. Oh, that is when nearly a full week doesn’t pass by when the keycard access to the door isn't broken, meaning no-one can use the stairs so you have to wait for the lift—something the staff were aware of and entirely unempathetic about. I guess it doesn’t matter when you don’t live though, right?

I would say that I hope this information goes back to someone in a position who could use this as constructive criticism to better the place. Unfortunately though, I'm far from optimistic. Money will keep flowing in due to their prime location and glamorous, edited pictures of the facilities, so who gives a f**k, hey? We're just...

Awful experience with the hostel, which has safety and health issues for the rails of top bunk. The top bunk has right side of handrails properly but left side has a slippery board and the rail on that side is 1/3 lengths shorter than the right and you have nowhere to hold. I fell off from the rails when I tried to get off.

Its customer service is the worst as I stayed in many hostels in the world. Room key given to me was not working and I had to go back to the reception again for a new key. I also had an ordeal in my stay. Due to the natural disaster in Gold Coast, I had to cancel my stay in Cedar Creek lodge in Tamborine mountain. Then I booked this place. I was not told that I can’t stay there if I am over 35 years old until 2 days before I checked in when I received an email. I emailed back and explained this situation and told them that I am happy either to get full refund or they allow me to stay. After back and forth many emails, finally they agreed to allow me to stay. This was after 2 emails and they checked my age. In my emails I told them that I am 60 but looks like 39 as I have been doing snorkel and hiking from Hayman island to Byron bay for 1 month and for all my life actually. They sent me an email confirming that they would make it an exception to allow me to stay. However, when I came to check in, the white mail receptionist said to me “you are over 35 and you said that you are 39. He was giving me a sour face and very difficult check in and not working room key until I told him to check the emails and telling him that “ I am 39 is different from I look like 39”

The room also is so dirty with huge bad smells of alcohols. Dirty toilet and poor management. I was allocated a locker numbered “C”. However when I opened it, it has already someone else’s belongings there and I have no locker to use at all. I checked in on 7th Jan for 2 nights but received an email telling me my time in their place is off on 8th around 9am and if I don’t leave by 10am, I will be charged.I had to fight back telling them it’s not time off.

I am very unhappy with my ordeals and bad experiences with this hostel. I have been lying in bed since yesterday to today and can’t move and can’t go to the toilet until This morning the wonderful house keeper lady helped me and changed me into the lower bunk so that I can go...

Hello!

So I stayed at bunk for 10 days, it is a nice Hostel but not to many people want to get to know each other. People mainly had their groups already or stayed alone. The kitchen & hangout area are big. They give you a clean towel everyday after you pay $10, which was fine.

My first stay was in the 4 share ensuite dorm(female only) basic room. This room was nice, bathroom inside the room, bed was comfy, you get 25% off at Goldie's the restaurant attached to the hostel so that was great. This room was good for my first 4 nights. But the lift was down in the hostel so I had to take the stairs, no AC in the lobby so waiting to check in wasn't that great & housekeeping just comes in whenever they want, didn't even announce themselves before entering, not good in an all female room.

Then I extended my stay and upgraded to the 4 share superior ensuite dorm(female only) "hotel" room. This room is gorgeous. The bathroom was bigger, it had a bit more places of storage, & came with a tv. You also got access to a different pool which was cool. The bed was comfy as well, I got to take the lift to get to and from this room because it's a different entrance you can use as well to get into the hotel/hostel. This time housekeeping announced themselves, but it was only to vacuum. I'm not sure if they even clean the bathrooms other than to remove trash. So actual cleanliness could be improved 100%.

I gave 5 stars because overall my stay was a great time, just those few things & the wifi sucks!! It was horrid trying to get stuff done, it was either slow, or kicking me off. I hope they fix that. But for needing a place to stay, the price, the location is top tier Bunk was a great home for 10 days & I'd stay again for sure! Hope this helps anyone looking to book in the area! Have...