YHA Sydney Central — Hotel in Sydney

Have stayed at Sydney Central YHA on a number of occasions since the late 90's. Nothing beats its location, you literally can just cross the road and you're in the main concourse of Central Station where you can catch a train to Blue Mountains, the airport (although you should get out in Mascot and catch the bus as it is way cheaper) and well anywhere city or regional trains or buses go in Sydney and beyond. Easy walk to Circular Key (Opera House, Harbour Bridge), Darling Harbour (and the ICC and concert venues there), stadiums and everywhere you probably want to go to. A few Woolworths Metros in surrounding streets (including one with a can/bottle 10c deposit refund machine) as well as plenty of fast food, bars, cafes and restaurants. Since the last time I was here there is also now a light rail station right outside the front door. Granted you can walk where it goes, but if you're lazy or perhaps have an injury or disability. ||Dorm bed is comfortable, I was in two rooms during my three nights, and both had massive lockers that you can fit your bag (as well as daypack) and other stuff in. You provide your own padlock. Although maybe the unwritten rules of dorm stay need to actually be written somewhere as this hostel seems to attract people who have never stayed in dorms before and are just doing so as they can't afford the usual type of hotel they stay in at Sydney prices. They turn on the light when others are sleeping, stand there and talk into their phones, don't make any effort to stop the door from slamming as they constantly go in and out of the room. Don't make up their bed when they arrived and do it at 3am in the morning. Stuff that most backpackers know not to do. ||Also the first night I stayed this time a girl came back to the room early in the morning and someone was in her bed, all beds were taken so someone obviously snuck someone in. Perhaps adopting the method used by HI Banff and other YHA hostels where you get a card with your name and checkout date and you put that into a clear plastic thing attached to the upper or lower bunk bed you have claimed for your stay should be implemented. I was surprised when the girl came back up from reception to get her stuff and just said she'd been given another room, and more so that no one came up to check who was and wasn't supposed to be there and to throw out the freeloader (and their accomplice). ||Showers and bathroom weren't always clean but that's understandable with the amount of people using them. They were good quality, worked well and had plenty of hooks and places to keep clothes and stuff dry. The computer work areas on levels 4 and 6 were good although I eventually just used the tables with power points beside on the kitchen level. Plenty of fridges (so space to put your food) in the kitchen. No lockers in the fridges though so it is at your risk. You can also pay to have breakfast made for you, but it's pretty expensive, as are the vending machines by the way. ||2pm check in is pretty ridiculous, as the queue of people having to wait until then fills the foyer. Surely with technology today, once the dorm room has been cleaned and housekeeping notifies reception, the person going into that room could get a text that they can check in. Perhaps also earlier checkout times could be implemented as they would mean earlier check-in times. With free luggage storage on checkout, you don't really need to still be in the dorm room until 10am on checkout day. Even when you have to change rooms.||I also didn't like that I had to book for two nights, when I initially booked for the Saturday as I was only coming to Sydney for a Roxette concert so wanted to go to Blue Mountains a day earlier (that YHA hostel is awesome too by the way). Although when I made a separate booking for the Friday after Gold Coast Airport was closed due to Cyclone Alfred and I had to come down by bus earlier, I was able to book just one night. So the dumb two night policy must be a weekend thing. ||There used to be a lot more discounts available for food, activities, tours, transport with your YHA card. Someone in YHA has dropped the ball over the last decade or so. ||But other than those things which could easily improve, the hostel itself is awesome! As I said I always stay here whenever I come to Sydney and probably...

Well it is a YHA, what do you expect? I came here for Mardi Gras, $100 per night. I booked a 4 bedroom female dorm which was completely full the entire stay. Luckily, in the morning, one girl checked out and the other 2 left to do their own thing. I had the whole room to myself to get dressed. Tip: Bring an ultra-fast multiport charger at least 3m long and your stay will be easy. There are 2 charging sockets: a common one on the wall and also one inside your personal locker. Pros: Excellent location with tram line in front and central station across the road. Unlike other YHAs, the other travellers were quiet, polite and well mannered and there was a whole bunch of different people from different countries. My stay included free breakfast. It's only cereals, toast, muffins etc. Missing protein like eggs and ham/ sausage. Still decent. I had croissant with Lurpack butter and coffee and juice. Kitchen area is very clean and well maintained, and there are enough cutlery, fridge storage, microwaves benchtop space etc. Very quiet. I was on the 7th floor so I couldn't hear the tram or passers by. Free towels/ locker space provided. If you check out early, you still have access to the kitchen, locker and toilet ( ask for card) and you can lounge in the reception area and nap or charge your devices. Good ratio of toilets/ bathroom to ppl. There was no one using the facilities when I took a shower or put on my makeup. They had a full length mirror in the bathroom and another big mirror in the room.

Neutral: I had to remind the check in staff that my booking included breakfast. She gave me one breakfast voucher. I told her I was staying for 2 days and then she gave me the second one. The next day, my card wouldn't work. I realised she only checked me in for one day. I had to go back to reception and get a new card issued. There's a movie theatre, sauna, rooftop pool etc. I did not intend to use these facilities anyway, so I didn't even see what it looked like. There are many nice hotels nearby like The Pullman if you want a instagram worthy pool experience. Previous reviews have complained of musty smell in rooms, bad linen/mattresses and dirty toilets. I think these are either mixed rooms or the boys' rooms. The room I stayed in was clean, and the corresponding girls only bathroom and toilet facilities were also clean. The mixed and boys only bathroom might be a different story. If you book a girls only room, you get a girls only bathroom also.

Cons: Sinks have bad plumbing, the drain pipes need to be replaced. The water is not draining so it's yucky when you brush your teeth. Additionally, this slow drainage means the sinks get dirty very quickly. I understand it's an old building, but all the more reason to update all the plumbing. It's a big job but it's got to be done. The shower glass had not been cleaned. Lifts very old and slow. The corridors smell a bit musty but luckily there is good AC and fresh air in the rooms. Central station clock tower clangs very loudly. It's kind of...

I had a very pleasant stay at YHA Sydney Central. From the moment I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by Angel (the Angel!) at the front desk with a BIG radiant smile. Her helpful orientation about the hostel and surrounding area especially the super convenient Central Station just across the road made settling in easy and stress-free. I also appreciated the clear signage in the hostel which made navigation simple and intuitive. I was thrilled to find the dual-monitor setups thoughtfully provided at every desk in the co-working space - something I have always desperately needed but never found in all of my travels across more than 20 countries. It was a huge bonus for me. I’d love to see it open beyond 11 pm. Given the area is well-secured with access card and CCTV, keeping it open 24/7 would be more user-friendly for those who struggle to focus during busy hours or for night owls working across different time zones. Another seemingly small but thoughtful touch that made a big difference was the steam iron and ironing board provided in the laundry room. They were exactly what I needed very much since my clothes often come out wrinkled after long hours packed in suitcases. I was also impressed by the detailed guidelines and the conveniently placed bins that encouraged timely, efficient and proper waste separation. In a world where environmental awareness is still lacking in many places, this served as a valuable education opportunity that travelers can learn from and take back to their own countries. It personally boosted my own environmental consciousness. I truly believe this is an excellent demonstration for travelers coming from different parts of the world. My room was comfortable with a high ceiling, a tall window and a spacious locker to an extent that even a 81 cm suitcase can fit in with no difficulty. The table and chairs inside fostered a friendly and communal atmosphere which is perfect for us to unwind and share interesting stores with fellow travelers. However, both my roommates and I found the room too cold at night and it seemed that there was no temperate control options such as heating or air-conditioning. Also, the traffic noise from outside was quite loud, even on the fifth floor, and it lasted all day until midnight.One area that really needs urgent attention is the Wi-Fi. During my brief two-day stay, the internet connection dropped frequently regardless where I was in the hostel, whether I was in my room, or on the kitchen floor, even at the front desk. A stable and reliable internet connection is essential for today’s travelers. To be honest, this was one of the most unstable, the slowest and weakest internet connections I have experienced in Australia. Thankfully, the internet connection was much better in the co-working space. Thank you again for the warm hospitality and for creating such a welcoming space for us. I hope this review is helpful. I genuinely appreciate the effort put into maintaining such a great...