Aquarius Backpacker Resort

The location of this hostel is perfect you are minutes from the beach and smack bang in the centre of town. I stayed in a single room which was very clean, comfortable beds with proper duvets, not just sheets and blankets, which I prefer. The staff were friendly and you could sign up and organise trips from reception. The thing I found was that for a hostel the social areas weren't very social. The lounge area was quiet a dark place with a few sofas and tables but not very conducive as a great socialising area. Its like they are trying to extend the bar into a nightclub which doesnt work during the day. I can't explain it but it just didn't feel very welcoming to me to go and sit in there and try and talk to people. The kitchen as well needs updating. It's very cramped and dingy for such a big hostel hosting so many people, again not an area I wanted to spend to much time. The fridge is overloaded with stuff and it says it gets a deep clean every week but I don't know how with the amount of stuff in there. For how bright and airy the rooms are and the pictures advertise it the kitchen and lounge are very dark and drab. Lastly the bathroom facilities I had access to, the single toilet cubicle constantly ran out of toilet roll, they need to leave extras somewhere around because you had to go down to reception to ask for me, so check before you start your business and secondly the shower room was constantly littered with people's wet towels and shower mats as there was no laundry basket to put them in once finished with. It wasn't very nice to walk in and play dodge the soggy towel. On the back of the doors it has a sign that should be updated as to when the rooms have been cleaned. I checked in on the 1st november and out on the 3rd and the whole time I was there these signs never changed from the 31st October.

Pros: *very fun activities (beer pong, quiz, etc) * perfect location * nice lounge area * nice staff Cons: * in a ten people dorm there is only one bathroom * kitchen is disgusting at most times of the day (people just left their dishes) * don’t expect to get a spot by the pool, very crowded there

I booked two rooms and both had amazingly comfortable beds. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We arrived late in the evening as we were traveling through and had no issues rocking up to get a room. It was one of our most enjoyable stays on our road trip.

I stayed at Aquarius for a week and was greatly disappointed. The staff were rude and hostile when we had problems checking in. The rooms were dirty with debris being left all over the room and outside areas, showing that they had clearly not been cleaned. The beds were uncomfortable, as well as the rooms sharing one bathroom between nine. I would not recommend anyone to stay here as the only positive of this hostel was the location.

We went to the bar for breakfast - the staff are efficient,welcoming and pleasant. The breakfast offering is generous and tasty with great flexibility. The eggs Benedict were as close to perfect as I have had anywhere in the world and the pot of tea is so generous you sit all day.

This hostel was perfect for visiting Byron Bay. The hostel is very high quality and has so many complementary features. It truly made the stay easy and convenient. It was definitely a deal for the price. I would highly recommend staying here!