Barkly Backpackers 102 Barkly Street, St Kilda, Victoria 3182

"I lived in Barkly Backpackers for three months, of which I worked for accommodation for about two and a half. My work consisted of making beds and general house keeping like hoovering and cleaning the kitchen for about two hours each day. the hostel is located pretty well with only about five minutes foot walk away from the beach and acland street, where most of the shops and cafes in St Kilda are. it is easy and fast to get to melbourne by tram. the hostel has a rooftop area with a barbecue. sometimes we would meet there and eat together. it is easy to make friends there, even for shy or introverted people. the hostel itself is pretty clean for a Backpacker Hostel. the kitchen can get crowded in the evening and sometimes all the bathrooms are occupied. the kitchen has a lot of utensils. they may not be of the best quality but they are free to use and always available. the kitchen itself gets cleaned at least twice a day. having worked there myself, I can confidently say that despite what other people have posted here, the hostel is a good place to stay and the owner is a friendly person and good, understanding boss. whenever I needed something or wanted advice (e.g. finding a job or my lost apple pencil), I had someone to talk to and help. I felt save and respected during my stay. I really enjoyed living in barkly backpackers and I think coming there has been one of the best decision i’ve ever made as the hostel has a very home-y feeling to it. I felt like I was part of a community from the moment I walked through the door. I met a lot of nice people and made friends. it was hard to leave and I would like to come back for a visit some day. thank you so much for the amazing time I had. Barkly Backpackers felt like a home to me, even though I only stayed a couple of months and I miss living there a lot."

"Review based on 3 weeks accommodation in June 2023. Recommend for short stay. Not for longer stays if you value your own quiet space. Pros: • Some social People (many longer term backpackers are working) • Laundry facilities • Daily room clean • Cost effective weekly rate • x2 four ring Gas stoves & x2 sinks • Roof-top social area (closes at 10pm) • Possibility to work for free accommodation. Cons: I personally had a bed without power sockets, and the extension was inadequate as it passed over the top bunk person who often accidentally disconnected the power during his sleep. The room also has a 1ft gap between the top of the wall and the ceiling! This caused the stairway lights to light up & sound to travel into the room when you're trying to get to sleep. • Very small hostel social area (Cabin fever is real, ensure you go for a walk each day otherwise you might feel like you're living in a shoe box) There is no other social area (front desk (guarded by owner for 14h a day) / table tennis / sofa area / dining table & crammed kitchen space is the entire space). • No bedside lights, no *locker or shelf storage (*rooms may vary), • x2 crammed double fridges & dry food storage, x1 microwave. • very tight kitchen (with island food prep area) / dinning area with more than 8 people... • No consistent method of lighting the Right-side gas stove (lighters go missing, and the response to asking for another suitable method of ignition was met with a somewhat hostile / passive responsibility from the owner). • No utensil draws, no cupboard doors for plastic boxes etc (they often fall into the floor) • tiny U-shaped sofa area (same anti-social long term backpackers are glued to their positions playing laptop computer games) • The Hostel never got deep clean (communal area sticky surfaces, lack of attention to detail when cleaning of bathroom areas that collect dust / grime). • Some guests are quite inconsiderate about leaving their stuff all over the room (great to trip over at 6am getting ready for work with a phone for a torch in a room without sidelights). • The regular response to "can I get a working socket to charge my phone / locker storage space etc, was "It's a work in progress".... The resident handyman talks about completing tasks, then takes weeks to do just little bits at a time. The Owner is from my observation only interested in making money. There was zero attempt made to even replicate a genuine connection with me, despite several attempts to share conversation or show sincere wellbeing acknowledgement. I was feeling under pressure (cabin fever & pressure to cook and get out of the kitchen as other people also wanted to cook), and I asked for a lighter from the owner... I may have come across as quite blunt and slightly off (to which I intended to apologize for afterwards), but the attitude of the owner and his complete disregard for responsibility of the kitchen, the other guests and of his lack of willing to understand why I might have spoken out of character was summed up immediately "It's not all about you! I've already handed out one lighter (missing), you are speaking to me like a .... (After I spoke with a slightly firmer tone regarding the kitchen being his responsibility), What the hell is wrong with you!" (Rhetorical question as he has zero care to learn about my mental health or the time that was being wasted with other people wanting to cook, & instead walked off). Attitude: Considering he pulls in around $1k per day I don't think it is out of order to fix the gas stove (or provide a couple of giant kitchen lighters); buy / build some simple shelving lockers; or for that 'Matt'er to actually be considerate and hospitable / try having a conversation / or maybe try smiling every once in a while with people who pay for your existence. Supposedly owner is stressed & working 15 hours a day. Why? Spend a bit of money?! (ha!) to get some part time staff who are going to be around for more than a few weeks. Value people over money to get the best in life. Simple."

"I lived there in 2017 while doing my Australian journeys. For the most part I got along with alot of people there and it kinda felt like a hostel family. We hung out,drank and partied quite alot. Was fun and Matt was a great owner, ran things right. You cant beat the location its St kilda right near the beach."

"Best hostel in Melbourne! I've been here for 1 month and I'm not leaving!! BBQs on the rooftop everytime it's a bit sunny, one big table in the middle of the kitchen for everyone to sit around and get to know each other, huge couches, movie nights, ping pong games, good music on all day... Very Family Vibe!! Actually feels like home Matt, the owner, is very present, and will help you with any enquiry. Rooms and bathrooms are cleaned daily, my sheets are changed every 3 days and my bed is very comfy. I recommand 100%"

"Absolutely amazing stay at Barkleys. Matt the owner is sooo friendly and helpful. The rooms were clean and bathroom in each bedroom was cleaned daily. Very welcoming atmosphere. There's even a stunning roof top where Matt held a few bbqs and provided food. The location is supreme and close to everything. I would recommend this hostel to anyone looking for a peace of mind or to make friends. The kitchen had all that you need and a common area with books board games plug ins. I will totally return to Barkelys when I return to Melbourne. 12/10!!!!"