St Arnaud Guest House

"I stayed there 25 years ago(1992) & I honestly wouldn't be able to say a good word about the place! An old hippy dude used to run it & wasn't very nice either! He used to serve boiled eggs & boiled chops 4 dinner!"

"This is a terrible rip-off. It was cheap however, if something seems to good to be true, it usually is. Firstly the owner is an absolute dragon. A noxious Irishwoman with an obvious chip on her shoulder, rules the roost with an iron voice and an overfed cat at her side. If her jagged, searing accent doesn't get you, her unforgiving halitosis will. Secondly the price rises for the tennis (and who knows what else) to $50 for a six-berth dorm bunk bed!?! The people I shared with were relaxed and pleasant but the room was like a sauna and the carpets had a heady stench combination of cabbage and urine. Thirdly, you can't keep your food in the kitchen and have to balance it on the room's wonky shelf or cram it into the small fridge, along with everyone's resulting in the bizarreness of travelling backwards and forwards with bags of food and drink. They lock the kitchen at 9.00pm so if you become thirsty, you have to drink from the toilet basins. The girls on reception, despite being slated in reviews, were pleasant and helpful and certainly worked hard enough (possibly out of fear). Nevertheless, avoid (or avoid the odious Irish owner). I kicked the cat before I left."

"Bad, keep clear."

"What a fantastic little find!! I stayed here for 3 weeks and was so pleased with the people, the house, and the atmosphere. It was my home-away-from-home, and will be again for 3 more weeks when I return in July. Fully outfitted kitchen, just add the protein - everything else is provided for breakfast and dinner. Theft was never an issue, everyone was very respectful and each room was only accessible to staff and your immediate bunk mates. Yes, there is a little mold in the shower - lets face it...so do most hotels! Difference is, this only costs $28 per night!!! That's a lot of grocery's which is much cheaper than eating out every day, every meal. The whole place was being repainted, doors replaced, etc., when I was last there too, all part of its nice Victorian charm. This may not be the best family destination, but for young couples or adventurous older couples it's great. Single bed rooms, and double occupancy rooms are available as well as 6-person bunks. Proximity to transit is great, access to community bicycle system, and 2 blocks from the Royal Botanical Gardens and a nice 3km running track. I could carry on, but all-in-all I was very happy considering the going rate for hotels is 90-120 per night when all you really need is a comfy bed."