The following ten hostels are the top rated hostels in Melbourne for August 2008.  The ratings are made by guests who stay in the hostels.  Like anything that provides a rating they are always subject to indiviuals opinion. If you are going to visit Melbourne you may like to book a Melbourne Hostel securely online or just view a bunch of other hostel to stay at.

1. Freeman Lodge - 89% Customer Rating

First impressions not so good. By the end loved the place. It’s minimalist and tatty but had everything I needed, and more. The beds were okay but there was a heater, a hairdryer, a sink and lockers in our room. Bob and Christine are angels. There are booklets and maps, tea/coffee, great kitchen, extremely clean, no party animals. A laid-back shack that you end up falling for.

2. The Nunnery - 84% Customer Rating

Review: Nick July 2008:

really nice place with good common areas, lounge and kitchen. friendly and welcoming. close to Brunswick st which has lots of good vege cafes and interesting shops. would reccommend staying here.

3. Claremont Guesthouse - 83% Customer Rating

Review: Sarah.,August 2008:

Really good hostel - very clean, great location being near Chapel street, the train and trams. Not a party place though, but Melbourne has heaps of great bars etc…

4. Cooee on St Kilda - 83% Customer Rating

Review: Katja, August 2008:

really nice and clean hostel, nice people, nice kitchen, really quiet, even in the evenings. so if you are just looking for party, you should go somewhere else.

5. Base St Kilda - 83% Customer Rating

Review: Mark, August 2008:

Dont have a lot to compare it with as I am usually a hotel stayer (been there, done that with hostels and Im old now) but for the target customer I would say its spot on.

6. St Arnaud - 82% Customer Rating

Review: Nathalie, July 2008:

This is definitely a place to stay with a partner, not really a super fun boozy vibe (if that’s what you’re after.) Beautiful old house, hot showers, great breakfast, great value. Location is beautiful, 1 min walk from botanical gardens and can easily walk into town.

7. Urban Central - 81% Customer Rating

Review: Joelle, August 2008:

The hostel is very clean, the layout of the rooms allows for some privacy which is great. We arrived before check in and the staff lent us towels to take a shower while we waited to have access to our room. The free breakfast is a great bonus.

8. Home Travellers Motel- St Kilda - 80% Customer Rating

Review: Scanlanamelia, August 2008:

Great hostel, located in the best spot in St Kilda. Staff are really friendly and helpful. Thanks Jamie and Richard! The night staff make sure everything’s spotless and did a great job. I felt very welcomed and although it was a bit quiet in the week there’s great spots to chill out and good kitchen facilities. A+!

9. City Centre budget Hotel - 80% Customer Rating

Review: michelleworldtrip, August 2008:

super clean, brilliant location & great staff.

10. Lords Lodge - 80% Customer Rating

Review: Till, August 2007:

The staff is the best. Definitely the nicest you can get and theyll make sure you have a good time, I did. The only drawback is that the city centre is 15 min away by tram.

Ratings and comments obtained from Hostelworld.

Backpacking in Australia is very popular. There is an abundance of hostels to choose from although they vary in style greatly from the large city hostels of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to the smaller tropical hostels of far northern Queensland to the working outback farmstays.

Many hostels have great facilities which include swimming pools, pool tables, BBQ, communal living areas, internet and laundry services and many have 24 hour access. Some of the larger hostels sport thier own cafe, and bars that become a backpackers melting pot after dark. If you are looking for work, some hostels even provide a job search service for backpackers.

Backpacking is usually very fluid and without strict itineraries, showing up to hostels when your arrive in town is acceptable. The only problem is that the best hostels fill up pretty quickly especially during peak times. If you don’t mind sleeping at the bus stop (not advised) perhaps take a look at the hostels at the places you are going to end up. Hostels can be booked on line saving heaps of worry about where you will sleep.  Check out availably and pricing of hostels throughout Australia online.

We will also try and keep you up to date with the top hostels in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over time so check out some of the related articles.

These are the Top 10 Hostels as rated by people who have stayed in them. Remember that each hostel has its own style and one may not be liked by all but these will at least give you a jumping off point when you are looking for hostel accommodation in Brisbane.

Book Brisbane hostels.

1. Bunk Avg. Rating: 81%

Latest reviews
oliviamurphy (from England), April 2008:

Fantastic hostel! Great staff, dorm rooms are impressive and the bar on site helps! hehe! Wish I could have stayed longer!

Description: BUNK is the unexpected oasis that budget travellers have been waiting for! Ensuite bathrooms in all dorms, doubles, twins and …

2. Somewhere to Stay Avg. Rating: 77%

Latest reviews
Sarah-jane (from Scotland), December 2007:

really nice place to relax. Great facilities for dvds, computers and great location for watching the stars at night!!

Description: We are located smack in the middle of the West End’s Cafe Society for Backpackers.

3. Tinbilly Travellers Avg. Rating: 77%

Latest reviews

Paul (from England), March 2008:
Good location, but very much in the Base model of cram them in and try to get them in the bar. Had foxtel which is a bonus but the kitchen was small. If you are 19 and want to get drunk every night stay here otherwise find somewhere else.

Description: Directly opposite the Transit Centre is Brisbane’s newest and most hi-tech backpacker accommodation. You can literally step off .

4. Brisbane City Backpackers .Avg. Rating: 76%

Latest review
Daphne (from Netherlands), May 2008:

very nice and new hostel. bit out of the center though, plus showers are always lukewarm, but al together very comfy stay!

Description: This hostel is located in the city centre, near the main bus and train station. It is clean and well maintained.

5. Kookaburra Inn Avg. Rating: 75%

Latest reviews

Lindsay (from Scotland), April 2008:

It’s not a party place at all but the rooms are good and clean. It’s all pretty basic here. The staff are very helpful

Description: Kookaburra Inn, a unique backpacking experience in the heart of beautiful Brisbane, Australia.

6. Brisbane Manor Hotel Avg. Rating: 74%

Latest reviews

Carissa (from New Zealand), March 2008:
It was a really good hostel, nice and quiet and it was good only having a small number of people in the room (I stayed in a 4 bedroom female dorm). I would’ve stayed longer if I could’ve and the fact that I couldn’t stay longer than 2 weeks was the only bad thing about it.

Description: We pride ourselves in offering some of the best budget accommodation in Brisbane with a great crew…

7. Base Brisbane - Palace ..Avg. Rating: 74%

Latest reviews

Laurence (from England), April 2008:

There was no hot water in the bathrooms which was slightly annoying. The bar and restaraunt are very good and the staff helpful though.

Description: Location, Location, Location! Base Brisbane - Palace Central is the only hostel nestled in the heart of the city.

8. Chill Backpackers Avg. Rating: 73%

Latest reviews

Derek (from USA), April 2008:
This place is good because it’s not as loud as the party hostels where its too hard (or you need to be completely pissed) to sleep. Chill is great for exactly that, you can chill there.

Description: Located in the city, this brand new hostel is High-Tec meets funky! State of the art security, groovy internet lounge…

9. Base Brisbane - Palace ..Avg. Rating: 72%

Latest reviews

deborahineurope8294
was very impressed about the size of the kitchen and the safety of leaving your stuff in the fridge and no one touches it.

Description: A peaceful Haven in the heart of the city.Base Brisbane - Palace Embassy is a new generation backpackers with modern state-of-the art facilities.

10. Aussie Way Hostel Avg. Rating: 70%

Latest reviews

danielschmidt9190 (from Australia), March 2008:

Good hostel, location and quiet.

Description: At Aussie way we pride ourselves on being a quiet,clean and comfortable hostel. With friendly,helpful staff.

Book Brisbane hostels.

Ratings and comments obtained from Hostelworld.

These are the top 10 Hostels in Melbourne as rated by backpackers who have stayed in them. Ratings are defined by Character, Security, Location, Staff, Fun and Cleanliness. These are the cumulative results of this rating system. Of course everyone is different and your stay may not be the same as someone else. This is a guide only. There are heaps of Melbourne Hostels so choose on that is right for you. If you love or loath a place come back and blog about it so other can benefit from your experience.

Book a Melbourne Hostel securely online.

1. Freeman Lodge Avg. Rating: 87%

Latest reviews:

lukecassar75751 (from Australia), May 2008:
Everything was good and we would stay there again except next time we would probably bring our own sheets and towels.

kathrynliddle4490 (from England), May 2008:
the hostel itself is nice. but don’t go there if you are looking for fun/social life! close

2. St Arnaud Avg. Rating: 84%

Latest reviews:

Amelia (from Australia), May 2008:
Would definately stay again and have already recommended to a few friends on their upcoming trip to melb. the staff were absolutely fantastic and and they genuinely wanted to make my trip fabulous. atmosphere was very relaxed and we enjoyed the personalised service.

slowerthoughts (from Scotland), May 2008:
Beautiful hostel, looks more like a country hotel. Staff were really friendly and helpful. Not much in the way of night life immediately around the hostel but tram directly outside will get you into town quickly. Not a party hostel, much more relaxed vibe to this place. I ended up booking in for longer so it must be doing something right..

3. Claremont Guesthouse Avg. Rating: 84%

Latest reviews:

Erin (from Canada), May 2008:
Very quiet hostel in a nice accommodation. Staff were extremely helpful. Nice breakfast with good variety. Would highly recommend the Claremont for it’s character, location and great staff.

4. Base Backpackers - St K. Avg. Rating: 84%

Latest reviews:

Sharon (from Northern Ireland), May 2008:

If you’re a girl - make sure you book into the santuary - you get free shampoo and conditoner, but more importantly free bubbly between 6 and 7 every night (and I mean of the fizzy wine variety!)

Peta-anne (from Australia), May 2008:

The cleaning staff were not very good at their jobs. very haphazard. i.e. they went over the surface of things but didn’t really clean things properly such as the toilets which haven’t been scrubbed in a really long time. Other than that everything was great. And the Base staff were fabulous.

5. Cooee on St Kilda Avg. Rating: 82%

Latest reviews:

mikaelpetre5082 (from Australia), May 2008:

thought it was awsome, everyone else with me had a great time there. everything was very clean and the beds were heapz comfortable!! oh and thank god for the wicked heating, coz it was freezing!

sarahbarry6179461 (from Ireland), May 2008:

Beautiful Hostel - stay here

6. Home Travellers Motel Avg. Rating: 82%

Latest reviews:

Hoang Thuy (from Australia), May 2008:

Quite a loud hostel. Not good if you want to sleep, but good if you are up for drinking. A bit noisy at night with regard to guests. Staff were very helpful. Enjoyed my time there.

yeomansgenius2968 (from Australia), April 2008:

I really loved staying here - all the staff were cheerful and helpful, and the people i met there were so much fun

7. City Centre budget Hotel Avg. Rating: 82%

Latest reviews:

Karene (from Australia), April 2008:

Great staff, awesome location. Will def stay again.
haejk00111 (from Australia), April 2008:

Very clean and good facilities, a step up from your average back packers. Very quiet in the rooms. Helpful and friendly staff.

8. Urban Central Avg. Rating: 81%

Latest reviews:

Hollie (from England), April 2008:
Great showers, great bedrooms. Good location + staff too. Be aware though that this hostel has a nightclub right below it…which means on Fri and Sat night make sure you have some ear plugs, alternatively, make sure you’re out until 4am.. Not too sure on the common areas of the hostel, they seem over run with the long-timers. Regardless I’d stay here again just for the showers and the free pasta.

nd8981253 (from Canada), April 2008:
Location of hostel is great. Located in downtown Melbourne close to everything.

9. Lords Lodge Backpackers Avg. Rating: 81%

Latest review:

still_baljan9615 (from Sweden), April 2008:
The staff is the best. Definitely the nicest you can get and theyll make sure you have a good time, I did. The only drawback is that the city centre is 15 min away by tram.

Natalie (from Australia), April 2008:

Really lovely Place to stay, everyone there is so nice and willing to help out!! Fabulous!

10. Melbourne Metro YHA Avg. Rating: 80%

Latest reviews:

Karen (from USA), April 2008:
I stayed in four hostels in Melbourne and this one was by far the best. The YHAs don’t have the most charm or character but you can always depend on them for being clean and well-run.

Book a Melbourne Hostel securely online.

Ratings and comments obtained from hostelworld.