Home »  Australia Hostels » Melbourne Hostels

Melbourne has much more of a centralized and urban feel than its rival to the northeast. The downtown, or central business district, is dense with office towers, and once you get out of that area it’s all spread out. Hotels in Melbourne tend to be quite expensive by Australian standards, but fortunately there are many Melbourne hostels to keep travel affordable for those of us not in the jet set. By the way, in Australia they call hostels “backpackers” so most of the Melbourne hostels are really Melbourne backpackers.

There are three main areas of interest for the backpacker crowd, and each of them has their own Melbourne hostels and other budget accommodations. The central business district has great nightlife and many of the city’s interesting attractions. There are quite a few hostels and backpackers in the city center, but there are also some near the artsy and bohemian Fitzroy area, and even more out in the popular beach community of St. Kilda.

The Fitzroy district is an easy walk from the city center, but St. Kilda is about a 20-minute bus ride out so you should definitely decide carefully if you want to spend your nights in the city center or out in St. Kilda. It’s easy to stay at one and visit the other during the day, but at night, especially after a few pints, you don’t want to be crossing a strange town no matter how you do it.

There is good nightlife in St. Kilda, and it’s really a big beach party after dark. There is no shortage of restaurants and bars in the area near the hostels, but it’s quite different from the other option. The city center has loads of traditional pubs, but it also has the best edgy nightlife in Australia. If you want to check out some fashionable or avant-garde clubs you’ll want to stay on one of the Melbourne hostels in the city center. Fitzroy also has many pubs and some really fun clubs, and again, that area is an easy walk from the center, even at night.

Greenhouse Backpackers is a popular and highly-rated Melbourne hostel in the city center with loads extra services. Their beds are in 6-bed dorm rooms starting around $AUD27 per night, and this includes breakfast. They also have free internet and other activities on a daily basis. They tend to fill up early so book ahead if you want to get a bed here.

The Melbourne Connection Travellers Hostel has a good location in the heart of the city center. Their cheapest beds are in their 14-bed rooms starting around $AUD22 per night, with less-crowded rooms only a bit more. They also have private double and triple rooms starting around $AUD37 and $AUD30 per night, respectively.

Base St. Kilda is right in the heart of the beach party scene in St. Kilda. Their cheapest beds are in their 8-bed rooms starting around $AUD28 per night, but they’ve also got rooms for couples for around $AUD50 per person and families of up to five for around $AUD28 per person.

Hostels in Melbourne