YHA Cairns Central

Best hostel I’ve stayed in Australia, the staff is AMAZING. Gave us a lot of recommandations on what to do around and we had a really great time discovering the Great Barrier Reef, rain forest, etc. Rooms are really clean and beds are comfortable (we stayed in differents rooms and it was always very very good). Huge kitchen with a lot of space to cook and to store your food. Special mention to the women at the front desk who’s really helpful and so kind (sorry we didn’t ask for your name but it was lovely to meet you !). Thanks for everything I’ll come back if I’m around !

The suite was perfect for us and when we needed to solve an issue, we had the help of the personal immeditaly. The girls in the recepcion are very nice. The hostel is close to the Explanade (around 12 minutes walking).

Good for the price and great location - close to town and supermarkets across the road. Rooms were good enough and pretty big (stayed in a four-bedroom dorm and was one of the biggest on my trip). Aircon worked a treat (you definitely need it), and the beds were decent. Could've done with more power points, especially near the beds (as they were only over the other side of the room).Facilities were kept clean but in need of a bit of an upgrade (a few taps and showers out of order).Pool was a great addition; outdoor area was very nice and relaxing, they even had free pancakes for breakfast one morning. Late check-in was super easy.Only major gripe was there a large number of groups (20+ people) staying when I was there (schools, volunteer groups, etc), which made many of the areas quite noisy and crowded. Was great and relaxing when these groups weren't here.Would stay here again!

Great budget accommodation! We enjoyed our four nights in a twin room with private bathroom, which was clean and a decent size for two people. Air conditioning worked great in our room, and WiFi was strong everywhere on the property. Shared kitchen had plenty of plates, silverware, and cookware for simple meals. Modern laundry and drying machines for an extra fee. Secure covered parking, also for an extra fee. Front desk folks were so friendly and helpful, some of the nicest hostel staff we’ve had in Australia!Soundproofing towards the walkway could be improved. Although the shared kitchen was cleaned really well once a day, it gets pretty dirty after dinner time because of the guests.Directly across the street from Cairns Central (shopping mall, railway station, grocery stores, etc.), and a 10-15 minute walk to the Esplanade and marina.

This is THE hostel to stay at in Cairns. The facilities are clean, central location close to all services, and they provide blankets (not just a sheet). I stayed here for multiple months and was so happy with my entire stay. The staff were incredible and made the whole experience. Big shout out to Alice, Brooke, Rick, Sam, Lars, Angela and José!! Thank you for making YHA feel like my home away from home!

Well located, Cairns Central just in front and you can walk everywhere from the hostel. The pool area is nice and the rooms are pretty big. I was staying in one with 4 beds and it was big and clean even though they don’t have plugs close to the bed. The kitchen is well equipped and the bathrooms are clean. The only thing is the common areas don’t get cleaned often, so the hammock area and the tables in front of the kitchen are dirty and sticky and full of abandoned plates that can be there for days.Friendly staff.

A nice clean friendly place. The only downfall was our dorm was too small we could hardly move around each other. And we had to get the remote control for the aircon system as our room was like a sauna. Other than that great place to stay.

I was charged for a future reservation which clearly stated I can cancel up to 2pm the day of arrival and won't be charged for it until that time but was already charged more than a week earlier. The money was refunded immediately when the staff noticed their mistake but I didn't receive the full amount in my account, most likely because of fees. When I brought it up at the front desk, two of the staff members told me it was indeed their mistake and there will be most likely a solution as the guest should not have to pay $16 for the hostels mistake. The problem was that the manager tried to blame everything on my bank and was unfortunately not able to own up to the mistake his staff made and find a solution. CONCLUSION: be prepared to pay for the hostels mistake if they mess something up with the payment, the management doesn't care.

YHA is hands down the best hostel in Cairns. The staff are all amazing, Alice and Sam are so lovely and we’re so accommodating to us. The backpackers Lars and Angela who were working the front desk are amazing people with great personalities who always made us feel welcome. The hostel is so clean and sociable too, all the guests are very respectful and I’ve made friends for life here. Thanks endlessly to the YHA team hope to see you soon!!

I had extremely great memories in Cairns YHA, Sam, Cindy, Phoebe, Jen are really nice and helpful person. I really enjoy the culture diversity vibe in there and some events they host like Aboriginal culture events is engaging and funny. they try every effort to give backpacker at different age and culture background a home feeling. Just give big shout to YHA Cairns and it’s team before I leaving there. Love you guys! —-Nikki