The Downing Hostel

Location: 253 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, au

Star Rating: 3 Stars

Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 02:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 10:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Non-smoking rooms
• Air conditioning
• Restaurant
• Terrace
• Luggage storage
• Express check-in/check-out
• Safety deposit box
• Fax/photocopying
• Non-smoking throughout
• Private check-in/check-out
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Board games/puzzles
• Shared kitchen
• Evening entertainment
• Adult only
• Outdoor furniture
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kit available
• Smoke alarms
• Key access
• CCTV outside property
• Security alarm
• Key card access
• Pub crawls
• Happy hour
• Television in common areas
• Express check-in
• Free wired internet
• Internet access
• Housekeeping on request
• Private picnics
• Secured parking

Rooms Available

• Bed in 4-Bed Dormitory Room with Shared Bathroom (18 - 35 years only) - no window

  This bed in dormitory features a fireplace. This bed in dormitory has no window.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Fireplace
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Cleaning products
  • Linen
  • Clothes rack
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access

• Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Shared Bathroom (18 - 35 years only)

  Features bunk beds and access to shared bathroom facilities.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Fireplace
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Cleaning products
  • Linen
  • Clothes rack
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access

• Bed in 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Shared Bathroom (18 - 35 years only)

  Features bunk beds and access to shared bathroom facilities.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Fireplace
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Cleaning products
  • Linen
  • Clothes rack
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access

• Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Shared Bathroom (18-35 years only)

  The shared bathroom is equipped with a shower.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Fireplace
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Cleaning products
  • Linen
  • Clothes rack
  • Toilet paper
  • Trash cans
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access

Guest Reviews

• Yassine (1/5): Shit - The receptionist The rats and the holes in the wall
• Angela Mira (6/5): -
• Angela Mira (6/5): -
• Angela Mira (6/5): -
• Jelle (5/5): Could use more cleaning and renovations - They organise typical hostel activities so that might be nice and the location is pretty convenient in the cbd. Matrasses were pretty comfi. I stayed in a lot of hostels but this might have been the dirtiest I’ve ever stayed at. No carpet on the floors (which was very sticky in the room) and more cleaning staff would help a lot. I saw a cockroach in the kitchen and in the room. There was just one toilet with working light available for the floor (the light in the bedroom was also not working), smallest sinks in the hallway, three showers unisex which is fine but I didn’t feel comfortable with the big gap in the door and also very dirty. A squeegee to wipe the shower after/before use might help a bit here. Except for the rooftop there wasn’t a nice place to chill (and be social) except for two tables in the hallway next to the kitchen to eat. So with bad weather limited. In the room I could smell smoke from people smoking on the rooftop (i think) and kitchen smells. Although the hostel has potential it could really use some care. But I guess for the price and in the center this is what you get.
• Zhenrong (5/5): A one-night stay is more than enough - I had late check-in with no issues. The room I stayed stank of humidity. Too many stairs with no lift as it's an old building. I stayed a night which is more than enough.
• Rudy (1/5): -
• Murithi (9/5): -
• Antoine (8/5): -
• Nicolás (7/5): - El staff fue muy amable y atento. Las instalaciones cumplían. Muchas cucarachas y el roof no tenía luces.
• Augustė (6/5): -
• Chudal (3/5): -
• Ana (5/5): -
• HuanMing (1/5): Worst experience in my life!! - Only 5min walk to train station 1/5 stars – Major Issues with Stability, Noise, and Cleanliness - The bed frame is extremely unstable – whenever someone on the lower bunk moves, it feels like an earthquake shaking the upper bunk. - The mattress was uncomfortable and severely sagging, leaving me with back and waist pain; plus, the mattress and sheets were visibly dirty. - Room windows have terrible soundproofing; street cleaning noises at night always woke me up. - The bathroom had multiple burnt-out bulbs, forcing me to use it in the dark. - Many guest perks were expired, like the downstairs restaurant discount, yet promo flyers were still posted in the lobby. - Frequent guests chatted loudly in the hallways late at night, which was very disruptive. - The fridge had insufficient space and was hard to use effectively. Overall, this stay was frustrating and not restful – won’t return.
• rylie (4/5): alright for one night, wouldn’t write home about it - good location and cheap beds were so noisy, felt like they would break at any moment, could feel every move from the person sharing the bed, so noisy from outside, everywhere was dirty, communication wasn’t great for example had to carry luggage up and down the stairs as it wasn’t made clear where to leave our stuff which was a struggle as there is so many stairs and the toilet facilities were odd and not well looked after
• Mahier (10/5): -
• Sophia (7/5): -
• Johanna (7/5): -
• Daniella (9/5): -
• Brianna (8/5): -
• Evelyn (1/5): - The place is very dirty and older
• Nicolas (10/5): -
• Matthew (7/5): -
• Jules (7/5): -
• Adam (8/5): -
• Fara (2/5): Mala - The bar. Bed, rooms, bathroom, higiene
• Kieran (10/5): -
• Sarah (7/5): -
• Tom (8/5): Apart from noisy outside, generally not bad. - Location Noisy outside, probably due to the location. Also cold in winter night.
• Giorgia (3/5): -
• David (6/5): - They were willing to make some accommodations for guests, like providing fans when it was too hot in the rooms. Additionally, the wifi offered a decent speed at most times. It felt cramped for the amount of guests they had.
• HirotheWorld (8/5): お手頃な滞在 - 寝るだけのつもりでの滞在。価格に対しては妥当なお部屋でした。受付の方の対応はとても良かったです。 ちょっと暑かったくらい。ただ値段に対しては本当に妥当なのでそれ以上を求めるなら他のホテルを取るべき。
• Guest (10/5): -
• Elisa (9/5): -
• Kaue (3/5): -
• Rachelle (2/5): Would not stay again - The staff were friendly and kind, and especially helpful when my key card stopped working and they reactivated it after I called them to meet me at the reception desk. The place is filthy. Stains on the walls and bedsheets, the bathrooms are disgusting, the floors are filthy and the showers have mold growing on the walls. The fan in my room did not work, which was really difficult during a 35C evening in a small room of 6. The bunk beds rattle and rock at the slightest movement, and there are no shelves for someone to place their items on any of the bunks, nor any personal lights. It was so dirty here I did not want to spend any time in the hostel. Disappointing and I will not be back.
• Mohammad Rafqi (10/5): -
• Quentin (8/5): -
• Lorenzo (10/5): Holly dello staff è la migliore - Lo staff spettacolare sono stati molto accoglienti nei miei quasi 5 mesi di permanenza Rooftop
• Solene (7/5): - L’emplacement de l’hostel est très pratique, 0 min à pied de town hall, l’arrêt de train muséum et les bus sont à 5 minutes à pied Les salles de bains sont très très primaires, la cuisine a des heures d’ouverture un pzu short pour ceux qui commencent tôt le matin : 7h-22h
• Emily (8/5): -
• Ruka (4/5): -
• Eero (6/5): -
• Beatriz (7/5): - Céntrico, personal amable, cómodo. Al estar encima de un pub había bastante ruido por la noche. Además me tocó en la habitación con otra persona que roncaba bastante.
• Dominic (10/5): -
• Josephine (2/5): - Location was good and staff were able to accommodate an early check-in. The room was so messy, it was difficult to access the ladder to my bed or close the door properly. I notified staff and nothing was actioned. The bathrooms didn't have any soap and were very run down. People were sleeping in the common area over night, unsure if they were guests. The snoring was so loud in the room it was impossible to sleep, nothing the accommodation can control but made it a very negative experience.
• pitel (7/5): - Cuisine grande pour préparer vos repas, comme une grande collocation, ambiance sympas Emplacement nickel !! Dortoirs sans casier pour ranger vos affaires , pas de rideaux
• Aurore (4/5): - L'emplacement Manque de communication / pas très propre
• Tayler (10/5): - The niceness of the staff How uncomfortable the beds are
• 和摩 (5/5): 汚すぎず、綺麗すぎない必要最低限という感じ - 口コミほど、そんなに汚くはなかった。 より清潔になるといいかも
• Unnikrishnan (8/5): -
• Astrid (5/5): -
• Liam (7/5): -
• SENG-QIAN (6/5): -
• Sore (1/5): -
• Facundo (4/5): -
• Bravo Robayo (9/5): -
• Matthew (9/5): - Great staff, good vibes, quite small hostel so you can easily make heaps of mates. Rooftop is a big bonus, beds are comfy, regular cleaning, great location Kitchen is locked from 22.00-7.00 which is inconvenient
• Charlie (2/5): Miserable and rotten to the core - How close it was to the centre, so we could spend as little time as possible in that hell hole Almost everything else, dirty, broken and decrepit
• Palacios (5/5): - La ubicacion
• Jacob (9/5): - A really nice hostel, had everything you needed and at a perfect location, the staff was very welcoming from start to finish, and an extra commendation to Holly for being so nice and helpful with managing me extending my stay and switching rooms, made me feel very welcomed and at home 🌟 Roof top closing at 10 :(
• Atsurou (7/5): -
• Atsurou (6/5): -
• mohammad (10/5): -
• Atsurou (8/5): -
• Angel (10/5): -
• Liam (10/5): - I checked into this hostel for just the week and ended up staying for 7 months! The family unit here is really special. I can’t recommend this hostel enough to anyone staying in Sydney, it really became a home away from home for me.
• Michael (10/5): -
• Bagus (9/5): -
• Hartwell (10/5): -
• Andrea (5/5): Passable -
• Edwar (10/5): Exceptional -
• Matisse (10/5): Exceptional - J'adore le downing hostel !
• Ali (10/5): Exceptional -
• Salomé (7/5): Good -
• Salomé (8/5): Very good -
• Hager (8/5): Very good -
• Nazer (8/5): Very good -
• Emel (7/5): Good -
• Lena (5/5): OK hostel for short stay - Nice staff Cool and relaxed atmosphere Good location Not very clean No towels Cold Mold in certain places
• Supasan (8/5): Very good - Great location near public transportation and close to city center. Friendly staffs Great vibes and polite roommates Value for money, reasonable price Overall not bad, will probably stay again next time There is no air-condition in the room and some fans are not working well. The power outlet is not in good condition. You need to bring your own bath towel. No elevator, be prepared if travelling with a large heavy suitcase.
• Momoka (7/5): Good - Location, price Kitchen(including fridge)opens just 7am to 10pm, staff cleaned up shower rooms and vacuumed at night.
• Dylan (8/5): Very good -
• Hanna (10/5): Excellent location, kind staff, spacious rooms -
• Brad (9/5): Superb -
• Wahyuni (10/5): Exceptional -
• Harry (8/5): Brilliant for the price - The staff were great. Has a nice social vibe. Beds were fairly creaky but that was all
• Cinthia (8/5): Very good - It's really close to everything, the room was spacious, the bathroom was quite unconformable but for the price is a very good hostel
• Claridge (9/5): Superb -
• Carina (2/5): Very poor -
• Juan (7/5): Good -
• Merino (5/5): Passable - Great location Bed was broken, not enough toilets just 2 for each floor with more than 20 beds
• Oka (7/5): Good - Clean Location Staff
• Johannes (8/5): Very good -
• Yoav (7/5): Good -
• Julia (2/5): Very poor -
• Ingrid (9/5): Superb - It's so clean and it's very central place It's very busy.
• Raissa (5/5): Passable - Good location in sydney cbd Not very clean, got some pimples on my face from the pillow. Beds not very stable, shake and are noisy. Showers didn't have lighting, which makes it very hard to take a shower at night time.
• Caitlin (3/5): Poor - Nice staff Rooms were stuffy and smelt bad
• Brianna (7/5): Good -

Photos