Lil Darling

Location: 266 Abercrombie Street, Sydney, au

Star Rating: 8.2 Stars

Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 03:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 10:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Non-smoking rooms
• Terrace
• Non-smoking throughout
• Private check-in/check-out
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Shared kitchen
• Outdoor furniture
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Physical distancing rules followed
• Cashless payment available
• First aid kit available
• Sanitized tableware & silverware
• Contactless check-in/check-out
• Invoice provided
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Smoke alarms
• Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
• Property cleaned by professional cleaning companies
• Physical distancing in dining areas
• Food delivered to guest room
• CCTV outside property
• Television in common areas
• Free wired internet
• Internet access
• Japanese garden

Rooms Available

• Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room

  Providing free toiletries, this dormitory room includes a shared bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. The dormitory room provides a private entrance and parquet floors. The unit offers 6 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

• Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room

  Offering free toiletries, this dormitory room includes a shared bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. The dormitory room offers a private entrance and a carpeted floor. The unit offers 6 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)

Guest Reviews

• Fabienne (10/5): Lovely stay in the middle of Darlington - It was a lovely stay and for a change it is a very social Hostle where it is easy to connect to the others. You have 2 rooms with 6 beds each and a big Living room/ kitchen so it almost has the feeling of a flatshare rather than an Hostel. Also it is an good price for Sydney
• Chiara (1/5): - Nichts
• Noah (10/5): - Awesome people, great place, Mirjana is incredibly friendly and kind
• Reentke (5/5): Tiny space - Accommodating staff, pretty interior Smelly rooms without AC, only one toilet/shower for everyone, no privacy
• Erika (5/5): -
• Kevin (10/5): -
• Sarah Zelasky (4/5): Convenient but a mess - Great location, clean comfortable beds and linens, very friendly bunkmates with good conversation, appreciate the kettle and microwave for kitchen convenience. Overall, we thought the place was decent enough for us to do 3 nights in it, but we would not stay here again. All the positive points come entirely from the location, price, friendliest of the guests, and comfort of the beds. However, this hostel was the dirtiest place we've ever stayed. The floors were never vacuumed, swept, or even tidied during our 3 night stay, so they were covered with dirt, crumbs, and hair. The bunk room and common room were both full of piles of clutter in the corners of the rooms and on the desks. There was always someone sleeping on the couch in the common room, and I'm not sure if they were even an official guest. I woke up at 6am to make coffee and saw 4 different kinds of bugs wandering the kitchen countertops. Also, despite the signs about smoking, questionable odors emanate from the different rooms in the house like it is an open secret. Lastly, and worst of all, there is literally only 1 bathroom for the entire unit of 12 (or more) guests. So if someone is using the shower, and you have to poop, you are out of luck and have to wait until they finish. This "hostel" is really just a 2BR/1BA home that has 6 bunk beds in it for 12 guests.
• Victoria (5/5): - Un poco desordenado y sucio
• Liliana (9/5): Nice quiet street close to train station - Clean beds
• Che-an (1/5): -
• Sarah (6/5): - Affordable, location Only one bathroom, tiny kitchen and lounge, no where with enough space to hang out, overcrowded.
• Jordan (9/5): Kleines Hostel mit 2 Zimmern a 6 Personen. Wer viele neue Leute kennenlernen will ist hier falsch. M -
• Jason (10/5): - Great atmosphere among the guests, and Marijana is a generous host All good
• Davide (10/5): - Cody was incredible!
• Alexandra (4/5): Wenn es Alternativen gibt, nehmt die. - Einzig positiv war die Lage der Unterkunft und das Vorhandensein einer Küche. Die Unterkunft ist unheimlich dreckig. Schon beim Betreten des Grundstücks roch es subtil nach Urin. Das Badezimmer wurde während meines Aufenthalts (3 Nächte) höchstens oberflächlich gereinigt. Unter dem Toilettensitz, der ständig offen stand, konnte man eingetrocknete Kotflecken sehen. Das Bad teilen sich 12 Personen, sollte dieses belegt sein, gibt es keinen Fleck Privatsphäre, da die Betten keine Vorhänge haben. Dass es eine Küche gab, war toll. Der dezente Geruch von verfaultem Müll und die Küchenschaben, die mir aus den Schränken entgegen gekommen sind, waren weniger erfreulich. Einen Host habe ich auch nie gesehen. Die Zimmer waren trotz offener Fenster unheimlich stickig und hatten auch einen muffigen Grundgeruch. Ich weiß wirklich nicht in welchem Hostel, die Leute, die in der Unterkunft auf dem Whiteboard so positive Nachrichten hinterlassen haben. Nichts davon habe ich wiedergefunden.
• Pedro (6/5): - - Dirty and so hot in summer
• Laura (8/5): -
• Agathe (3/5): - Le quartier Très sale. Pas de ménage en 4 jours. Les dortoirs ressemblent à une grande chambre d'adolescents ni rangée ni nettoyée. Chaque nuit il y avait une personne qui dormait sur le canapé de la pièce commune. Le lieu pourrait être très sympa (petite maison dans un quartier agréable), mais il semble assez peu géré par les personnes qui en ont la charge. C'est bien dommage.
• Yi-Ting (8/5): -
• Neisser (3/5): -
• Ushijima (7/5): -
• Max (10/5): Perfect for traveling sydney - Perfect location in sydney and the host mirijana was the best, would recomend to any back packers or travelers.
• Joris (10/5): - Incredible place 🔥 Peaceful and full of good vibes Love it ❤️
• Noah (10/5): - Amazing people, super relaxed and friendly environment and Mirjana is incredibly kind and welcoming There is only one bathroom, and the bedrooms are quite warm
• Sofie (10/5): - The hostel felt more like a shared house, rather then a hostel. It had a family-like feeling! Loved it Nothing
• Vinicius (3/5): - Place looked nice and guests were friendly. Facilities looked modern. A bit trickier to find it at night. Unfortunately place was overbooked and had to go somewhere else. At least got a full refund 😮‍💨
• Anja (10/5): Clean and comfortable - The place was clean with super comfortable beds. Ideal location close to Redfern station
• Kevin (10/5): - The People
• Yuchi (9/5): - Like a home People there I met are amazing. Owner is super friendly and welcoming.
• Khashayar (1/5): stay away from this place and make yourself a favour if you dont wanna have heachache - Nothing everything was negativ do not stay here except you wanna have a dirty bed dirty bathroom and a unfriendly owner. also its very hard to find the place cause there is no sign on google maps as well at the doort
• Kevin (4/5): Homely hostel but extremely hot in bedroom - Host is very friendly. It is a nice homely hostel with maximum 12 people so if you are staying with the right people then it could be a lovely stay The upstairs bedroom that I stayed in was extremely hot. I was not able to get much sleep because of this. Hostel is essentially a 2 bedroom apartment converted into a 12 bed hostel so it really needs air conditioning. So please beware that if the weather is warm, you will have a hard time sleeping. The entrance is also very hard to find. It needs some signage.
• Elijah (10/5): -
• Martha (5/5): Great location. Hostel is just a place to sleep though. - Great location - student area, 5min walk from the train station, quiet leafy street Not very clean and tiny space - 1 bathroom for 12 people and it needed a mop. I didn't use the kitchen. It's very small and not very clean. The rooms were boiling hot the whole night with no air con and a weak fan that does nothing. Sheets were clean but were on provided with a doona and not a plain sheet which is not useful on hot nights. Very little space to put luggage anywhere, so I put my suitcase under the bed and it was full of dust. Would be a great place if greater care was taken in maintenance of cleanliness and neatness (courtyard is also run down). Mattress is very sunken in the middle.
• Szu Jung (7/5): -
• Luca (7/5): -
• Dominique (8/5): -
• Yuliya (3/5): Awful: as sleeping in kitchen and dirty - Location, close to train station 3 minutes walking and to city. I was allowed to store luggage after check in. Clean linen and comfortable bed. This is a two room house adapted to a hostel. Each room has 6 bunk beds. Only 1 toilet for 12 people! Some people stay there for long time and occupy the table of the hall with their luggage’s, so other guests have to eat on the chair or on the sofa. For the dirty the price is too expensive. 1. Upper dorm has no door so when somebody cooks our watch tv smell and noise comes from stairs and it looks like sleeping in kitchen 2. Dirty, dirty, dirty. Looks like nobody cleans. I stayed 5 nights and have seen only once cleaning. Bathroom is awful, with something black on the door. Floor was horrible, full of hair and dusty. See pictures. 3. Insects and bugs on the kitchen. 4. Somebody grab some personal stuff.
• Gabriel (2/5): -
• YI JING (6/5): -
• Mariam (8/5): -
• Astrid (10/5): The best place in Sydney ♥️ - Such a warm and friendly house. You feel at home from the moment you arrive. Mirjanna is incredibly kind, caring and she always cook amazing meals for us. I found my family there, love you guys ♥️ Everything was perfect
• Marius (2/5): Nicht buchen! - Die Nähe zur Tram, WLAN war gut Der Aufenthalt in diesem Hostel war leider äußerst enttäuschend. Bereits beim Betreten des Zimmers fiel eine Kakerlake auf, was den Gesamteindruck sofort stark negativ geprägt hat. Sowohl das Schlafzimmer als auch das Badezimmer waren extrem schmutzig, was ein sehr unangenehmes Gefühl hinterlassen hat. Besonders problematisch war, dass sich ein einziges Badezimmer mit Toilette von insgesamt zwölf Personen geteilt werden musste. Auch die Küche war in einem sehr dreckigen Zustand und kaum benutzbar. Zusätzlich war das Hostel weder richtig angeschrieben noch über Google Maps auffindbar, was die Ankunft unnötig kompliziert gemacht hat. Das Schlafzimmer hatte keine Tür, wodurch es keinerlei Privatsphäre gab. Die Bettwäsche sowie die Handtücher waren unsauber, und im gesamten Zimmer herrschte ein unangenehmer Geruch. Der Eingang über einen Hinterhof verstärkte den schlechten Gesamteindruck zusätzlich. Insgesamt ist dieses Hostel absolut nicht zu empfehlen.
• Celia (10/5): - Auberge sympathique, accessible facilement en train, commerces pas trop loins, confortable et plutôt propre. De plus, l'hôte est vraiment sympathique
• Noa (4/5): -
• fuentes (5/5): - Location Looks like nobody clean that for long time , I arrive late in the night just for sleep and was Soo hot, shower and kitchen dirty with doors broken.
• Brian (3/5): Very good location, inexpensive but quite run down. - Very good location. Modest price. Hard to locate. A sign on the property would help. Security code entry gate was not working and very hard to get through, even using the correct code. The bathroom was quite dirty and the taps leaked and dropped. I couldn't get the TV to work.
• Blennerhassett (10/5): - Very loving hospitality. Nice quaint place.
• Tim (10/5): - Once again it felt like Home and I’ll definitely make this my place to stay for the next Sydney adventure!
• Agustin (7/5): -
• Astrid (10/5): -
• Cécile (10/5): - So cosy and welcoming, felt like home! Nothing
• Nabil Bilal (10/5): - Everything Nothing
• Orain (9/5): -
• Mariela (6/5): - The bathroom was disgusting, and the floors in the common areas were dirty too. There’s only one bathroom in the whole accommodation
• Alex (10/5): Perfect - I stayed at Lil Darling for one month and I didn’t expect such a peaceful and clean environment. I met great people and truly felt at home. If I ever come back to Sydney, I won’t need to look for another place — I would definitely return here. The owner is a genuinely kind, caring and lovely person. One of the few places where I felt like part of a family. Highly recommended! Really cheap compared to another place lol. Best experience in hostel. 10/10
• Anneliis (7/5): -
• Gustavo Ariel (10/5): -
• Tim (10/5): - Dieses Hostel ist perfekt für alle denen ein gutes Miteinander wichtig ist. Hier sind sehr liebe Menschen und Mirjana ist eine super Gastgeberin.
• Elodie (10/5): Merci pour ce super séjour ! - Bienveillance de la propriétaire Ras
• Thomas (10/5): -
• Yu (7/5): 寝る場所とシャワーの確保ができたので満足です! - 安い、駅から近い、Carriageworksに近い、周辺にカフェが多い、宿泊者が親切でうるさくない 最大宿泊人数12人に対してバスルーム(トイレ併設)が1つしかない、施錠できるロッカーが長期滞在者に占有されている
• Lucy (8/5): Very welcoming host who makes dinner for the guests on Friday evenings - Nice atmosphere
• Andrea_Caruso (10/5): -
• Andrea_Caruso (10/5): -
• Andrea_Caruso (10/5): -
• Adam (8/5): -
• Mattéo (7/5): - The owner is very friendly! The location is very convenient, walkable from Redfern station Only one bathroom, also not very clean overall and not soundproof between the common area and the bedrooms. But it's also very cheap for the area
• Nils (8/5): -
• mathis (10/5): -
• James (1/5): I get it’s cheap but this place is a health hazard. -
• Cooke (10/5): i loved my stay here! everyone is so super friendly, its central to sydney, and perfect for solo travellers:) - it was the cosiest and homeliest little place !
• Kevin (10/5): - Lil darling is a tiny and lovely hostel. Just the Best place to meet pple for real and enjoy your life in communoty. Also when you stay here, marianna the owner make you feel like you are her kid! So dont look farther and join the family!
• Jana (1/5): Schlecht und dreckig - Besitzerin war freundlich Ich bin nach nur einer Nacht wieder abgereist (hatte vier Nächte gebucht) und habe mir ein neues Hostel gesucht. Es war total dreckig, im Bad habe ich keinen einzigen sauberen Fleck gefunden. Sowohl Boden als auch Wände waren von Dreck verschmiert, bei Klo und Dusche/ Badewanne war klar zu sehen, dass sie seit Wochen nicht geputzt worden waren. Ich bin normalerweise nicht pingelig, aber das war echt krass. Die Besitzerin kam am nächsten Morgen und hat die Mülltüte ausgewechselt, das Bad sah aber auch nach ihrem Besuch so schrecklich aus. Das Hostel hat zwei Schlafsäle - meiner war im Dachgeschoss und hatte keine Tür. Dadurch hat man auch in der Nacht gehört, wenn in der Küche gekocht wurde oder Videos angesehen wurden. Ich habe mich in dem Schlafsaal als junge alleinreisende Frau extrem unsicher gefühlt und bin deshalb nach einer Nacht abgereist. Ja, das Hostel war günstig, für mich die Nachteile aber nicht wert.
• dave (10/5): - I have stayed at Lil Darling for several months, and having stayed at many hostels over the years, I can confidently give it full marks—my lengthy stay is testament to how much I have enjoyed it.. Its location is convenience personified. The hostel fronts onto Abercrombie Street, one of the most vibrant streets in the neighborhood, dotted with cafes, pubs, restaurants, and grocery shops. Redfern Station is just a two-minute walk away (where the train gets you into Sydney's CBD in five minutes). Sydney University—one of Australia's premier universities—is also only a few minutes away. The hostel is clean and thoughtfully appointed. Beds are comfortable, there's ample space for luggage, lockers for valuables, and several desks if you need to get work done. The free WiFi is top-notch, never slowing down or falling out. The kitchen is modern and fully equipped, and there's a spacious balcony and courtyard which is ideal for socialising. Socially, Lil Darling is a gem. With a boutique size of just twelve people—compared to over a hundred at many of Sydney's hostels, where you're basically just an anonymous number—there is a strong sense of camaraderie and excellent opportunities to form genuine friendships with people from around the world. The real blessing is the warm-hearted and spirited owner Mirjana. With her bubbly personality and genuine goodwill you'll feel like one of the family. Having previously managed one of Sydney's most successful restaurants, her weekly home-cooked gourmet meals have become something of an urban legend.
• Michael Cox (10/5): -
• Axel (8/5): - Une petite maison avec un bon rapport qualité prix. La propriétaire est très sympathique et répond à vos demandes avec sa bonne humeur contagieuse. Le seul petit soucis serait la propreté, c’est un peu compliqué parce qu’on est 12 pour une seule salle de bain (ce qui peut poser des problèmes de timing) donc c’est pas toujours propre en fonction du moment où vous y allez, mais la propriétaire passe tout les jours pour nettoyer donc ça reste ok.
• Pedro (1/5): Dirty - Close to the campus There was no staff and it was all just super dirty, stayed 3 nights and the bathroom looked like a dumpster filled with mold
• Joey (7/5): Just what I needed ona night where I needed a place to stay - I was just really in need of a bed for a night. And it was a nice, clean bunk bed. All the other guests were warm, respectful of my space and I felt safe. There was only 1 bathroom shared between a lot of people, so a tad tricky if you’re busting to pee and it’s occupied !
• Radinger (10/5): -
• Victor (10/5): -
• Aymeric (9/5): -
• Nir (8/5): Very good -
• Winda (7/5): Good - The owner knows how to utilize limited space for bigger purpose. I adore the creativity. It is kinda sharehouse with some people staying for long term, so the kitchen was a bit messy.
• Jason (10/5): Darlington - The pmsce has a homey atmosphere and the staff make you feel welcome. Easy to access in a great location.
• Jason (10/5): Exceptional -
• Manuel (10/5): 10/10 – My favorite hostel experience in 9 months of travel! - I’ve been traveling the world for 9 months now, and Lil Darling Hostel in Sydney has hands down been the best hostel experience I’ve had so far. Mirjana, the owner, is incredibly warm and welcoming – from the moment you arrive, you feel completely at home. She regularly hosts amazing dinner nights where she cooks for everyone, and honestly… the food is better than most restaurants! The vibe in the hostel is super chill, and the people here are just great. I’ve been staying for 3 weeks and immediately extended for another 3 – that says it all. The beds are super comfy, the rooms and all common areas are kept very clean, and the whole place just feels well looked after. The kitchen is very well equipped and stocked with free pasta, cookies, coffee, tea, peanuts, and oats – such a nice touch! You’re allowed to charge your e-bike battery, and there’s space to safely store your bike in the courtyard, which I really appreciated. The location is excellent, and the value for money is unbeatable. I genuinely love it here and couldn’t recommend it more! If I had to mention one downside, it’s that there’s only one bathroom with a toilet – but honestly, it’s a small thing compared to everything else this hostel offers.
• Gary (8/5): Very good -
• Malte (9/5): Superb - Nice hostel, friendly family vibe, owner is very kind and funny there is only one restroom so you may wait 5min before using it when you are unlucky
• Gary (8/5): Very good -
• Lalit (5/5): Passable -
• Hall (10/5): I won’t stay anywhere else - The dinner and breakfast are of the best quality
• Gabriella (1/5): Bad -
• Mami (10/5): Exceptional -
• Noé (10/5): Best hostel in Sydney! - Thanks to the owner, we felt like home here! Highly recommended!❤️
• Himamshu (10/5): Exceptional -
• Kevin (10/5): Best hostel to stay in Sydney -
• Anthony (10/5): Exceptional - One of the best hostel experiences I’ve ever had! Mirjana is an amazing host—super friendly, full of funny stories, and she really goes the extra mile. She even cooked for us and brought drinks for everyone. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and felt just like home. Highly recommended!
• Jokonn (10/5): Friendly owner -
• Alisa (10/5): More of a sharehouse instead of a hostel - Mirjana makes you feel right at home! Everyone helps each other if needed in a small 12 people community
• Ina (4/5): Disappointing -

Photos