Australia Accommodation: Staying in a Hostel at 60
If you're over 60 and considering traveling to Australia, finding the right accommodation is key to enjoying your trip. Hostels, typically known for catering to younger backpackers, can also be a great option for seniors seeking affordable and comfortable stays. With a variety of choices across the country, hostels offer a range of experiences from quiet, budget-friendly options to more modern and well-equipped facilities.
In this post, I’ll share my personal experiences with several hostels in Australia, evaluating them on factors such as comfort, location, amenities, and overall atmosphere. Whether you're a solo traveler, traveling with family, or just looking for a base to explore, these hostels could be a great fit for your next adventure.
This is how I ranked my Australian hostels:
🦘 awful or unsafe, don't go
🦘🦘 basic, poor or unclean
🦘🦘🦘 average, budget friendly, clean, safe
🦘🦘🦘🦘 good, clean, safe, value or unique
🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘 excellent, added facilities, highly recommend
The following are the hostels I personally stayed at during my ten week tour in Australia in 2025:
Kangaroo Inn - Perth
Kangaroo Inn is a basic budget hostel just on the edge of the CBD with walking distance to shopping, the waterfront and on the free bus system.
It doesn't look like much on the outside and when I walked by, I questioned my choice. But once you are inside, it provides everything you need for a short term stay.
I had a private room with a single bed, a TV, shelves and excellent ac.
Down the hall was the shared toilets and showers for the floor. I never had any problem having to wait for others. They were always clean.
In the lower level was the lounge area and the kitchen. Plenty of space for making and eating meals. The large screen tv was often on showing a sports event.
Outside, there was additional lounge space and the laundry facilities.
As hostels go, it was a pretty quiet stay. There were some families but most guests seem to be backpackers with temporary jobs. They tended to be up early and went to bed early.
Overall, in was a good choice for a budget stay.
I would give it a 🦘🦘🦘 rating.
YHA Fremantle Prison - Fremantle
The YHA Fremantle Prison is a unique stay. Located in part of the women’s prison, this hostel accommodation ticked almost all the boxes.
It was interesting, quiet, clean and well organized. Located centrally in Fremantle’s CBD it was an easy walk to the shops, restaurants, bars and the waterfront areas. It you choose to go on a cruise or ferry, the passenger terminal is also not far. If traveling with large luggage, I would take a taxi though.
This facility has both dormitory and private rooms. The common areas are large enough for all to enjoy and both have air conditioning to escape the heat. It should be mentioned that the rooms in former cells, do NOT have air conditioning, only a fan. If you are traveling during summer, keep this in mind.
Although the toilets and showers are shared facilities, each are stand alone rooms rather than several showers and toilets in the same room. This allows for more privacy which can be important for older travelers.
If you want to read more about my stay in this historic facility, read this article:
This hotel caters to all travelers including backpackers, couples, seniors and families. As hostels go, it was a pretty quiet stay.
Overall, a good choice for a budget stay.
I would give it 🦘🦘🦘+ rating. If it had AC in the rooms, the rating would be higher.
Space Hotel - Melbourne
The Space Hotel in Melbourne is the perfect balance between moderate hotel and hostel. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the stay.
This 8 floor hostel is located within the CBD and although it is a good walk from the central train stations, it is accessible by public transit.
The reception area is clean, efficient and open 24 hours for any late or very early arrivals. Luggage storage is available, if necessary.
Now before I go further about the hostel, I want to clarify, the name has nothing to do with a perceived notion of space as in “outer” space. This hostel is using the word a different way.
The first floor contains a “cyber space” area. In other words - an internet café. It is located at the corner of the building so you can see two streets through the glass walls.
The second floor houses “meeting Space” while the third floor has a “workout space”. The fourth floor “theatre space” contains seating for almost sixty people to watch a movie or attend a seminar such as a travel show.
The fifth floor is the heart of the building with its “kitchen space.” Here, there is plenty of gas stovetops, fridges and kitchen appliances to cook up whatever you desire. Seating inside is available for about forty people with additional seating and a BBQ outside.
The special spot is the “outdoor space” located on the eighth floor which is an outdoor terrace complete with synthetic grass, lawn chairs and a hot-tub. 270 degree views of the city are pretty nice too.
Throughout the week there are planned activities and on Sundays, there is a free pancake breakfast.
Although the toilets and showers are shared facilities, each are stand alone rooms rather than several showers and toilets in the same room. This allows for more privacy which can be important for older travelers.
Overall, I could not find anything wrong with this hostel. I stayed for a week and had a private room. And, it had fully functioning air conditioning which was wonderful in Melbourne’s high summer heat!
This hotel caters to all travelers including backpackers, couples, seniors and families. As hostels go, it was a pretty quiet stay.
This was my favorite hostel.
I give the Space Hotel a 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘
YHA Sydney Harbour
Wow! What a view!
The YHA Sydney Harbour is located in The Rocks area of Sydney, a couple streets uphill from the Circular Quay harbour area. Despite the proximity to the water, it is quite a hike uphill if you plan on arriving by train.
But, when you get here and check in, the first thing you will want to do is head up to the third floor to the open terrace. Here, you will find one of the best views of the Sydney Opera House in all its glory jutting out on its own peninsula. Isn’t this what you came to Sydney to see, after all?
When you first arrive at the hostel, you may be a little surprised at what you see or even concerned. It looks like a construction site. And to some extent, it is. Part of the hostel is built on piles and suspended over top of an archeological site known as “The Big Dig”.
Once you walk up a floor to the reception area, you will notice how bright and modern the hostel is. Opened in 2010, it is a purpose built hostel with plenty of cooking, eating and lounging areas on the main floor. The on-site café is a bonus and in the mornings, an optional continental breakfast is also available for purchase.
Both private and dormitory rooms are available with each room having its own ensuite toilet and shower. In share rooms, lockers are provided for security, so bring a lock. In this hostel, I stayed in a four-bed female share and although the experience was pleasant, I did not enjoy having to climb to the upper bunk nor having to keep everything under lock and key. If you are over 60, definitely request the lower bunk but make sure you are mobile enough to climb, if necessary.
The top floor of the hostel has a rooftop terrace and as I mentioned, has the incredible view. Lounge chairs and onsite bar make spending the evenings here special. Several times a week, large cruise ships dock in the port and typically depart in the early evening.
This hotel caters to all travelers including backpackers, couples, seniors and families. Many people I met were using this hostel as their pre-cruise hotel due to the proximity to the port and the reasonable price.
Overall, I give this hostel 🦘🦘🦘🦘+ rating. It should rank higher but it does NOT have air conditioning.
Stoke Beach House - Manly
Well, I thought I was on a roll with the hostel selection, but alas, I found the dud.
The Stoke Beach House in Manly has a wonderful description and some nice photos. On paper, it ticks so many boxes. Lounge areas, kitchen, onsite bar, activities, free bicycles and is in Manly CBD a short walk to the beach.
But, be forewarned, behind closed doors, this hostel portrays itself as a frat house. Yes, it advertises as an 18+ hostel, but seriously? Speed dating games and beer pong?
Although the onsite bar closes at 10:30pm, the noise from the lounge / kitchen continues until about 11:30 pm. And I have to say, frat party would be the understatement! The yelling, screaming, cheering and occasional fight is something else.
But aside from that, the hostel also is located beside a main street in Manly which seems to attract all the street racers and fart-can mufflers. So, I’m not too sure which noise is louder; from the street or from the hostel.
As an older person, I had very little engagement with the other guests although I shared the same table for dinner. I felt completely out of place and I was quite glad I only booked two nights here.
Overall, I would not recommend this hostel if you are older than 18-35.
My rating is 🦘. It only got that because I had a private room. If I had been in a share room, I would have left.
Magnums - Airlie Beach
My stay in Airlie Beach was a total of four days. The first two days, I had booked an apartment with some friends. The plan was to move to the Magnums Hostel, located in the centre of town, after they left so I could save a few dollars. I knew I didn’t really need a full apartment to myself when a share facilities could do.
During the day, we walked by the Magnums facility and we were surprised at how noisy it was in the middle of the day. Magnums is the main bar in the centre of town and they offer tours and have accommodation as well. Hearing this noise and smelling the stale, spilled beer, made me question my decision to stay there.
Later, the next day, my friends and I wandered closer to the cabins (behind the bar) and realized there was a well-wooded pathway that leads from the noisy bar area to the cabins. I envisioned having to walk past this bar and into the dark path and decided that it was a security risk I was not willing to take.
I negotiated a deal with the proprietor of the apartment I was staying at for a better rate to extend my stay for two more days.
With regard to Magnums hostel, I would give it a 🦘 rating and not recommend it if you are over 60, or a solo female traveler.
YHA Brisbane and YHA Byron Bay
I had planned 4 and 7 days stays at both of these hostels in early to mid March.
But with the unfortunate weather and subsequent flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, my stays in these two hostels did not occur.
For the hostel in Brisbane, my stay was cancelled by the hostel.
For Byron Bay, I chose to go to another destination. In both these areas, flooding, tree damage or coastal erosion were significant and many locals were affected.
Even ten days after the storm, grocery supplies were limited in some areas.
Both hostels have since re-opened are functioning as per normal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Australia offers a diverse range of hostel experiences for travelers over 60, from the budget-friendly and quiet options like Kangaroo Inn and YHA Fremantle Prison to more modern and comfortable choices like Space Hotel and YHA Sydney Harbour. Each hostel provides its own unique benefits and challenges, with some offering quiet, private spaces ideal for older guests, while others may cater more to younger crowds with more active social scenes.
For those seeking a peaceful and enriching experience, hostels like YHA Fremantle Prison and Space Hotel stand out for their combination of comfort, location, and accessibility. However, it's important to choose carefully, especially if you're looking for a quieter atmosphere or additional amenities like air conditioning or private rooms.
While some hostels may be better suited for younger or more active travelers, there are still plenty of great options that offer both comfort and culture, making Australia a welcoming destination for travelers of all ages.
Do you have another hostel worthy of adding to the list?
If you are still on the fence about choosing your accommodation, this article might help you.
This is an inspiring read, Laura! I personally love hostels for their unique vibe but often wonder when I won't fit in anymore. You make a lot of valid points here and this motivates me a lot. The Space Hotel looks top notch!
I checked into a hostel at 50 in Auckland and it was a riot. The kids adopted me and then I ended up on a tour for gappers. Great advice and superb traveling Joan! Love it. J