Looking for a hostel in Byron Bay to crash out in and explore this awesome little hippie town in Australia?

Well the newly refurbished The Surf House could be exactly what you’re looking for…

REVIEW: The Surf House, Byron Bay

Where is The Surf House Hostel?

The Surf House is situated right in amongst the action of Byron Bay – on Lawson Street, just one block back from the famous beach of Byron.

In terms of location you couldn’t get much better – 2 mins to the ocean and a 5 min walk into the centre of the town, with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars all within an easy walking distance.

It was originally Main Beach Backpackers, but a few years ago it under went a huge multi million dollar revamp and having seen what it originally was I was massively stoked with how nice it is now and it’s certainly what I’d label as a flash packer style hostel.

Room Options

As from any hostel in Australia Byron Bay Beach Hostel offers a full range of room types for all travellers and budgets – from cheaper dorms through to private en suite rooms;

• 4 bed dorm
• 6 bed dorm
• 8 bed dorm
• Twin room with shared bathroom
• Queen room with shared bathroom
• Queen room with ensuite
• Queen room with ensuite and balcony

During my stay I opted for the Queen, ensuite room – which gave me all the social aspects of hostel life but a bit more peace and quiet when I wanted to crash out!

Facilities

As you’d expect from a higher end hostel The Surf Housel comes kitted out with a whole heap of modern facilities, including A/C in all the room (even the dorms!), pretty solid free wifi and an epic kitchen/lounge area too.

Oh and there’s an in-house bar with some bargain happy hour drinks offers as well – the perfect spot to meet some new travel buddies or pre drink before hitting the town!

Other facilities include;

• Free parking
• Free bus pickup/drop off
• Free wifi throughout
• All rooms A/C
• BBQ area
• In house bar
• Huge kitchen and lounge area
• Wheelchair friendly
• 24/7 reception and security
• Luggage storage
• Surfboard and bike hire

What’s The Vibe?

So what’s the vibe of The Surf House? Is it party chaos, chilled or couple friendly?

Well actually it caters for a huge range of travellers.

I was travelling with my girlfriend and opting for the private room gave us the best of both worlds – able to mingle with other travellers and enjoy a few cold beers, whilst still having a quiet spot to retreat too.

Obviously the bar area allows it to cater for those wanting to party – but there are still other, quieter communal areas to enjoy if you wanted to escape the crowds and relax.

So honestly I’d say it was suitable for pretty much everyone!

There are plenty of organised activities to get involved with as well – including walks up to Cape Byron Lighthouse (a must do, especially for sunrise if you can get up in time!) and also evening BBQs which are ideal for a cheap feed and if you’re travelling solo.

 

The Cost

Dorms start at $35AUD per person per night (8 bed with shared facilities) whilst the Queen Room with ensuite and balcony will set you back $160AUD per night for the room.

Be aware that along with all hostels in Byron Bay, prices can fluctuate slightly depending on the season and during big events – so expect to be paying more over Bluesfest, Splendour, xmas and new year.

There can also be restrictions on min stay times during these period too, but again this affects most accomodation options in Byron Bay.

 

Would I Recommend It?

Simply put – YES!

I was stoked with my stay at The Surf House and to be honest there’s not much I could fault with it at all. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable, plenty of communal spaces to chill out in and the in house bar is a great way to mingle with other backpackers.

It also boast one of the best kitchen setups I’ve ever cooked at in a hostel too!

And you can’t argue with the location either – it’s an easy walk to everything in town and if you’re literally a stones throw from some of the best beaches in Australia.

So yeah, if you’re heading to Byron Bay soon, get yourself booked in!

For more information on things to see and do in Byron Bay check out my full Byron Bay Backpacker Guide here, or my top things to do in Byron Bay here!

 

Have you stayed at Byron Beach Hostel?

What did you make of it?