How Hostels Work

The YHA Experience

YHA is the biggest budget accommodation network in Australia – and with more than 70 hostels around the country, no two hostels are the same. From converted train carriages in Sydney to a heritage-listed prison in Fremantle, big properties in the capital cities to little ones in tiny country towns, there’s a YHA ready to welcome you wherever your wanderlust might lead.

Booking

Lots of hostels are fully booked during busy periods so book your bed in advance to avoid the dreaded FOMO! The easiest way to snap up your bed is through our website, where you’ll always find the best rates and widest choice of rooms. All YHA hostels (besides Wilderness hostels) can be booked on yha.com.au up to nine months before your arrival – and you can easily manage your bookings by logging in to My YHA. Please refer to Booking Terms and Conditions for more details about online purchases and cancellations.

Arriving

Check the hostel’s opening hours to make sure there’s someone at reception to check you in when you get there, especially if you’re arriving early in the morning or late at night. Let us know in advance if you plan to arrive early or late so we can arrange things for your arrival. You’ll need to provide photo ID when you arrive, which we might scan the personal details of to help you get to your room even quicker.

Staying

YHA hostels are pretty easy-going places, but there is one simple rule you need to follow: be respectful. Please be considerate of other guests during your stay, and managers have the right to ask guests to leave if there are any problems. Length of stay is usually limited to 14 days but can be extended by the manager.

Bedding

What YHA provides: bed linen, blankets, pillows, chill vibes. What you need to bring: your own towel, your own sleeping sheet or linen if you’d prefer to use them, and your million-dollar smile. And sorry, sleeping bags are prohibited by Australian health regulations.

Cooking

If you consider yourself a bit of a backpacking Jamie Oliver, YHA hostels have fully equipped kitchens where you can cook and store food during your stay. All guests can use the kitchen as long as they clean up after cooking, consider the needs of other guests, and use more polite language than Gordon Ramsay.

Smoking

Please respect the non-smoking policies of hostels and keep your butt in the designated smoking areas.

Age

YHA welcomes solo travellers, groups and families of all ages . . . with a couple of conditions. 

• If you’re 16 or under you’ll need a parent/legal guardian aged over 21 to stay with you in a private room
• If you’re 17 you can stay unaccompanied with a letter from your parent/legal guardian stating they’re aware you are staying at the hostel and that the hostel will not supervise your activities
• Children under two stay for free (lucky things!) – but please check with the hostel before you arrive or make a booking, as a few of our hostels aren’t equipped or suitable for youngsters

Please note that some hostels cannot accommodate young children and you should check with the hostel at time of booking.

Never stayed in a hostel before? Check out our YouTube page to see what to expect and get inspired!