The most pathetic place you can stay at. The location may sound good. But the place is filled with cockroaches and bugs. When you go in room it smells like something is rotten in the room there are puke marks on carpet. Moreover, the staff is not at all helpful. The staff at reception Mark and Nabeel are the least customer friendly. They really don’t know how to respect women and can been seen smoking not sure what and drinking on shift.

Dirty, i got bitten by insects, i reckon it may because of the blanket which is never clean. I changed a room but still got bitten. And it smelled bad in the room.

Worst experience ever !! Never stay here. Room was full of cockroaches. The staff was extremely rude, especially a guy called Nabeel. He had no etiquettes while talking. We requested to get a room change but even that had puke marks on the floor and cockroaches, dead and alive, all over. On top of that, the manager refused us a refund as we left the room soon upon checking in. Don’t spoil your money & mood at this place guys.

The rooms were disgusting and no service at all. had to put the (maybe unwashed) sheets over the bed by myself and also to take it down. the floor was very dirty as the rest of the building. we had cockroaches in our room in the third floor. it was very hot outside...so it was inside because of no AC! the "breakfast" fast only toast with butter (which was melted for 1000 of times before) and jam. Pay a little bit more and find a better place! the receptionists (staff) were really nice (!!) and a good location with lot of restaurants and bars (unfortunately this was the only advantage)!

Stayed at Jolly Swagman under an Airbnb booking in a private room which was just perfect for two. We had no problem with booking or checking in and even got an abundance of help from the staff with where to park. The room was small but just enough to suit what we needed with the bathroom within (though without a door) and a bed big enough to sleep two adults. It had a small minibar fridge and lots of bag space for such a small room. It had the perfect location too with kings cross surrounding the place, buzzing with life on the weekend. We even walked to the opera house though it was quite the walk, it wasn’t unreasonable and would be easily accessed via close by public transport too if we put more time into figuring out trains. Though we didn’t get to engage much in the culture of the space due to our stay being short and not geared towards backpacking, there were many communal spaces with beanbags and seating to hang out in, and a communal kitchen open late for all to use. I would say making friends would be quite easy here. Overall great experience and very clean space with a lot of room for social gatherings and plenty of tours on offer, in a great location.

The Jolly is an amazing hostel. I came here by myself and i made so many good friends that i will have for a long time. Everybody that stays here is so friendly. It is also in a perfect location in the heart of kings cross. The staff are great with helping people find work and the transport from Kings cross is very good to travel around the city. The entertainment is excellent in the hostel we go out every night and get free in to clubs and free drink witch is good for backpackers travelling on a small budget.

Very good hostel especially in price/quality ratio. The double rooms are spacious and have their own mini fridge a sink and a table. The staff was amazingly helpful especially Joe! They provide you an Airport pick up for free witch is something worth some dollars. The only negative thing i can recall was the guy that kept making pressure on everyone to leave the kitchen as he always started to clean and store things away even before the breakfast closing hour.

I stayed quite a while at the Jolly Swagman backpacker and I absolutely loved the place! If I had to sum up the good things about this backpacker I would say that: It is well located. It is in Kings Cross, which is the area where most backpackers are staying. It is a good place to party but as the backpacker is located in a quiet street you can also sleep just fine! It is also pretty close to the city center (20 minutes walking), the Opera House (30 minutes walking) and most of the tourist’s places. I absolutely loved the people staying there as well. If you want to meet lot of great people from all around the world, you’ll be really happy in the Jolly! Everybody is really friendly and it is so much fun! The hostel itself is cool as well: huge kitchen, TV room, it’s clean, the staff is very friendly and helpful…some rooms are bigger than others but even the small ones are ok. As far as the bad things are concerned I would say: Free Internet: it is written on the website that you get free Internet but that’s not really true…you get one free hour when you check in but that’s it. You have to pay then if you want to use it: $3/hour. Apart from that I think I have nothing to complain about…I definitely recommend this place to anyone that want to have a good time in Sydney!

Love the people I met here and the staff are really nice as well I came on new years and went out with the other people who were staying there living for the atmosphere xp

I stayed here 2 nights and got a room to myself. Staff are friendly, my room was clean . It wasn't loud at night (i was fully expecting to wear earplugs) and honestly the bunk beds are so comfortable. I swear they have higher thread count sheets than i do at home.

Staff was extremely friendly and helpful during the entire stay and I met some wonderful people during my 1.5wks here. The place is located quite close to kings Cross station and is quite a short and safe walk considering the location. However, the rooms are unfortunately not air conditioned nor do they have appropriate ventilation - hence the rooms do get quite hot during the summer. The laundry is also quite expensive to run - it may be cheaper to just use a laundromat. Overall you do get what you pay for and if all you're looking for is a place to spend the night short term this place isn't half bad :).

I worked here in 2010, just realized I never reviewed after the incident that happened to me as a young adult and the incredible callous behavior of the ownership. I had been hospitalized and lost my appendix, lost about 40 pounds. They changed my room and the person who moved it stole about $80 in coins. I was mentally incapable of dealing with this due to my health issues at the time. Then another person at the hotel had an argument with me at a bar, we were back at the hotel later that night (we actually shared one of the rooms). One of the staff, a guy named Ashley, came up and somehow blamed it on me and physically threw me down multiple flights of stairs. Which could have killed me in my condition. I should have filed a police report but was still Ill and mentally incapable of doing so. Absolutely disgusting behavior by everyone involved and I want you to know that what you did was beyond redemption and you should know you're disgusting people.

Internet has been down for a week, they don't fix it. Showers in the second level had been down for two months, they don't fix it. cockroaches in room yes, get used to it. Hot water shower not working good, sometimes you just shower with lukewarm water. Outback showers are better LExtractor fan in the kitchen is out of order for two month, they don't fix it. Boiling water in the kitchen is out of order, they don't fix it. Driers doesn't dry properly unless you do twice. Toilets are not clean properly, even after the cleaner finish work they are not clean. Location is nice, reception is nice, but manager doesn't look after this place, the price of the rent goes up but the place goes down, is very doggy place, very old and abandoned

Staff was great, price for a private room was really good, stayed 2 weeks no problems, easy to sleep every night no noise from people everyone was respectful.

The staff is amazing, we arrived in the morning and they proposed to check in early as they had a bedroom ready. Really comfortable, we didn't expected to have a private fridge and a tv in the bedroom ! Always soap and toilet paper available, the commun areas were really clean. Nothing to say !

I booked this hostel on a whim trip to Australia from the USA. Was a bit nervous because I didnt know what to expect but WOW! what a great experience! They had a shuttle pick me up from the airport and carried me directly there, free of charge! You just have to follow the directions on their website to get it. From the moment I walked into the door, everyone was sooo friendly! The guy at the front desk made me feel welcome and one of the guest helped me take my suitcase up the stairs. I went in August, so it was definitely cold put. Unfortunately, there wasnt any heat in the rooms, but I was provided with alot of blankets. Honestly, that would literally be my only complaint and it hardly bothered me. Everyone staying there and the endless adventure suggestions posted on the walls via posters and brochures was perfect for an explorer as myself. Bathrooms were CLEAN! It was my first time staying in any hostel and my first time in Australia. This place really gave a fantastic first impression and I will always recommend it!

They cancelled the booking with little time in advance claiming a hotel renovation and then they started renting again for higher prices.

Had such a great stay. Hostel is close to everything. The people staying are really friendly and the staff where very helpful. Room was a good size and had everything I needed. Bathrooms were bright , clean and airy and on every floor

The jolly swagman Backpackers was by far the best backpackers that I stayed in during my 6 weeks in Australia. It is actually really clean (way better than any other hostel), everything is well organized and they put thought into all the operations. The staff care about the customers and even ask for ideas and feedback on how to improve the hostel. I was impressed at first, but even more so after going to other hostels that pale into comparison.

Great services they would give you, how amazing you cant believe, so nice that like you home.

Stayed in a private room mostly, which was a good price compared to a lot of other places we checked Staff were incredibly friendly, always nice to chat to Dated decor but was always kept really clean by staff Kitchen was always kept immaculate and hostel rules kept it running perfectly Showers were good When we did stay in a dorm for a few nights, in March, and it was unbearably hot. There's no way we could've stayed there in the dead of summer, even this was too much. Moved to a twin room when one became available and still it was too hot. Eventually got a double room near the front of the building and it was a lot cooler and became okay at this point. Air con would go a long way in the rooms People staying there were easy to get along with, could go out for drinks a few days in the week which is always good A good hostel overall

Jolly swagman is an amazing place to stay due to its colourful atmosphere and friendly staff like nabel and sam who notify backpackers of any work available as they have a Facebook page with work available from local businesses so u will have work available if u want it. Rooms are spacious with some having fridges and tv's and sinks to wash hands which is a definite plus for those who prefer to stay indoors. As I stayed in a couple of YHA hostels and unlike them jolly swags doesn't tolerate troublemakers and will kick out people following day which is good as it feels more safer here.

I've stayed a few hostels, this hostel is definitely one of the best hostel I've ever stayed. Seriously I don't know how this negative comments coming from… For starters, most of the staff is pretty nice, especially shut out to Monica. Second the hostel is is clean, and I like cleanness, so yeah. Good for someone just arrive Australia, they organize all sorts of event pretty much everyday, so if you are social, making friends 24/7 . Of course not everything is gonna be that good, let's say I never used the kitchen, seems not that convenient, and bathroom's tap water too small, other than that. Everything I like it so far… Worth it!

Super clean rooms, comfortable bed and a great nights sleep. Thank you to Les for going the extra mile for us during a difficult time. Would be very happy to stay there again. Sincerely L