Families beware - do not use this place, it really sucks . We booked a family room for six nights recently and our room was so unbearably hot (no air-con) and cramped that we left after two nights and went to Rydges Camperdown which was 1000% better and actually cheaper . The young staff at Billabong Gardens were friendly and helpful during our stay , but the female manager was unfriendly and foul-mouthed. When we spoke with her on the phone after we'd left , regarding a possible refund of the nights we hadn't stayed ( suggested by her staff at the front desk), she told us that was b***sh** and then hung up. Wish we'd done our homework and read the reviews first ....Families/ couples/ anyone who isn't desperate - do yourself a favour and don't go anywhere near this place , there are much better options nearby :-(

I know this is a hostel and not a 5 star resort, but I would have to be pretty broke and desperate to stay here again. Billabong Gardens has many things going for it: it's in a fantastic location in Newtown with no real traffic noise and it's perfectly priced with several room options. However, there are a few things they could fix to make the place worth staying at again. The first thing we noticed when we arrived was that the entire building smelled of chlorine - it was everywhere and you couldn't get away from it. The bedding was dirty (not cool) and the bathroom had mould on the ceilings and the shower curtain. The other problem with the bathroom is that there was no ventilation save for a small window that opened on to the hallway across from the communal lounge, so you could either suffocate in the humidity of the bathroom, or shower in view of anyone heading in to the lounge. But the biggest issue was the customer service. If you don't want to deal with tourists, don't work in a hostel. Otherwise don't be rude to people who kindly ask you for advice on the area. I think this depends on what staff member you have on the day, but we didn't seem to have much luck.

I only stayed here for one night but my experience was good. The location is good, close to shops and public transports. Friendly staff, I only met two of the staff members during my stay they were both friendly and welcoming. I booked a bed in a female dorm room on a website, but they gave me a bed in a mixed dorm room. Don't think it was on purpose, I think it was more of an accident, I checked in pretty late so I didn't wanted to complain, mixed dorm room was fine for me too. The dorm room was clean, the bed was comfy and every bed had 2 plug sockets which is great! Other hostels I stayed at had like 2 plug sockets per room lol. Fast WIFI. I'd stay here again.

Spent four nights there and the first 3 nights were brilliant. The staff learnt my name straight away and everyone was really friendly, it was clean and overall I had a good experience. However on my last night when I got to the room my bed had been occupied and my room was all full and the personal towel I left next to my bed had been removed and disappeared. There was no emergency phone where I could call & as it was past midnight no one in reception neither so I had to spend the night in the couch next to the reception despite having paid for a bed. They did apologize and reimbursed me for that night though but I still found shocking and dissaponting they are not responsible for what happens during the night until the day after. Unfortunately I would not go back.

I stayed there for about two weeks when I arrived in Australia. Really nice place for the price. It was the middle of winter so I couldn't enjoy the pool, but the outside area (which is a patio in the middle of the hostel) is really nice. Staff was polite and professional though not especially friendly or going out of their way to help people. Great if you're looking for cheap clean accomodation in Newtown.

Nice part of the town, parking is hard to find but possible. They offer paid parking for 10$ a night (!). Great hostel for longer stays and most people are staying longer. Kitchen is smallish, not enough space for food to store. Beds are comfortable and every bed has two outlets, a lamp and a basket to store your electronics and stuff in while charging, awesome! Can recommend it. Would go again.

We've stayed here several times over the last couple of years. We moved to the Blue Mountains but regularly need to stay overnight in Sydney. Billabong Gardens is located in a quiet side street in Newtown. Very convenient, close to the city and in a great area with lots of food options on KIng Street. Parking is inside the building in the garage. It must be booked, so don't forget when making a reservation. The room rates are very reasonable and parking is incredibly cheap compared to other hotels in the city. The rooms are always clean and staff are very friendly. The motel style rooms in the main building have their own bathroom and the rooms in the terrace house next door are with communal bath. We stayed in both and think they are great value for money. Don't expect a formal business hotel, it's more like a guesthouse. A few times they were booked out and we stayed elsewhere. Each time we thought we paid much more for much less. 100% thumbs up for this one!

Good for the price and close to the middle of King St Newtown, lots of young backpackers set the tone of this place, we had two adults and a child under 4, the noise was managed and the place generally clean. For good value and convenience you can't go wrong here (winter visit)

A great place in the heart of Newtown. Fantastic pool surrounded by bbq area and friendly atmosphere. There's a mix of backpackers and private rooms with everything you'd need. Staff are helpful and genuinely interested in making your stay in Australia a great memory. Highly recommended.

Beautiful building, surrounding an open air pool in the yard. The rooms are clean and comfortable, each with an own bathroom. The kitchen has a good size and is clean as well. The location is perfect if you want to stay in Newtown, but otherwise you'll be in the city within 10 minutes if you take the bus. Newtown is a nice part of the city, with excellent night life, café and restaurant offering. The staff is sadly unfriendly, especially the lady at the reception should think about changing her work place, as she is obviously annoyed all the time. They charge you for WIFI It's said it's not a party hostel, well I think it depends on the publicum. When I stayed there, people made a lot of party :)

Just extended my stay for another week. Conveniently located in trendy Newtown, this hostel is suited to backpackers staying for a weekend and those looking for work and don't mind the long term communal living. There are obvious a few rules in place but they keep things fun and safe for everyone!