Sydney Harbour YHA

Jan Reardon★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

This was our first stay at a YHA – and it definitely won’t be our last. What a fantastic surprise! The location is excellent, and the rooftop bar offers stunning views across the city. It quickly became our go-to place to relax after a day out. The room allocation was spot on – close to the lifts and the rooftop bar, which made everything really convenient. The room itself was simple but very comfortable. The beds were great, and my daughters couldn’t stop talking about how good the pillows were. Nothing fancy, but everything was clean and well looked after. We also didn’t realise there were tea and coffee facilities in the room, which was a really nice bonus. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. A special mention to Lee, the rooftop bar manager, who went above and beyond – not only helping with our food order for the family but also giving great local tips, including how to get to the observatory. The Big Dig downstairs was an unexpected highlight. Having an archaeological site right there and being able to explore some local history added something really unique to our stay. We were also really impressed with the food. The prices were very reasonable, and the quality was great – burgers and chips on the rooftop with those views felt like incredible value for Sydney. We’ll absolutely be back.

Kendrick Lim★★★★★★★★★★5.03 months ago

Stayed at YHA Sydney Harbour for a long weekend. I booked a 4 person hostel room and had the top bunk location with 4 other individuals traveling from across the world. The ensuite shower and toilet were a pleasant surprise. They do also have community, private showers and toilets. There is a complimentary luggage hold area near the lobby. The hostel itself hosts various daily activities such as manly beach excursion, Coogee to Bondi coastal walk, live music at the rooftop bar above, morning workouts. They also collaborate with their sister hostel, YHA Sydney Central and have a bar crawl Saturday nights for $20. This property is in the rocks, a fantastic location for those interested in the Sydney Opera House (15 minute walk), Sydney Harbour Bridge (5-10 minute walk), and circular quay (5 minute walk). Within the circular quay, there are multiple ferries going to various other harbours in Sydney, making it a prime location to get to places like manly beach, Watson bay, Milton point. if you’re trying to get to Darling Harbor, Surrey Hills, Darlinghurst, Bondi Beach, you can take a tram or a bus to those locations, roughly 10 minutes, although Bondi Beach can be 45 min to 1 hour by bus. Overall, would recommend this hostel if interested in things above!

Tineke Van de Sompel★★★★★★★★★★5.0a week ago

Staying at YHA Sydney Harbour is not just staying in a hostel, it is experiencing something. I had one of the best stays in a hostel, and that is not only because of the location and the insanely wonderful hostel, but mostly because of the staff. They were so helpful, so great, patient and kind. In particular, I want to say thanks to the guy from Colombia, I do not know his name, but thank you for helping me make stay memorable. Highly recommend this place!

Roberto Filatov★★★★★★★★★★5.06 months ago

Absolutely loved my stay at YHA Sydney Harbour! The location couldn’t be better — right in The Rocks, just a short walk to trains, buses, and trams, and so close to the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The place is spotless, with super clean rooms and common areas. The staff are friendly and always ready to help with anything you need. I really liked the kitchens — fully equipped and perfect for cooking whatever you want, which made it feel just like home. And the rooftop view… wow! It’s simply breathtaking, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House right in front of you. I’ll definitely be coming back here next time I’m in Sydney. Highly recommend it!

Catherine Jones★★★★★★★★★★3.02 months ago

Hi, I enjoyed my stay here but 3 days was more than enough. I've stayed in the Meriton 1 bedroom suites & will compare my YHA Rocks solo room ensuite to Meriton 1 bedroom because the nightly rates are close (Meriton prices being slightly higher at the time of writing this). What I liked about YHA Rocks: clean & modern, very friendly staff in my experience (guy with Spanish accent made excellent hot chocolate for me & was super nice). Breakfast for $14 was excellent value for me with good choice of food. Excellent location and thats why the prices are what they are! I'd say for what I paid, YHA the Rocks is not as good or excellent value for money compared to Meriton 1 bedroom ensuites. I'd say the prices at YHA the Rocks for your own room with ensuite are very high because of the fantastic location, definitely not the room quality. Meriton I have: own washer & drier, kitchen (I can cook anything I want & the gas isn't shut off at 11pm), own dishwasher, cutlery & crockery, own fridge & freezer, daily free amenities like bottles water, toiletteries, coffee, milk, coffee maker, pool, spa, gym, air con & heater better range of temperature to choose from than YHA, own cupboard, drawers, safe, own couch, coffee table. My room in YHA was tiny, no cupboards & draw as huge as Meriton. I have stayed at YHA 23 years ago & it was more of a party backpackers place, lots of fun. Way more grungy. These days, I wouldn't call it a youth hostel. Its more like a nice place to stay with no crazy party animal types you'd get 20 plus years ago. I saw people there of all ages from young to elderly, most people keep to themselves or their group. I'd say that has to do with modern technology & everyone looking at their phones too much & too afraid to talk to new people. In summary, good for short stay, great location, but not as good value as Meriton.