Hostels in Melbourne
There are 19 hostels listed within about five miles of central Melbourne, which is 0.8% of everything on offer in the city — a thin hostel market - nearly every bed here is in a hotel. This page covers what that actually means for a trip: which hostels are here, how they rate against Melbourne's hotels, and which are worth it if you are coming for a show.
How strong is the hostel scene in Melbourne?
Two numbers answer that, and neither means much on its own. The first is how much of Melbourne's accommodation is hostels rather than hotels — a city can have plenty of hostels and still be a hotel city. The second is how those hostels score against the hotels sitting next to them, which is the only fair benchmark, because guest scores drift by city and a 7.8 in one place is not a 7.8 in another.
| Measure | Melbourne | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Hostels listed | 19 | Dedicated hostels and backpacker accommodation within roughly five miles of the centre. |
| Share of all accommodation | 0.8% | A thin hostel market - nearly every bed here is in a hotel. Measured against all 2,306 properties listed in the same radius. |
| Average hostel guest score | 7.3/10 | Averaged across the hostels above. Supplied by our accommodation partner, not a StubOrder rating. |
| Average hotel guest score | 7.9/10 | The same measure for Melbourne’s hotels, with hostels excluded so the comparison is not partly against itself. |
The short version: hostels in Melbourne score a little below the city's hotels — a gap of 0.6 points. That gap is normal and mostly measures the product, not the management: a shared room with six strangers in it will rarely be scored like a private one, however well the place is run. It is worth reading the individual scores below rather than the average.
Hostels in Melbourne, closest to the centre first
Distances are measured from the middle of Melbourne. Pick your dates to see what a bed actually costs — hostel pricing moves more than hotel pricing does, because a dorm can sell out one bed at a time.
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lilihostel
18 Russell Street, Melbourne
Convenient Location Located just a stone's throw away from popular attractions like Melbourne Zoo and Melbourne City Conference Centre, lilihostel offers a prime spot for traveler…
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Hub Hostel
139-149 Flemington Rd, North Melbourne
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and a picnic area.Featured amenities include luggage storage and laundry f…
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Landing Pads Brunswick
13 Blyth Street, Melbourne
Garden Oasis and Entertainment Landing Pads Brunswick in Melbourne is an adults-only accommodation featuring a serene garden, perfect for relaxation. Enjoy evening entertainment i…
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Little Drifter North Melbourne
78 Howard St, Melbourne
Set in Melbourne, 1.5 km from Melbourne City Conference Centre, The Village North Melbourne offers accommodation with a fitness centre, private parking, a shared lounge, and a ter…
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Mad Monkey Melbourne
475 Spencer Street, Melbourne
Social Vibe and Free Events: Enjoy our FREE nightly events and experience our rooftop, kitchen, and TV room for the perfect social atmosphere. Dormitory Amenities: Each dorm comes…
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Little Drifter Melbourne
167 Franklin Street, Melbourne
Convenient Amenities: Enjoy complimentary wireless internet access, a communal living room, and tour/ticket assistance. Dining and Drinks: Savor a satisfying meal at the on-site r…
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City Lifestyle Accommodation - Hostel
270 King St, Melbourne
Recreational Amenities Enjoy an indoor pool and fitness center during your stay at our hostel. Featured Amenities Benefit from multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and an eleva…
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Melbourne City Backpackers
197-199 King Street, Melbourne
Convenient Location Located just a short walk from Southern Cross Station and Melbourne Sky Bus, Melbourne City Backpackers offers easy access to key transportation hubs in the Me…
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Space Hotel - Hostel
380 Russell Street, Melbourne
With a stay at Space Hotel - Hostel, you'll be centrally located in Melbourne, just a 5-minute walk from Melbourne Central and 9 minutes by foot from Queen Victoria Market. This h…
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YHA Melbourne Central
562 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Rooftop Terrace with BBQ Facilities and Stunning CBD Views Enjoy the convenience of a 24/7 reception desk and a spacious communal area at Melbourne Central Hostel. The shared kitc…
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The Mansion Melbourne
80 Victoria Parade, Melbourne
Charming Heritage Hotel in the Heart of Melbourne Unique Room Features: The Mansion Melbourne boasts renovated rooms with bunk beds, privacy curtains, and individual amenities lik…
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Market Tavern - Hostel and Bar
115 Cecil Street, South Melbourne
Fantastic Terrace Views Enjoy stunning views from the terrace of Market Tavern - Hostel and Bar to relax and unwind. Convenient Amenities Benefit from complimentary wireless inter…
Staying in a hostel for a Melbourne event
A hostel makes most sense on exactly the kind of trip StubOrder sends people on: one or two nights, built around a fixed start time, where you are out of the building all evening. The bed is somewhere to sleep afterwards, not somewhere to spend the weekend, and the saving against a hotel on a sold-out event night is usually the largest saving available on the whole trip — event nights are when city hotel rates spike and hostel beds barely move.
The two things to check before you book are the ones that catch people out. First, front-desk hours: a support act running long can put you back at 23:45, which is no use if reception closes at 23:00 and there is no night code. Second, whether the rate is per bed or per room — a private twin at £70 and a dorm bed at £35 each are the same money for two people, and the private room is the better buy.
What is on in Melbourne
- From about $99.00View Tickets
Distance from a specific venue
The hostels above are measured from the centre of town. If you want to know what is actually walkable from the doors of one building, each venue has its own accommodation page that sorts every nearby property by real distance.
- Stays near Melbourne Park National Tennis Centre
- Stays near Rod Laver Arena
- Stays near King Center For The Performing Arts
- Stays near Melbourne Auditorium
- Stays near Melbourne Cricket Ground
Dorm bed or private room?
This is the decision that actually determines what your stay is like, and it is not the same decision as hostel-or-hotel. Almost every hostel in Melbourne sells both, at prices that overlap with the cheaper end of the city's hotels.
| Dorm bed | Hostel private room | |
|---|---|---|
| Priced by | The bed. Two people pay twice. | The room, like a hotel. |
| Best for | Solo travel, and meeting people. | Two people, or anyone who wants a door that locks. |
| Bathroom | Usually shared down the hall. | Often private, but check — many are not. |
| Getting in late | Fine, but you will wake people. | No issue. |
| Luggage | A locker, usually needing your own padlock. | In the room. |
| Versus a cheap hotel | Much cheaper, especially on event nights. | Often similar money — compare properly. |
The rule of thumb that holds nearly everywhere: travelling alone, take the dorm; travelling as two, price the private room against a budget hotel before assuming the hostel wins. On an ordinary weeknight the hotel sometimes does. On the night of a sold-out event, the hostel almost always does.
What to check before booking a hostel
Hostels vary in ways hotels mostly do not, and the variation is in the policies rather than the rooms. None of the following is unusual, and all of it is easier to find out now than at 1am.
- Age limits. Some hostels are 18–35 only, some refuse under-18s without an adult, and a few are over-18 with no upper bound. This is a property-by-property rule, not a city rule.
- Reception hours and curfews. A genuine curfew is rare now, but limited front-desk hours are common. If your event finishes late, confirm there is a night entry code.
- Whether the rate includes linen. Mostly yes; occasionally a few pounds or dollars extra at check-in, which quietly changes the comparison against a hotel.
- Lockers and padlocks. Nearly every dorm has lockers. A good number expect you to bring your own padlock, and the ones sold at the desk cost more than one from home.
- Deposits. Some hostels take a key or damage deposit in cash at arrival and return it on checkout — worth knowing if you are travelling cardless.
- Cancellation terms. The cheapest hostel rates are frequently non-refundable, which matters more than usual when the trip depends on an event that could be postponed.
Two of these — cancellation terms and what the rate actually includes — are shown on the booking screen once you pick dates, so check them there rather than assuming.
Plan the rest of the trip
Frequently asked questions
How many hostels are there in Melbourne?
Our accommodation partner lists 19 hostels within about five miles of central Melbourne, out of 2,306 places to stay in total — 0.8% of everything listed here. That count includes both dedicated hostels and backpacker accommodation.
Is a hostel a sensible place to stay for a concert or a game?
For a one- or two-night trip built around an event, often yes — you are out of the building most of the evening anyway. The things to check are the front-desk hours and whether there is a curfew, because a show that ends at 23:30 is no use if reception shut at 23:00.
Are there hostels near the venues in Melbourne?
The hostels on this page are measured from the middle of Melbourne, not from any one venue. For distance from a specific building, use that venue's own accommodation page — each one is linked above and sorts every nearby property by real distance from the doors.
Can I book a private room in a hostel?
Most hostels sell private rooms alongside dorm beds, and they are usually cheaper than a hotel room of the same size. Whether a given property has one is shown when you pick your dates — if only dorm beds come back, that hostel has no privates free for that stay.
Are hostels in Melbourne any good?
Melbourne's hostels average 7.3/10 in guest scores against 7.9/10 for the city's hotels, so they score a little below the city's hotels. Those scores come from our accommodation partner, not from StubOrder.
Does StubOrder sell hostel beds and tickets together?
No. Tickets come from our resale marketplace and accommodation from our booking partner. They are two separate bookings with separate confirmations, and neither depends on the other.
