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Reviews of Boardrider Backpacker & Budget Motel

2 out of 5
Boardrider Backpacker & Budget Motel
Rear 63, The Corso, Manly, NSW

Reviews

6.8
Rating 10 - Excellent. 27 out of 188 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 61 out of 188 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 60 out of 188 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 30 out of 188 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 10 out of 188 reviews" "

5.6/10

Cleanliness

7.0/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

5.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Carl

Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Loved the classic hostel feel and intense walkability and beach access. The facility needs some repairs, but if you're young and traveling and need an inexpensive place, perfect. It's loud, but no more so than any other hostel experience. I felt a bit too old to be there at 29, but then again I'm fairly low key and wasn't keen on the party life.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Chrisel Gracia

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

Shelli

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Convienient location within a good walking distance to the ferry and beaches. Plenty of local shops to choose from to eat as well as local supermarkets. The front reception area is a bit tight for space. The staff at the front desk were always friendly, cheerful, and helpful. The building corridors, and stairways feel quite dark. There seems to be a good large space upstairs available to socialize.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

nicolas

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Crystal

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was horrible
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bob

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everything was just great thank you.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay in Manly, Guest's need help.
The Elevator needs to be fixed, Otherwise a wonderful stay, the guests were wonderful. I think some would like the different embassy's to help them get home. I can't wait to stay again soon.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Gary

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Nathan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Decent budget accommodation right on the Manly strip. Private room was reasonably large and comfy. However, it's an old building with poor soundproofing, so a fair bit of noise through the night.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Mal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Austin

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location, very friendly staff!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Brooke

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Pros: Really good location and easy to use public transport around. Lots of good options for food. Very close to lots of cute beaches and walks. Cons: If you're a light sleeper do not recommend as its right near a pub that's noisy AF on the weekends. Markets on Saturday/Sunday start early too so can't really sleep past 7am. Strong local only bad vibes from longtermers. Messy shared kitchen space during breakfast that no-one cleaned as they used it.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Merv

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
GRRREAT value for money
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Nathan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly helpful staff. Great location. Good value for money.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Merv

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great people
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Great location, needs a deep clean
This is a great base in Manly, the Corso facing rooms have some noise at night and the street cleaning machines start about 5.30 but earplugs should see to that. The kitchen and communal areas need a deep clean, the room was tired and dusty, but the bed was comfortable and the shower was good. You get what you pay for and by the amount of long-term guests it appears there are work opportunities. The free breakfast- cereal, toast, tea+coffee was welcome.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2022

6/10 Okay

Delan

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff are friendly and happy which is nice. Reasonable for what it is. Definitely noisy though. Haha

4/10 Poor

Giuliana

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Its very run down and needs up dating and thhe bath rooms were dirty and smelt.horrible

6/10 Okay

Miles

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

6/10 Okay

Miles

Business traveller
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Close to bars
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie L

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

4/10 Poor

Colin

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mano

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
great price, double with shower toilet a must
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Boardriders on 6 Jul,2022
Thanks for your review :)

2/10 Terrible

Timothy

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Management were extremely rude and unaccommodating. I’d suggest other guest houses nearby for better facilities and service.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Boardrider Management on 2 May,2022
Hi Timothy! Apologies for not being able to host you this time. According to our guest policy, all our roomies must be vaccinated, so perhaps in the future you'll have the opportunity to stay with us again! Cheers!

6/10 Okay

Paula

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Boardriders room was comfortable although would have liked some cups to make a cup of tea. Bathrooms very rundown one of the two showers not working. Staff were really nice.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from Boardrider Management on 28 Apr,2022
Hi Paula! We're happy to know you enjoyed the room! Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. In response to your feedback, we did add a pair of cups per private room - thank you for bringing that detail to our attention. We're also reviewing our plumbing system to make sure everything's in working order! We hope to host you a next time to show our improvement! Have a wonderful week. Cheers!

10/10 Excellent

Jack

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Amazing atmosphere, very kind and helpful staff and the location is perfect especially for ocean lovers liker myself as well as having many food and clubbing options nearby. Would stay here again for sure!
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Boardriders on 13 Apr,2022
Thanks, Jack. We'd love to have you again!

10/10 Excellent

Ben

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff were great. Location second-to-none
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022
Response from Boardriders on 4 Apr,2022
Thanks Ben! Pleasure having you. Safe travels, Boardriders

10/10 Excellent

Nicole

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Jose was such a helpful member of staff. I had a flat tyre on the highway on the way to the backpackers. I had to wait for roadside assistance for over an hour. Jose waited for me to arrive which was well after midnight. He helped me with directions and genuinely cared about my welfare. I slept well in my single room with my dou bed. It was a good stay. Thank you. Nicole
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022
Response from Boardriders on 4 Apr,2022
Thanks so much for your lovely review, Nicole. We passed your comments onto Juan as well. Safe travels, Boardriders

10/10 Excellent

Timothy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Easy going hostel!
Private room was very accommodating. Came with towels and shampoos. Bathrooms were right across the hall and easy to access. Check in was easy to work with and let us check in very late. Awesome room overlooking The Corso. Would recommend to those on a budget and who dont mind the hostel style of sharing. Would gladly come back!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2021
Response from Boardriders on 14 Dec,2021
Thanks very much for your review. We'd be very glad to have you back! Cheers.

2/10 Terrible

Shane

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I never got to stay in the property as I booked. Drove 50km to it just to be turned away due to poor management saying that there where no rooms available then was called to next day and asked why I hadn’t checked in yet, then in the next breath said they where full.. I would not recommend them at all
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2021

6/10 Okay

David

Liked: Staff & service
Xb
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Response from Boardriders on 10 Nov,2021
Thanks for your review :) Cheers, Boardriders

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Nice people, cleanish...
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021
Response from Boardriders on 4 May,2021
Thanks for your review :) Cheers, Boardriders

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Central location - cheap as chips for manly - great value for money - great sheets and bedding for backpackers - can be a bit noisy.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2021
Response from Boardriders on 6 Apr,2021
Thanks a lot for your review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2021
Response from Boardriders on 8 Apr,2021
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed your stay. :)

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Best value in Manly
Great value and top location. Friendly vibe
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2021
Response from Boardriders on 17 Feb,2021
Hey thanks for your review! Pleased you enjoyed your stay with us. All the best.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
As advertised, pretty chilled and friendly. I was in ensuite and found it clean and roomy
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2020
Response from Boardriders on 15 Dec,2020
Thanks for your feedback and for staying with us. Cheers

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location good clean accommodation for the price
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020
Response from Boardriders on 15 Dec,2020
Thanks for your feedback and for staying with us. Cheers

6/10 Okay

Sylvia, Northern Territory

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
It is what is says - backpacker accomodation and a budget motel. You can’t beat the location, but I was not expecting the “motel” room to be without aircon, a fridge for milk etc and to have such a tiny bathroom. The doors to the midget balcony had a good street view and gave some relief from the heat but the noise from the pubs and corso lasted all night until the street cleaners arrived early am. Motto - read descriptions thoroughly- if you are young and want a friendly, funky backpacker vibe and great location this is the place - if you are over 30, need sleep and more than just a bed for the night, this isn’t the place.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020
Response from Boardriders on 5 Dec,2020
Thanks for your comments. Sorry we weren't exactly what you were looking for. All the best, Boardriders

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed there for two nights my in my mum, what a big mistake! The area is nice but very noise at night so we couldn’t sleep well. The place smells bad and is not clean at all! For the price I could have paid for a better place to stay, way too expensive for what you get!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Manager on 27 Feb,2020
Hi there, Thanks for your review. Sorry you did not enjoy your stay here with us. As we are a busy hostel located in central Manly - surrounded by bustling cafes, shops & restaurants - it can definitely be noisy here on a summer evening. We have recently undertaken a deep clean of the hostel and made some changes to our cleaning process and staff, which have left the place brighter then ever. Safe travels, Boardriders

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Needs to be cleaned
More of a long term stay place for foreign workers than a backpackers hostel. Front desk was very nice, but room, shower, and kitchen were very dirty.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Manager on 4 Feb,2020
Hi there. Thanks for your review and for your shout out to our reception staff. :) Sorry you didn't enjoy your stay with us. We actually clean our kitchen and toilets 4 times daily, so someone is not far behind a mess to clean up.Safe travels.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The place was good and clean. Beds were comfy, and room amenities were serviceable. Not too sure why you couldn't use the lift, though.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Kirsten on 12 Jan,2020
Hi there, Thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed your stay. We generally use our lift to move baggage between floors; however at the moment we're waiting on a part to repair it. Safe travels.

10/10 Excellent

Jack

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Manager on 4 Feb,2020
Thanks :)

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, could see the beach from the room balcony of the double room facing the Corso.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Boardriders on 23 Oct,2019
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location with good sized rooms (twin) including tea and coffee facility. Bathrooms are very basic with not much space in the shower. Breakfast is included and the price good for the location
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Manager on 18 Sept,2019
Thanks for your review!")

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location friendly staff and good value. En-suite rooms best
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Boardriders on 12 Mar,2019
Thank you for your kind review. :)

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I had an ensuite room which was clean and surprisingly quiet. Right in the heart of Manly. Heipful pleasant staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Boardriders on 12 Mar,2019
Glad you were pleasantly surprised. Thank you for your review. :)

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice place, good location, great staff. House cat is a nice touch.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Kirsten on 15 Jan,2019
Thanks for your kind review. :)

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

The general building and room did not feel clean and the toilets/showers were horrendous
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Kirsten on 27 Dec,2018
Hi there, Thanks for your review. I am sorry that you felt the hostel was not clean. It's pretty busy here in the summer as we can have up to 140 guests staying with us. That kind of foot traffic can leave its mark; however we have a staff of 20 cleaners that work from 6 AM to midnight each day keeping things tidy, and all of our bathrooms are cleaned 3 times a day. I hope you otherwise enjoyed your stay here in Manly. Kind Regards, Kirsten